Christianity

21 Verses to Keep You Calm When You Want to Pull Your Hair Out

- Mama Leave a comment

Fear. Anxiety. Stress. Exhaustion. It seems like sometimes everyday life, but especially mom life, can bring these things. “Am I being a good enough mom?” “What if something happens to my child? Or to me? Who would care for him?” “Ugh! Why won’t he listen to me?” “I just want to go to bed… I’ve been up for days it seems like…” “What if I can’t afford to pay the bills?” “What if I lose my job?” “What if I fail that test?” “Will I EVER find the One?” “I’m just so frustrated!”

Questions… fears… frustrations… they reach the best of us and shake us to our cores at times, and it’s so hard to fix your eyes on God when you’re plagued with thoughts that are overwhelming at best, spirit-crushing at worst.

Thankfully, God wants to calm us. There are literally hundreds of verses in the Bible intended to help us feel His loving hand on us in rough times where we are sometimes rattled to a point that we don’t know how we’re going to get through the day without throwing a temper tantrum, or at the very least, gorging on chocolate from the next available source.

He never, ever wants us to feel afraid or alone. So the next time you’re feeling overwhelmed, afraid, or just generally want to pull your hair out, meditate on one of these verses.

When applicable, I’ve paired a verse that speaks on anxiety with a song that reminds me of the verse and gets me through those rough moments in life. You can find the songs linked on Youtube, or you could also follow my Spotify playlist that has some extra tracks here. Some are pretty spot-on speaking to the verse, and others are a little more loosely paired, but either way, I hope you find hope in them.

The Lord replied, “I will personally go with you… and I will give you rest– everything will be fine for you.” –Exodus 33:14, speaking to Moses.

Let It Fade- Jeremy Camp.

I have told you all this so that you may have peace in me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world. –John 16:33

Overcomer- Mandisa

For God has not given us a spirit of timidity, but of power and love and discipline. –2 Timothy 1:7

Don’t worry about anything; instead, pray about everything. Tell God what you need, and thank him for all he has done. Then you will experience God’s peace, which exceeds anything we can understand. His peace will guard your hearts and minds as you live in Christ Jesus. –Philippians 4:6-7

But in my distress, I cried out to the Lord; yes, I prayed to my God for help. He heard me from his sanctuary, my cry to him reached his ears. –Psalms 18:6

Need You Now (How Many Times)- Plumb

This is my command– be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. –Joshua 1:9

Courageous- Casting Crowns

I am leaving you with a gift– peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give, so don’t be troubled or afraid. –John 14:27

Worn- Tenth Avenue North

He calmed the storm to a whisper and stilled the waves. –Psalm 107:29

You Never Let Go– AJ Michalka ft. James Denton

So don’t worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will bring it’s own worries. Today’s trouble is enough for today. –Matthew 6:34

We put our hope in the Lord. He is our help and our shield. In him our hearts rejoice, for we trust in his holy name. –Psalms 33:20-21

10,000 Reasons- Matt Redman

The Lord is my light and salvation– so why should I be afraid? The Lord is my fortress, protecting me from danger, so why should I tremble? When evil people come to devour me, when my enemies and foes attack me, they will stumble and fall. Though a mighty army surrounds me, my heart will not be afraid. Even if I am attacked, I will remain confident. –Psalms 27:1-3

Whom Shall I Fear? (God of Angel Armies)- Chris Tomlin

See, God has come to save me. I will trust in him and not be afraid. The Lord God is my strength and my song; he has given me victory. –Isaiah 12:2

Stand in the Rain- Superchic[k]

Do not let your heart be troubled; believe in God, believe also in Me. –John 14:1

I look up to the mountains– does my help come from there? My help comes from the Lord, who made heaven and earth! –Psalms 121:1-2

Praise You In This Storm- Casting Crowns

Give your burdens to the Lord, and he will take care of you. He will not permit the godly to slip and fall. –Psalms 55:22

When doubts filled my mind, your comfort gave me renewed hope and cheer. –Psalms 94:19

Oh God, listen to my cry! Hear my prayer! From the ends of the earth, I cry to you for help when my heart is overwhelmed. Lead me to the towering rock of safety, for you are my safe refuge, a fortress where my enemies cannot reach me. Let me live forever in your sanctuary, safe beneath the shelter of your wings! –Psalms 61:1-4

Strong Tower- Kutless

Be still in the presence of the Lord, and wait patiently for him to act. Don’t worry about evil people who prosper or fret about their wicked schemes. Stop being angry! Turn from your rage! Do not lose your temper– it only leads to harm. For the wicked will be destroyed, but those who trust in the Lord will possess the land. –Psalms 37:7-9

Beauty from Pain- Superchic[k]

When I am afraid, I will put my trust in you. –Psalms 56:3

Though I am surrounded by troubles, you will protect me from the anger of my enemies. You reach out your hand, and the power of your right hand saves me. –Psalms 138:7

Our God Is Greater- Chris Tomlin

Do not be afraid, for I have ransomed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through deep waters, I will be with you. When you go through rivers of difficulty, you will not drown. When you walk through the fire of oppression, you will not be burned up; the flames will not consume you. For I am the Lord, your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. –Isaiah 43:1b-3a

 

(All verses are from the New Living Translation unless otherwise specified).

 

Do you have a verse that helps you get through those stressful moments? Share it in the comments below, or let me know what song you rock out to when you’re feeling like pulling your hair out!

7 Ways to Pray for Your Child

- Mama Leave a comment

It didn’t take me long at all, minutes even, to realize I was never going to be a perfect parent. In fact, I honestly realized that while I was pregnant. No matter how hard I might try, I’d never be a perfect parent.

When I brought up my worry, as a perfectionist, that I’d never be a perfect parent, I was greeted with wisdom by people who had been there. My mom, my grandma, my friends… they all came back with the same resounding concept. I was right– I’d never be a perfect parent. But that didn’t mean I couldn’t be a praying parent.

By spending time in prayer for my child, I could actually become a better parent for him than if I was a perfect parent.

But sometimes, it can be hard to think of how to pray for your child. I mean, you have all of these hopes and dreams and thoughts for your child, as a mom, before your son or daughter is even born. Sometimes, you even have this in your mind before they’re conceived.

I struggled to put my prayers into words, and I honestly sometimes didn’t even use words– I believe God understands my petitions even when my words can’t put the thoughts I have into coherent prayers.

One of the first prayers I had for my son was a prayer of Salvation. I knew that I wanted my son to grow up and have a relationship with God, so I wanted to make sure that he knew God personally, and had dedicated his life to Christ. I wanted to pray that he would find Salvation.

I prayed for my son to have great joy. I wanted to know that he was not just happy, but joyful. I prayed also that God would make ME a more joyful person and help instill that joy in his life, both by the way I lived, and through the examples set for him by myself and those in his life. I wanted him to experience happiness, of course, but I also thought that joy, true Holy Spirit joy, transcended that, and I prayed that upon him.

I prayed that my son would have a Servant heart, that he would learn to serve others and be willing to get down and wash someone’s feet, or any other service that he could provide. I wanted him to reach out and help people, and find a passion in that. Essentially, I prayed that my son would get a lot of traits from my mother, who has the biggest servant hearts of anyone I know. I wanted my son to know that serving others is one of the most important things you can do.

I prayed for my son’s safety. Of course, his safety was paramount to me. With all of the crazy news about mall shootings and terrorism and even just basic things like drunk drivers or plane crashes, I worried a lot about Zach’s safety. I realized, though, that God says not to worry, but instead, to pray. There’s no need to have anxiety about things when we have prayer (easier said than done for me and my panic attacks, but I knew prayer was the right solution). So I did, I prayed for my son’s safety, for him to be guarded from harm. I prayed he would be protected and kept from harm.

I prayed for my son’s wisdom, that he would not just be a smart child with a thirst for learning, but that he would be wise. I prayed that he would have the wisdom to think for himself, to discern right from wrong, and make wise, Godly choices. I didn’t pray necessarily for my son’s intelligence, but for wisdom. I knew that being book smart could help him in life, but being wise, having that true wisdom, would help him for sure.

When my son started to grow, I saw that he was one self-confident kid with a little attitude.
I prayed for humility, that, even in his self-confidence, he would be humble and speak with kindness. I didn’t want him to become cocky, or lose that humility when speaking to authority figures or even peers. I wanted his heart to be pure and humble, with his servant heart and gentle spirit.

I prayed for strength. No, not the “I can lift two elephants” kind of strength, but the kind of strength that comes from the heart. I wanted him to be strong in tough times, to know that, even though times can be tough, or you can cry or be upset over circumstances, that you persevere, you continue on, and your strength helps carry you. I also prayed for a strength of spirit, one that would allow him to resist temptation that I know will face him in life. I prayed for the strength to say no to things he knew were not right, and for the strength to stand for what is right, even when it’s hard. I prayed for strength to get through hard circumstances, and strength to resist temptation, both from his peers and directly from evil he may encounter in life.

Of course, there are many, many ways you can pray for your child. These seven are just a start, a jumping off point to consider ways to pray.

Whether your child is a grown adult, or still not even a blip on the radar, or maybe somewhere in between, praying for your child is important. You’ll never be perfect… I’ll go ahead and be the bad guy and break that news to you now. But you CAN be a praying parent, and that’s what really matters.

 

What prayers do you have for your children? Leave them in the comments below!

Finding God in Robin Hood

- Mama 1 Comment

Growing up, my favorite movie was easily Robin Hood. I could’ve watched Disney’s Robin Hood on repeat. In fact, many times, I did. I remember the little squiggles on the TV screen as I hit rewind on my VCR so I could watch the adventures– and love story– of two foxes and their friends. I adored the element of danger in Robin Hood standing up to the government, the excitement as Maid Marion and Robin Hood fell in love again, and the sweet children and people of the town who rooted for Robin Hood and his love the whole time.

So, when this beloved classic became available on Netflix, I knew Zach just had to watch it! I was certain he’d love it… after all, he loves animals and music, and Disney’s Robin Hood had both. It was sure to be a classic we’d both love… right?

Wrong. I’d turn it on, and within 30 seconds, Zach would exclaim “No! No no no!” and turn it to something mindless like Pingu. Again. For the millionth time. I’d let him watch his show, of course, but then, next time, I’d direct him right back to Robin Hood, turning it on, letting the first whistles on the minstrel ring out, and once again, I’d be greeted with the resistant “No!” from Zach.

Why couldn’t he watch the movie? Maybe I didn’t get him far enough into it… I’d try next time starting it in the middle, or someplace exciting, and let him see the cute, fuzzy little animals singing and dancing along.

And each and every time… “No.” No matter what I tried, “No.” Eventually, I resigned myself to the idea that Zach was never going to watch Robin Hood, and that my life would be filled with endless sounds of “Nook nook!” and gibberish as his eyes glazed over during Pingu.

Then, two days later, I handed Zach the Kindle before nap. I went to get drinks and a snack for him, and returned. I said “What are you watching, sweetie?” “Hood!” I glanced down, and to my surprise, Robin Hood was playing on the Kindle. He watched it, and watched and watched and watched it. For about 3 days straight, everything was Robin Hood.

I kind of feel like this applies to my faith journey sometimes. I feel like sometimes God puts something in front of me and says “Here. Read this Bible.” I inspect the cover, then set it aside… “Not now, God. I’m reading Divergent, and it’s at a really good part.” “Here, Jenni. The Bible.” “Not now, God. I just got this great book on my Kindle!”

“Jenni. Why not listen to this great song?” “Um, yeah, that’s great… but I’m really into listening to Lorde right now. It’s super catchy.” “But Jenni, praise my name with singing!” “Yeah, but, God… Tennis Court. It’s a fun song.”

While obviously, I don’t think God is pushing every praise song and Bible verse at me on a regular basis, I do think that sometimes, I’m ignoring God’s wants because I’m really in to something else. It’s like giving up Robin Hood for Pingu. What he’s offering is probably really great, and I’d likely love it, but I’m too busy stuck in my rut of what I know I like to give in and listen to what he’s trying to get me to watch, listen to, and do.

In many ways, Salvation is just like that. I’ve seen so many people, myself included, in the past, blatantly ignore the salvation God was offering, that promise of life everlasting, not because they didn’t want it, but because they were fixing their eyes on something else instead of God. I feel like, as a culture, we get so wrapped up in what’s right in front of us, whether it’s marathoning Breaking Bad on Netflix, or reading the latest and greatest from James Patterson, that we’re neglecting to notice what God has right in front of us. As a culture, we’re forgetting to sit down and get lost in the Word, forgetting to listen to a new praise song, or pay attention in church. We’re tapping our toes to Get Lucky by Daft Punk, but just barely mumbling out the words to the songs the praise team is singing in church.

Basically, we’re turning down a great classic Disney film, and choosing some weird, gibberish-speaking penguin… except on a much more important scale with far greater benefits and consequences.

I think that, even though Robin Hood is completely insignificant when it comes to something major like Salvation, little things like this serve as a reminder. It’s not Zach saying “No! No no no!”

It’s me. I’m saying it. I’m turning down that time I could be spending with God, enjoying something so much more amazing than I can comprehend. And it’s time for me to decide, just like Zach did when I left the room, to start paying attention to the great things right in front of me.

 

Do any little every-day life things make you think about your relationship with God? I’d love to hear more about it in the comments below.