Hello Friends,

How do you look for peace?  I have such a hard time calming myself.  I was thinking the other day how I would explain my brain to someone if they asked. Here is the scenario I came up with:

Let’s say you have three kids that are all five years old.  Let’s name them Jane, Leigh, and Beth.  They all come running up to you all excited and start talking at once (kids talk so fast).  By the end you are trying to figure out why your brain tells you they went swimming with the manatees during Sunday School.  As you take your seat to listen to the sermon, the pastor begins by talking about the Adam, and you think about Adam naming the animals and wonder if the Garden looked like a zoo… ZOO! Jane was talking about seeing the manatees at the ZOO! That makes more sense.  Swimming does not. Oh wait… the sermon.  You tune back in to the pastor talking about God healing people.  Then you remember the pool of Bethesda.  Where Jesus healed someone.  POOL! Yes, Leigh mentioned a pool. No manatees, that makes way more sense.  Oh, Sermon… by the time the sermon is over, you missed half of it but you now know Beth was telling you about Sunday School.

While that’s not the best example, it’s the closest I can come up with.  Obviously not the best way to listen at church. So I am working on ways to start focusing more.  While I just started this, so I can’t tell you how well it works, I am trying to slow my mind when I am thinking about more than one thing (sometimes two, if one is a game I play on my phone).   

I’ve tried to do some research. And through various sources I am taking time to stop and focus on deep breathing.   Literally like “I’m breathing in; I’m only thinking about breathing in… I’m breathing out; I’m only thinking about breathing out.”  If my mind tries to stray, I tell myself I’m not allowed to think about it in that moment because I am breathing.  One of the sources I used, and I can’t remember for sure which one, made a statement that breathing out longer than you breathe in signals to your body that everything is ok (or something like that).

It’s not easy and I know for a fact that when the new month starts at work next week it will be even more difficult.  But I can’t keep going like I have been.  I am also working on writing a notebook of scripture.  Specifically God’s promises.

I’m starting with those listed on this site:

30 Reassuring Promises From Gods Word

That’s really all I have for today, I just hadn’t posted in a while so I wanted to make a quick post.

I am a follower of Christ, I am not perfect, but I love Jesus.

Until Next Time,

Liz Allen