It was another one of those days on the job. As you travel home, all you can think about is the boss, that lousy meeting, and what your future will look like tomorrow.
On arriving home and entering the house, you find that your children eagerly await seeing you. They’re calling your name, tugging at your clothes. They want their “me time” with you. However, the stresses of the day are still on your mind, and without realizing it, you start taking it out on your little ones.
We all have stressors in adulthood, whether emotional, work, or relationship-related. We must realize, though, that these adulthood stresses are not the weights for our children to carry. Our children need that childhood time to learn themselves and their capabilities. It is a time for their learning curve, a vertical learning curve I might add, so they develop correctly and are prepared for their upcoming adult journey.
And as parents, an important responsibility we bear is to protect our children from those adult issues they have no way to comprehend.
For me, I train daily with My People so I can avoid taking home the stresses of the day. I spend a few minutes addressing the Helpline request, giving my Socrates challenge for the day, and reviewing the responses from others to refocus my mind. Some of the training I save to the end of my workday, so my mind is rejuvenated before meeting the ones I love most.
So, when returning home to my children and before entering the door, I always place my stress in a box with a tight lid on it. I spend my time with my children, enjoying our fellowship, keeping their well-being first and foremost.
I let my children be children.
Now using My S-T-O-I-C STORYTELLING method:
(S) How to help my children not feel my stress?
(T) “When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child.” Apostle Paul
(O) I control my emotions so as not to affect my children.
(I) I set the stage for my children’s future growth by controlling my emotions.
(C) The character trait that I improved on was remaining happy when spending precious time with my little ones.
The Stoicess’ Secret?
When with your little ones, put away adult matters.
Here’s the video link if you’d like to watch:
First Peter 5:7 commands believers to “Cast all your care upon him, for he careth for you.” It is amazing that Scripture so eloquently commands us to do this. So many times in this life we experience trouble where the helpful ear of a friend is valued higher than gold. We tell this person of our situation, and if nothing more than the ability to tell them about it and have them listen helps us a great deal. Even better is when our friend shows sympathy towards us and our situation. Many times they will never be able to do more than this.
But what of God? If we can rush to someone who will listen but can’t do anything about our situation, how much more should we run as fast as we can to God who can do the unthinkable? Who can do so much more than a friend and, as Scripture so clearly tells us, “can do exceedingly, abundantly more than we could ever think or ask”. That is who He is.
The verse says He cares for us. It’s not just that He will oblige us. Not that He will take a portion of His time and spare us a few moments. His propensity to listen is grounded upon the foundation of His great love for us. A love so powerful that He was brutally mocked, spit upon, crucified, and died to spare us from the wrath to come. It is an everlasting love. He cares more than any other.
With these thoughts in mind, we should go to Him with all of our cares. Not some of your cares, your troubles, your worries, your problems. Not fifteen minutes of time because that is all He can spare, but He says come and cast ALL of your cares.
He will listen, friend. Not only can He listen, but He is eager to hear from you. He is waiting even now for you to come to Him with all of your troubles. So I encourage you today to spend time with Him. Not only will He listen, but He will also help you because anything is possible with God.
Our superheroes.
The caped crusader, the man of steel, and Princess Diana – just a few of our superheroes who come to mind saving the world when a catastrophe strikes.
However, with covid’s arrival, we found new superheroes.
They were the quiet ones that we never knew had such heroism in them.
They were the neighbor – what’s her name? – down the street, that young grocery clerk we never pay attention to, or the nurse who gave personal care to our dying loved one while we stood safely outside in the parking lot viewing through the hospital’s glass window.
You see, several of these heroes didn’t make it through the first year of Covid. They gave their lives to serve the rest of us while knowing that each day serving the public could be their last.
I believe the character of these individuals developed over years and not something that sporadically arose. Just as during 9-11 with the twin towers collapsing, there were those regular people giving their lives to help others they never knew for those few last moments of their own lives.
So, when the checkout lines are long or the service waiting times are absurd, I relax and say, “thank you”, because I know they’ve trained a lifetime to have a hero’s heart to serve me while haunted by thoughts of their own mortality.
And I train daily with My People to live up to the hero standard – God’s standard – as well.
FOR GOD’S LOVE … BUILDS … HEROES!
Now using My S-T-O-I-C STORYTELLING method:
(S) My partner has tested positive for Covid, what do I do?
(T) “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
“Now a bull is not made suddenly, nor a brave man.” Epictetus
(O) I will support my hero physically and mentally through this time as they have served the public selflessly during Covid.
(I) I realized heroes are built over years to perform for those few minutes with immense bravery.
(C) I improved my resolve to train daily with God’s heroes for my time of heroism will also surely come.
The Stoicess’ Secret? When we all need a hero for the fight, look no further than your own life.
Here’s the video if you’d like to watch.
When we realize we can’t fix a problem and will have to live with a situation, contemplative prayer is a meditative practice to find peace. Contemplative prayer is “listening prayer.” Instead of trying to change the world, you accept the world as it is with God’s help.
Contemplative prayer enhances your ability to hear God’s voice by reducing distraction and anxiety, thereby drawing you closer to God. You focus on repeating a single word or concept throughout your prayer. In turn, your prayer mimics meditative, centering practices.
The Bible and eastern meditation are often confusing topics for spiritual people. Christians have traditionally been suspicious of the term “contemplative prayer,” fearing that it will lead immature believers away from Jesus and into mysticism. However, contemplative prayer is an effective form of worship focusing on Christ and His teaching because you are yielding to His will.
Contemplative prayer shouldn’t be discouraged but embraced since it brings the believer closer to Jesus. Focusing on particular biblical concepts, issues in your own life that you see aren’t in line with God or His will are great ways to have a closer walk with Him, which is what this life is all about.
When things are going well in our lives, it is easy to take the blessings that we have for granted. We may not even think about God at all. However, when life throws us a curveball, and we experience difficulty, we often turn to Him for comfort and guidance.
It is during these challenging times that communication with God becomes essential. If you are struggling and don’t know how to communicate with Him, here are some tips to get started.
One of the most effective ways to communicate with God is through prayer. Prayer has many important functions, which are interrelated yet different: thanksgiving, adoration, conforming to His will, and making our requests known to Him are the main ones.
Thanksgiving is about giving God glory in all things. On the other hand, adoration is about submitting yourself in faith before His Throne of Grace. Conforming our lives to Him and His will is an important part of the Christian journey; one that we will discuss in more detail in future blogs. Prayer also involves asking for our needs and making our requests before the only One who can change things in our lives.
All of our prayers are predicated on our faith in God, for faith pleases Him greatly.
How do you know when someone loves you? When they spend time with you. The same holds for spending time with God through reading His Word.
Reading God’s Word is not merely about gaining knowledge – it’s an opportunity to spend time with Him, to get to know His character more, and consequently grow closer to Him.
The word ‘church’ comes from the Greek κυριακή (pronounced Kyriaki), which means “the Lord’s Day.” This day is when the first Christians came together to worship God by reading His Word, praising Him through song, and sharing what they had learned with one another.
Attending church is not about being seen there or gaining knowledge – it’s about participating in the Body of Christ.
There is no greater relationship in this life than the one you have with your Heavenly Father. Communicating with God is a way to connect with Him personally. It is a way to deepen your relationship with Him. When you take the time to communicate with God, you recognize how important He is in your life.