These have been some weird days around here lately. Our home and the rhythms aren’t too much different since I’ve been homeschooling a few for the last year and a half, but the difference is the unknowns that are more evident and in our faces. With these changes, and with any changes in our daily rhythms can come feelings of anxiety, feelings I am familiar with if you’ve been around here for any amount of time.
I am waking in worship, God’s Word, prayer, and jumping into what is known. Dwelling on what is true, not the what-ifs. As I try to talk to my kids about combating lies and using those feelings as tools to get through the unknown, we talked about Philippians 4. This book of the Bible is full of encouragement. So often people read a verse or two and stop.
If you’re at home like I am, you have the time.
Sit in Philippians 4.
Do you see it?
4 Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice. 5 Let your reasonableness be known to everyone. The Lord is at hand; 6 do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Let your gentleness, reasonableness be seen by all! It’s not always easy when we are feeling overwhelmed and out of control. Tempers are short and we are sitting on the edge if we aren’t careful.
What else does it say? To pray and give it to God. I can tell you that I daily lay down my thoughts and fears to the One that can handle them. He doesn’t turn me away. He’s not shocked. He’s my Healer, He’s my Shepherd, He’s my Savior. & He gives me His peace, His wholeness, and guards my ever-changing emotions and thoughts in Jesus.
8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 What you have learned and received and heard and seen in me—practice these things, and the God of peace will be with you.
These verses are a great reminder and encouragement. God created us, He knows where we often let our thoughts take over and loop. Do you see what it says? Verse 8 tells us what to think about, what to loop in our brains, the TRUE, the HONORABLE, the JUST, the PURE, the LOVELY, the COMMENDABLE, the EXCELLENT, the PRAISEWORTHY.
It’s easy to fall into the “WHAT-IFS”, but we are called to think about WHAT IS true, honorable, just, pure,…
I made some sheets to help our family focus on these things and practice them.
We are trying to think about the lovely and all we are grateful for. Since I made these for our crew, I thought I'd share them with you! Each “listing” has multiple pages and choices so you can choose. If you know my kids personally, I bet you could guess which ones they chose.
They are in the shop to separate you from any newsletter list. By putting them in the shop you will not be signed up for anything. It does ask for your address, just make one up and click to check out. It will be sent to your email!
5 different sheets to choose from with written reminders on what to focus on. Fill this out daily, weekly, or monthly! Based on Philippians 4.
Print this out and write down daily what you are grateful for, the true, the lovely, the honorable.
Download multiple versions of the gratitude journal, both with and without verses.
Print this out and write down daily what you are grateful for, the true, the lovely, the honorable.
Download multiple versions of the gratitude journal, both with and without verses.
