Tag: stress

Motivational Monday

On November 4, 2024

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

As always, it is so good to see you here whatever day it is for you! Tomorrow is a pretty big day so I would be amiss if we didn’t talk about it. The election. So, without further ado, let’s talk about it.

This Motivational Monday is posted later tonight because I have rewritten it several times. Tomorrow, I know who I am going to vote for and I back them quite a bit. Am I 100% happy with them as a person? Or am I 100% happy with all of their policies? The answer to both of those questions is no…for me. I try to approach all things from a christian perspective. In fact, this is probably the first time I have ever prayed for the best candidate to win (and I really meant it!). There have been times I have prayed that prayer but obviously wanted MY candidate to win.

By praying for the best candidate to win, am I voting for the least bad option?

I am, personally, extremely happy that I am not running for political office because Lord knows, I am not perfect. And I have lived a little in my 44 years on this Earth. 🙂 I am a Christian and I am not perfect. Just like your candidate you will be voting for tomorrow (Romans 3:10). So to answer the question…yes. You are voting for the least bad option because you live in a fallen world! But that’s where discernment comes into play.

The Bible teaches us about leadership. Exodus is an excellent source. Exodus 18:21 reveals that one of the most important qualities of leadership is competency. We need a leader who will uphold justice with written policies that align with our christian morals and values. In fact, Exodus tells us this leader should have good character and support godly policies.

This is where I struggled. No one is perfect. Everyone sins. Yet, I need to vote for someone with good character and support godly policies. That sounds like they need to be as close to sinless as humanly possible. Friends, this is where you weigh competency and morals. Political support and moral approval are two very different things. A question that helps me weigh the candidates is will your candidate reflect biblical values in their political decisions?

Life is not black and white. In fact, I think we live in a constant state of gray. That’s why it’s hard. Because we live in gray, most cannot back a candidate 100% and we struggle. But when weighing the candidates, they are vastly different (I know we are talking about the presidential election tomorrow but in all elections, they are ALWAYS vastly different).

I would bet 99.9% of you know who are, will or would be voting for tomorrow. I personally believe it is our worldly and godly civic duty to vote. Yes, I said godly. Here are some verses to help understand the significance of voting from the Bible: Deuteronomy 1:13, Proverbs 14:34, Proverbs 21:1, Proverbs 29:2 and 1 Timothy 2:1-2. I am going to encourage you all to reflect on what is most important to you in your next worldly leader. Pray about it and read His word and then vote.

I hope to see you at the poll.

Love you all,

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On October 28, 2024

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends! I am so glad you are all here reading this today (whatever day you are reading it). I appreciate you being here. Today was an easy topic for me. I think most of you know I get inspiration from my own life, friends, family and coworkers. Well today, it’s about me. 😂 Hard decisions. They are zero fun. Especially making hard decisions in the light of God’s will. So, let’s talk about it.

Over the last several nights, I have not slept well. I am sure you have all been there, right? You know you have to do something unpleasant and it keeps you up. These decisions can be life threatening or life changing. And sometimes, these decisions are not necessarily life changing for you but for someone else. And honestly, I don’t like being a person that changes someone’s course in their life. In fact, I think I do better mentally when I am the only one affected!

So how can we make tough decisions in the light of God’s will?

First, pray. I know we talk about praying every single week. But it IS JUST that important. But when you are awake at 3am stressed about the next day, THIS IS THE EXACT TIME to have a conversation with God. I pray until I fall back asleep. And I ask Him for peace and comfort and to allow me to sleep. You see, I believe we are put in these situations to draw us closer to God. He knows, but we don’t. He wants us to make decisions that are according to His word and will. By doing this, we glorify and magnify Him in our own lives.

Second, get your heart right. This one can be a tough one for me. When making a tough decision, many people want it their way and not God’s way. To be fair, I don’t think people go into decision making as “against God”. I think we are all somewhat selfish. Even when we do look to Him for help, sometimes we look for “signs: or “feelings”. But we have to be careful not to bend those feelings towards our preference. The best thing is ALWAYS God’s will.

Speaking of feelings, those can be deceptive. The longer we walk with God the better we are discerning His voice (the ladies bible study on Wednesday nights are studying about this exact thing!). The easiest thing is not to base a decision on your feelings. In fact, try to see past it. One thing I can say for certain. If your feeling is against the Word of God, I assure you that is NOT God’s will.

Lastly, ask others to pray for you. Again, this can be a tough one for me. I don’t want to be a bother or draw negative attention to me. And this is my thought process when I ask for prayers…which is so silly! Why? When others ask me to pray for them, I don’t think twice about it! I don’t think they are bother at all! You see, being a part of the body Christ means we have an army of prayer partners. Your brothers and sisters don’t need to sit idle when you need them. They love you and want what is best for you! And what is best, is God’s will.

I am at a point in my life that I do thank God for His wisdom. And, I know I receive His wisdom in times like this. Life is full of decisions daily. Some good. Some are not so good. I pray everyday that God will show me the right way when I have to make decisions on the spot.

Hopefully this week, you don’t have to make a tough decision! But if you do, I challenge you to sit back, read His word, pray and listen. But making sure when you listen that you discern HIS voice and not your own. I know I am telling you all these things but the reality is…I needed reminding. And I thank you for being here to remind me.

Love you all,

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On October 14, 2024

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

Hey friends!! How is everyone? No really. How are YOU? This is the time of year that things start getting…stressful. So let’s get ahead of it. I know, I know. Easier said than done but listen! Knowing what you are up against is half the battle, right? And sometimes when we get stressed, we get ornery. And that’s not nice. “Be Kind” is a phrase we hear a lot these days. So, let’s talk about it.

Almost every.single.week, I mention the fact that “we are human”. I want to start by saying that even though we ARE human, that never excuses bad behavior. By saying, “we are human” what I am really saying is we live in a fallen world. Sin is inevitable but yet not excusable. We should always strive to do better. Growing up, people had bracelets that said, “What would Jesus do?” And honestly, that’s a perfect question in every situation.

But have you ever thought about how you live impacts others? Let me explain. Most of you reading this are Christians. I would speculate at least 50% of those reading this outwardly profess your christian faith to others when you have an opportunity. WHICH IS GREAT! But what happens when you have a bad day? It could be something fairly simple like…being stressed out over the holidays. You are on edge and then BAM! You snap at someone. And someone sees this one single moment and immediately judges your faith.

You see, people think that just because we are christians it suddenly means we are better. And, many get that idea because some Christians believe they are better because they were saved by grace. Listen, I thank God every single day for Him. I thank Him for sending His son. I LOVE MY FAITH. It brings me more peace than I can describe in words. But I fail Him everyday. I sin every single day. I need God’s grace every single day and I don’t deserve it.

And listen, I know we, as Christians, want what is best for people. And we know that being a Christian is what is best, right? I think we are all on the same page here. But there is a fine line with leading people to Christ and making them feel judged. No one likes the feeling of, “I’m doing something wrong.” But in your mind, they are wrong. So, you see where non-believers hesitate to come to church or to have a conversation about religion with you?

As Christians, there was a time you were a non-believer. Some of you were kids when you accepted Christ and others it was later. But prior to accepting Christ, we were obsessed with our sins. Just because we are now obsessed with Him doesn’t mean we don’t mess up, right? God gives us grace and forgives us for our sins! So, it’s time you extend that same grace to others. I’m talking about the non-believer to the crabby cashier. Showing grace is so much easier than explaining why you got flustered because “you’re just human.” AND, by you showing grace, how does that impact them and their potential walk with the Lord? How many opportunities is missed because of attitudes?

You see the circle I’m making here?

“For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, lest anyone should boast.” Ephesians 2:8-9. If God can extend that kind of grace to me, then you KNOW He can extend that grace to anyone. In fact, He sent His son to spend time with those who felt and were lost. He spent time with people who had nasty infectious diseases that were “incurable”. He spent time with people who openly and secretly betrayed him. Why? God’s grace….and love.

So the phrase “be kind” is really just that simple. But I feel like if you are Christian, there is an added layer there. You are a leader whether you see yourself as one or not. On a normal day, people make quick assessments about you whether you like it or not. Are you approachable? Are you happy, sad, mad, etc? This is human nature. If you are stressed and being ugly, I’m not so sure you will “attract flies with that honey” as my momma would say. Don’t allow your second of stressful ugliness, impact someone else’s salvation.

Love you all,

Jennifer

Motivational Monday

By Jennifer Robbins

On September 16, 2024

In Motivational Monday, News and Announcements

The 5 “L’s” of Life Series

Hey friends! Today is the last day of our series and I have to say, I have really enjoyed writing it. To have started off with, “How in the world am I going to write about this?” to “Oh, I kinda enjoyed this series!” is a huge win for me. 😂 That thought actually made me giggle a little when I wrote it…which is a PERFECT segway into today’s last topic. Laughter. So, let’s talk about it.

Listen, I LOVE to laugh. I laugh at the wrong times and right times! 😣 Fun fact about me (like you don’t know enough)! I laughed the whole way through my wedding ceremony. Yep. True story. When I think of my best friend Samantha, I can literally hear her laughter. Her laugh makes me laugh! Laughing makes me feel good. It brings me closer to the person I am laughing with. But have you ever thought about laughter from a christian aspect? I’ll be honest, I have never thought about it so let’s take a go at it!

So from a health perspective, what does laughter do for us? Well, it has been proven that laughter lowers blood pressure and stress hormones. There have been times I am annoyed with my husband and he will cut the tension with a “funny”. And 9/10 times, my mood is much better. Proverbs 17:22 says, “A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones.” Laughter wasn’t a by-product from emotions. God knew exactly what we needed with laughter.

Laughter is a response to God’s love and grace. I think about the movie, Steel Magnolias. At the end of the movie when M’lynn is having a meltdown over Shelby’s death (and rightfully so), Clairee throws Ousier in the mix by offering M’lynn a “once in lifetime opportunity to knock Ouiser out!” Life presents us with good times and bad. There is a “time to weep and a time to laugh, a time to mourn and a time to dance.” Ecclesiastes 3:4

Can you imagine a life without laughter? More than likely, we only know pain, grief, and just melancholy. Right? What if we only ONLY experienced joy? Listen, pain and suffering are a part of God’s plan in your life. Those things draw you closer to Him. Laughter is a part of ups and downs of life. David says in Psalm 16:11, “You make known to me the path of life; You will fill me with joy in Your presence, with eternal pleasures at your right hand.” David not only shared his sadness with the Lord but his joy. Laughter is part of relationship building. With people and God!

But do you know what I see when people laugh? Faith. Let me explain. Has there ever been a time in your life when something is eating at you? Or you have extreme sadness? Or you have a loved one in the hospital? And all you can do is pray. You’re worried. And then one day, it’s like you let go and suddenly a little chuckle comes out of you. It’s hard to laugh when you feel unsafe. By allowing laughter to return, you are trusting Him to help you through this time. Laughter helps us know that God is good and that He has a plan for us. By laughing, we also share His love, grace, and joy with others. So, let us laugh more often, and let our laughter reflect our soul. 

So this week, I want to challenge you to a game. This is a made up “Jennifer” game (ask Jon! This is a real game I play). When you go shopping this week, I want you to make your cashier laugh. I’ll give you a hint as to how to open them up to laughter…say something positive about them first. Ask them questions about THEM. Then, have a conversation as they are ringing you up. Get them to laugh. I want you to take note of their face from beginning to end. Look at how you impacted their stress level for what…3-5 minutes? It’s amazing. God did that.

Love you all and see you Sunday,

Jennifer