" DON'T GET YOUR UNDIES IN A BUNCH! "

By: Donna Selma Lind

DON'T GET YOUR UNDIES IN A BUNCH!

Can we talk? Can we talk about Anger Issues?

Do you ever have a problem with controlling your temper?

Have you ever been so irritated by someone that you felt like smacking them silly? Oh, don't get all "Holly Holy"on me now because you know you have, even if you don't want to admit it.

"For we have all sinned and fall short of the glory of God."Romans 3:23

For most of my life I had a problem with Anger. I didn't know how to express or vent my anger because I was conditioned as a child to keep my emotions in. This continued throughout my first marriage which was very unhealthy for me because I was in an abusive marriage.

I stuffed my anger for over forty years and when I finally was free to express my anger it was explosive and caustic because I wasn't trained on how to control it. Once I let that anger loose I walked around with my undies in a bunch until I wasn't the only one irritated and uncomfortable!

"Anger is a universal, basic,normal unavoidable reaction of displeasure. It usually involves a significant portion of misunderstanding and has it's roots in our own unmet expectations." 

Paul Hegstrom

"Anger is a secondary emotion. It is a warning sign and an alarm to a primary emotion such as Fear, Hurt or Frustration."  

Gary Oliver

WHY ARE YOU ANGRY? {Fear-Hurt or Frustration?}

A - ANGER

N - NOT CONTROLLED

G - GERMINATES

E - EMOTIONAL

R - REACTIONS OF RAGE

Get a grip on Anger before it gets a grip on you!

IDENTIFY YOUR ANGER PERSONALITY

 When the heat is on in the kitchen are you a?

*CROCK POT- Stuff it all in savor and stew on it slow and steady.

*PRESSURE COOKER- Pressure builds up, then explodes!

*MICROWAVE- Heats up fast. Quick tempered. Always ready for a fight!

  RECIPE FOR ANGER :

*What are your parents Anger personalities?

*Were you allowed to express your emotions as a child? How?

*What made you angry as a child? What makes you angry now?

*Who pushes your buttons? Why?

*How do you express your anger now?

*Have you ever hurt someone because of your anger?      

Do you think now is a good time to apologize?

 NO MATTER HOW UPSET OR ANGRY WE ARE GOD GIVES US ANSWERS AND HELP ON HOW TO CONTROL AND OVERCOME ANGER.

"Be quick to listen,slow to speak and slow to become angry, for mans anger does not bring about the righteous life that God desires." James 1:19-20

"Be angry and do not sin; do not let the sun go down on your anger, and give no opportunity to the devil." Ephesians 4:26

"Good sense makes one slow to anger, and it is his glory to overlook an offense." Proverbs 19:11

LET'S GET COOKING WITH NEW INGREDIENTS

1) TIME OUT- Take a break. Walk away. Cool Off.

2) TALK TO GOD- Pray. Quiet down. Breathe.Bless and Forgive.

3) TEMPER TRIGGERS- ID the cause: Hurt, Frustration, Fear?

4) TAME IT- Self control. Journal.Walk. Exercise. Yard work. House work. Call a friend.

5) TURN IT AROUND- What's my part? Share responsibility.

6) TRY AGAIN- Come back: Listen. Don't Blame. Open heart.Soft voice. Focus on a solution, not the problem.

 RECIPE SWAP : 

REPLACE ANGER WITH THE FRUIT OF THE SPIRIT! 

"Love, joy, peace,patience, kindness,goodness,faithfulness, gentleness and SELF CONTROL."Galatians 5:22

"Anger is one letter short of danger." Eleanor Roosevelt

 Get a grip on your anger issues, before they get a grip on you and you hurt the ones you love!

SHARE THIS BLOG WITH SOMEONE YOU LOVE OR SOMEONE YOU DON'T LOVE OR SOMEONE WHO HAS MADE YOU ANGRY! ;-)

KEEP CALM AND DON'T GET YOUR UNDIES IN A BUNCH!

HALLELUJAH! 

PRAISE THE LORD AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

Donna Selma Lind

" FAITHING THE GIANTS "

By: Donna Selma Lind

"FAITHING THE GIANTS"

I live with Giants. Or should I say Giants live with me. Yes, every day I am facing some Giant issue or colossal problem that seems like an impossibility to overcome. Most of the Giants live in my head (the battlefield.) Many Giants never make it out of my head they just re-surface from time to time whenever I am confronted with people or situations that seem impossible, that is when the Giants rear their ugly heads and the battle begins. Anxious thoughts, insecurities and fears play over and over like a video in my mind reminding me of failures and battles that I have lost in the past. The Giants always seem bigger when they are in our minds because that is where the battles begin.

Some days I feel like a Grasshopper living in a land of Giants! {LOSER MENTALITY}

In Numbers 13, The LORD instructed Moses, "Send spies into the land I am giving to Israel; send one leader from each of the twelve tribes." The following is the report from ten of the twelve leaders:

 "There we saw the Giants; and we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight." Numbers 13:33

 Notice "we were like grasshoppers in our own sight, and so we were in their sight."

THE ENEMY SEES US AS WE SEE OURSELVES! 

HOW DO YOU SEE YOURSELF? WINNER OR LOSER? VICTORIOUS OR DEFEATED?

I must remember who I am in Christ and who Christ is in me!

If Jesus lives in my heart then; "Greater is he that is in me than he that is in the world" 1John4:4

No matter how big the Giant seems, God is bigger! I said; "GOD IS BIGGER!"

"What seems impossible to man is possible with God." Luke 18:27

On days when I feel like I'm a grasshopper in a land of giants, I will tell the giants to Shut-up and I will ''SUIT UP." I will put on my big girl boots and my Armor Battle gear. 

"Put on the whole armor of God." Ephesians 6:10

I will not shrink back or run away, but I will stand tall when I am "FAITHING THE GIANTS!" 

FAITHING- My faith in action. If I want something different , I have to BELIEVE and  DO something different! It's a FAITH THING!

"Faith that does nothing is dead."James 2:26

Now let's hear what the other two spies Caleb and Joshua had to say when they returned from exploring the same land.  

But Caleb reassured the people as they stood before Moses. Numbers 13:30"Let us go up at once and possess it," he said "for we are well able to conquer it!"  {WINNER MENTALITY}

Gotta love that Caleb! Keep in mind he is in his eighties and perkier than a rutting Buck!

Caleb has no problem "FAITHING THE GIANTS"  he has no fear because he knows the LORD is with them. He is suited up and ready to go!

"Only do not rebel against the Lord. And do not be afraid of the people of the land, because we will devour them. Their protection is gone, but the LORD is with us. Do not be afraid of them." Numbers 14:9

"We will devour them." In other words,we will eat the enemy for lunch! 

Joshua and Caleb saw the enemy different than the other spies. In their eyes the enemy was a Loser- a tiny grasshopper that they saw crushed and defeated. Joshua and Caleb saw themselves as Winners with God. They were Giants in their Faith! 

Remember what I said earlier? "THE ENEMY SEES US AS WE SEE OURSELVES!"

So when you have a grasshopper day like I do, whether you are "FAITHING THE GIANTS" in your head or they are standing right in front of you, don't run from the giants! 

Don't be afraid, don't be dismayed!

 If you are Fed up then Get up. Suit up.Gear up.Cheer up. Rise up. Pray up. LOOK UP! 

Tell the enemy to Wake up, Shut-up, Listen up because his Time is up! AMEN. 

Whew! Glory to God that's good stuff! Somebody write that down!

"Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be frightened, and do not be dismayed, for the LORD your God is with you wherever you go."  Joshua 1:9

"For the Lord your God is he who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies, to give you the victory." Deuteronomy 20:4

"But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our LORD Jesus Christ."

 1 Corinthians 15:57

WHO AND WHAT ARE THE GIANTS IN YOUR LIFE TODAY? 

 ARE YOU FACING THE GIANTS OR ARE YOU FAITHING THE GIANTS? 

WRITE DOWN YOUR GIANTS.

 SPEAK THE TRUTH THE WORD OF GOD TO THE GIANTS.

 NOW GIVE THE GIANTS TO GOD.

THE GIANTS ARE ONLY AS BIG AS WE MAKE THEM!

GOD IS ALWAYS BIGGER! AMEN.

  HALLELUJAH!

 PRAISE THE LORD AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

        DONNA SELMA LIND

NO "SPANX" IN HEAVEN

By: Donna Selma Lind

No "SPANX" in Heaven

"Nothing in all creation is hidden from God. Everything is naked and exposed before his eyes, and he is the one to whom we are accountable." Hebrews 4:13

Adam and Eve were in the Garden of Eden and had just finished noshing on the forbidden fruit from the tree of good and evil. 

Genesis 3:7 At that moment their eyes were opened, and they suddenly felt shame at their nakedness. So they sewed fig leaves together to cover themselves.

Okay, so here's Adam and Eve, they are like little sponges all soaked in sin. They think they're going to hide their trespasses from God Almighty himself!  I can hear Eve now;

 "Come on Adam, trust me, just put on these "SPANX" they are like wonder underwear they conceal and cover everything! Look they even come in a nice Fig Leaf Camo pattern, I got them at the "Paradise Mall" at a BOGO sale!"

Isn't that what we do, we think we can hide our sins from God?

Let's be real. We know we stuff and push, cram, jam and squeeze into our 

Shapeware Girdles so that we give the outward appearance of looking good, being smooth and having it all together, but the truth is all our junk is still in the trunk! 
All our ugly lumps, bumps and wrinkles are still there. 

There is no hiding from God. He knows all and sees all. HE IS GOD.  He has X-Ray vision. When we stand before him he sees clear right through our "SPANX!"

8)Then the man and his wife heard the sound of the LORD God as he was walking in the garden in the cool of the day, and they hid from the LORD God among the trees of the garden.

Can you imagine what the sound of the LORD'S footsteps must have sounded like? Wow!

9) But the LORD God called to the man, "Where are you?"

10) He answered, "I heard you in the garden, and I was afraid because I was naked; so I hid."

The first thing that happens when we fall into sin is the spirit of fear comes upon us. Why? Because we feel exposed, ashamed and guilty. Shame, Shame you know your name.

Then we try to hide. 

11) And he said, "Who told you that you were naked? Have you eaten from the tree that I commanded you not to eat from?"

12) The man said, "The woman you put here with me--she gave me some fruit from the tree, and I ate it."

13) Then the LORD God said to the woman,"What is this you have done?"

The woman said, "The serpent deceived me, and I ate."

Blame. We usually try to blame someone or something else, not taking responsibility for our own choices and our own actions.

We will never get better if we don't get real, confess, repent, and ask God to forgive us and help us, change us.

Ask God to create in you a clean heart and a new fresh start!

Who out there is ready to trade their Fig Leaf  "SPANX"  for Righteousness , Truth and Freedom?

Romans 13:14 "Instead clothe yourselves with the Lord Jesus Christ, and make no provision for the desires of the flesh."

Galatians 3:27 "And all who have been united with Christ in baptism, have put on Christ, like putting on new clothes."

Luke 12:25 

"There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known. What you have said in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the ear in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the roofs." 

There will come a time when we will all stand naked before God.  Give him all your secrets, and all the junk in your trunk. Be Transparent. Get Real. Stop hiding and trying to  cover it up. Be bold! 

            LET'S GET NAKED AND UNASHAMED BEFORE                                                THE LORD!              

      There are no "SPANX" in Heaven! 

  HALLELUJAH!  

PRAISE THE LORD AND SHARE THE GOOD NEWS!

                                                        DONNA SELMA LIND