These words accompanied the most compelling four-minute video that I have watched in a long, long time. The production, posted on the internet to introduce our Solar System to elementary students, showed videos and still pictures of our galaxy that made my heart skip a beat.  The music was moving. The words, gripping. My younger daughter sat on my lap, eyes fixed on the video. My eyes filled with tears – God’s magnificence can become overwhelming when you see the universe from the lenses of a potent telescope. I was reminded of the perfection of it all, as celestial bodies hang perfectly in space, separated not an inch farther than necessary in order to keep our Solar System balanced for the sustenance of life in our planet. Many people become more skeptical when contemplating the stars. I personally become ever more convinced that there has to be a God who designed it all.

As I pondered about the vastness of creation, images of things that are currently happening in this tiny, blue planet of ours started running across my mind. The horror of ISIS across the sea… senseless riots in our own backyard… the Supreme Court ruling on the redefinition of marriage. We live in a world that is permeated with anger, lust and selfishness. We think our own troubles to be the center of the universe, whereas in truth, even every major issue that this world is currently facing pales in contrast with the magnitude of the God who created it all.  Life is but a vapor and yet, we stubbornly make it all about us, our agendas, our ideologies, instead of thinking about what God would have us do.  Many don’t ever stop to think that it may just be true that one day we will all stand before the one who created the stars, placing us, by design, on this earth to accomplish his plan. That day could even be today. I don’t know about you, but I tremble at the thought. I tremble at the thought that every action and everything I have ever stood for or against will be accounted for. I tremble at the thought that there is a higher plan, a higher purpose in life than just my daily routines, my concerns and cares. I tremble at the thought that God has placed me in this tiny planet with a specific purpose in mind and that I may just miss it if I get so engrossed with my own agenda that I fail to seek him. Do you ever think about that?

I believe we all should. Because as we look at the vastness and perfection of our universe, we must be confronted with the fact that, if it was indeed created, there is a God who is so perfect and particular, that he doesn’t want us to treat our lives and society as another cosmic accident. He created life in an orderly fashion and he does care about how we live it.  What if he does have a blueprint for us to follow? What if there is right and wrong and one day he will hold us accountable for our actions? Would that change the way you see life and everything you believe in?

Patricia Holbrook is a Christian author and national conference speaker. You can now pre-buy her first book, “12 Inches – Bridging the Gap between What You Know and How You Feel About God” at Barnes & Nobles on line and Amazon. Visit her blog to read her devotionals at www.soaringwithhim.com or email her at pholbrook@soaringwithhim.com

The post What If God Has a Blueprint for Us? (Weekend Column for the AJC) appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.

A second health care worker in Texas is diagnosed with Ebola. ISIS allegedly has control of chemical weapons. Border security agents are struggling to maintain enough manpower to contain the influx of undocumented immigrants from Mexico. Is it any wonder that worry is permeating our society as never before?

The harmful effects of anxiety are well known to the medical community. In the U.S. alone, 40 million adults suffer from anxiety disorders. When our bodies are under stress, our nervous system responds with a reaction known as “fight or flight.”

There are times when this physiological reaction is a healthy defense mechanism, such as when a person feels threatened by imminent danger. This reaction tells us when to move out of an unsafe part of town, or it incites us to run when spotting a poisonous snake on the ground. We were born with this important trigger to help protect us from threats.

However, the fight or flight response was never intended to be an ongoing reaction to our problems. Indeed, chronic worry and emotional stress breed terrible health problems. Continuous fight or flight responses cause our body’s nervous system to release stress hormones such as cortisol, which can boost blood sugar levels and triglycerides. These hormones cause harmful reactions such as dizziness, increased heartbeat, fatigue, insomnia and headaches. Needless to say, the long-term effects can be devastating, including suppression of the immune system, digestive disorders and heart disease. In other words, it’s not stress that’s making us ill. It’s our response to stress that is killing us.

I wish I could say that worry and anxiety stopped at the door of our sanctuaries. But we all know that’s not true. If anything, many people of faith are fretting more than ever. Entire websites are dedicated to disaster preparedness and to tracking events around the globe linked to end-times prophecy. As a Christian, I have studied these prophecies and believe them. But I don’t think this is a time for panic, worrying or fear.

Rather, I’m reminded that one of the most popular commands found in the Bible is “Fear not.” It’s found in almost every one of the books of both the Old and New Testament. Fear Not. I’ll never leave you. Fear Not. I believe these words. Through my hardest trials I’ve experienced them to be true. I know it won’t be different now.

There is no question that we should be concerned about our society. We cannot pretend that Ebola is not here, or live as if nothing bad will ever happen. We are not immune from terrible harm or unspeakable evil. We’ve seen it. We know it. We should certainly be vigilant, but we should not allow our spirits to be on constant fight or flight mode. Either we believe that God is in control … or we don’t.

I’m speaking with the authority of a recovering worrier. I’ve experienced firsthand the bitter effects of worry and anxiety. I don’t want to tread that ground again. What I’ve learned is that worry is a choice. Therefore I deliberately choose to turn off the fight or flight mode for things that I cannot control. I choose to turn to God instead, for direction, protection and peace. I choose to pray and trust. I choose to Fear Not.

The post Ebola, ISIS, End-Times Events – An Anxious Church?? – My Weekend Column for the Atlanta Journal appeared first on Soaring With Him Ministries.