Well, I just realized it's been more than a month since I wrote anything. An international move will do that to you. At this moment we are in an apartment that is maybe 950 square feet (quite a change from the more than 4000 we were enjoying in Singapore). Our air shipment arrived today and I'm looking forward to being able to cook in my own wok again!
Something I studied in nursing school was stress as a predictor of illness. Most of you have seen this thing somewhere, it lists stressful situations and prescribes them a point value up to 100 points. Loss of a spouse is 100 points, divorce is 75 points so forth and so on, even Christmas gets a point value. A score of more than 300 puts one at high risk for stress-related illness. Well, I was calculating some of my stressors, international move, child leaving home, major purchase of car or appliances (3 cars, washer & dryer, lawn mower et al), mortgage application, new school...the list just goes on and on. Then add in that Rick has all the same ones I do plus a new job and the fact that while I get to be married to him he has to be married to me (far more stressful!) and you can see we're feeling a bit overwhelmed!
Anyway...I didn't write all this for sympathy (but if you want to give me some I'd be happy to take it) I wrote it to talk about something related but different, ways to deal with anger. I have a natural tendency to express stress and anxiety as anger. (Rick tends to withdraw into himself which is why he's easier to live with than I am) And anger has been the big thing the Holy Spirit has been convicting me of ever since I did Breaking Free. In fact one of the things Beth Moore suggested in that study that has been a big help to me is to get some 3x5 cards and look up all the Bible verses related to your area of bondage. Then, when you're feeling the need for wise words you can look up your verses. Well, I have about 35 3x5 cards on a little ring that I try to always have nearby. Some of my favorites are Proverbs 29:11 "A fool always loses his temper, but a wise man holds it back." and Isaiah 58:9b-10 "If you remove the yoke from your midst, the pointing of the finger and speaking wickedness and give yourself to the hungry and satisfy the afflicted, then your light will rise in darkness and your gloom will become like midday." and James 1:19-20 "This you know, my beloved brethren, But everyone must be quick to hear, slow to speak and slow to anger; for the anger of man does not achieve the righteousness of God."
Anyway, just wanted to share something that's been helping me to control anger and ask you to pray for me to keep it up. I'll try to post more frequently now that we're in Houston and I'm online again! God Bless
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