And to those visiting, I say welcome! I post every Wednesday and my sole purpose is to nourish your soul along the way. 

Each month I give away a $10.00 gift card to someone who posts on my blog, so leave a post, share a story, bless lots of people, and just maybe you'll win a little treat for yourself. This month's gift card comes from Starbucks. 

How do you respond to stress? 

I clench my jaw at night which makes for a powerful headache in the morning. For the longest time I considered jaw-clenching an involuntary reaction to my level of stress. I now realize that when my thinking defaults to stress, my jaw-clenching kicks into gear. 

How about you? What is your default response when things feel unmanageable?  Do you get anxious, mad, overly busy? Or is yours an opposite response? Do you sometimes get so overwhelmed that you camp in front of the TV and eat more than your body requires?

Lately I've been meditating on the wonderful Scripture, "Cease striving and KNOW that I am God." (Psalm 46:10).

Picture two rivers. One with a strong current pushing the waters south, the other, with a steady, powerful current flowing north. God is our True-North. We can either jump in the southbound-river of striving and straining and continually battle the currents of self, or we can hop on an inner-tube and ride the northbound-river of God's power and provision. 

To cease striving is to know - with utter assurance - that God is who He says He is. He is in control, profoundly good, enormously huge, divinely capable, and more-than-enough for us. 

When we step back, take inventory, and thus glean our perspective from our feelings, our understanding, and our own resources, we will undoubtedly find ourselves in the wrong river. We waste  a lot of energy battling our wrong perspectives. When we allow ourselves to get into a tizzy, it's because we've put too much weight on our own abilities and resources. We've become strivers. 

But God says to us: "Stop that. Don't do that. Cease. Cease striving. Cease striving and KNOW. Cease striving and KNOW THAT I AM GOD. I am God. Do you know that? Do you really believe that I spoke the world into being and that I delight in every detail of your life? Your job is to trust and obey. To live by faith. To walk in love. I've got the details. Refuse stress. When you're tempted towards striving and straining, turn away from such thoughts. Hop in My river and let My current take you where you need to go. Peace. I speak peace to you, My precious one."

Proverbs 9:10 is a great verse: Knowing the Holy One results in understanding. When we know Him, we understand why He allows us to walk through hard times (because there's something in it for us). When we know Him, we trust Him. When we know Him, we consider the treasure of His heart more blessed than the gifts from His hand. When we stop striving and hold on to our 'knowing' life - even amidst great difficulty- becomes peaceful, powerful, and completely doable.

Take a deep breath in. And exhale. Know Him more today. Trust Him with your whole heart. He is good. His God. And He is far greater than our minds can comprehend. 

Walk in His presence. Embrace His promises. Count in His provision. 

He is faithful!

Until next week~

PS ~ if you haven't already signed up for my quarterly E-zine, you may want to! Four times a year I email out an E-zine filled with great book giveaways from fellow authors, a devotional thought, great book recommendations, and a prayer to send you on your way. Women love it! Sign up here...

Blessings!