Be still and know that I Am God

Today I started to get stressed about things... things that don't really matter. Our house is so messy, my room still isn't finished, I'm home alone almost all day, and I have so many little errands to run and tasks to do. I feel like I'm running out of time and steam. I have one left until camp - which is actually a lot of time but already I'm starting to worry about that. Last year I wasn't as prepared as I needed to be and I feel like I let my campers down because of that. So, I want this year to be different... but I know it will take time to focus and plan ahead for that. The girls (2nd-6th grade) will have a much better time if i'm prepared physically, spiritually, emotionally, and mentally. So in order to get to that I need to accomplish all my little tasks. I could list them so you understand how much I have to do, but seeing written all together would just stress me out more, haha. I prefer to just have a visual in the back of my mind.

Today while I finished painting my room (yay!) I was listening to praise & worship music on my iPod. I just shuffled the play list and soaked in God's presence. It played through Chris Tomlin, Matt Redman, Kutless, Casting Crowns, Leeland, Hillson, Jeremy Camp, Phil Wickham, Lifehouse, and Third Day. I was reminded of who God is and of His attributes. It was the best worship experience I've had on my own since that one Wednesday in the Philippines. My strength & focus was renewed, my confidence and reliance on God increased, my stress and anxiety diminished, and my day got so much brighter. The problems didn't go away but I was no longer looking at them as problems.

So, what am I trying to say?
When you're having a bad day find a way to refresh yourself in the Lord. I truly believe this is one of the only things that can result in a real attitude change. When you're feeling down find God's glory and joy instead of your own or the world's. It's not a bad thing to let other people encourage you and fill you up, but make sure your emotional strength is from the Lord. When you listen to music and watch movies... be careful, I know, those things influence you quicker and deeper than you realize. While I haven't given up completely on secular music, I listen to Christian music at least twice as much.