Chapter 7- Behavior 4 - Healthy Habits - De-Stress

 But the Lord answered her, “Martha, Martha, you are anxious and troubled about many things, but one thing is necessary. Mary has chosen the good portion, which will not be taken away from her.” 
Luke 10:41-42

AMEN! AMEN! AMEN! AMEN!

STRESS!  We cannot seem to get away from it!  How many are Mary's and how many are Martha's?

I am a Martha for certain, wish I could tell you otherwise.   Stress is in every bible study we do, there are more books on stress than we could possibly read.  WE KNOW about stress, but what we don't know is how to get it under control so it is not affecting our health!  It seems to be out of our control, or is it?

Joyce tells us that stress is the disease of the 21st century AND behind a large percentage of our illnesses. (OUCH!)  People can actually become addicted to it thanks to cortisol. In Stressed-Less Living by Tracie Miles, Tracie calls it being an Adrenaline Junkie!  - these junkies keep going and going and going and they hate it but become so accustomed to it that they actually crave it.  (THIS is hard to believe, but I get it).  

Let's look at a definition of Cortisol:

Cortisol:  is a hormone created in our by by excessive stress. THIS is what causes the addiction

In  this chapter, Joyce gives us a lesson re: Cortisol sends your heart into overdrive, pounding at 4 times it's natural rate, it does the same for your lungs.  It constricts your blood vessels and raised your blood pressure to dangerous levels.  It drives up your mouth and shuts down your stomach and intestines. It drains the blood from your face and your skin.  It scrambles your immune system and wrecks your sleep, it slows healthy and increases risk of other diseases.

Not sure about you, but I sure don't need  or want to be producing an overabundance of Cortisol! 

From sun up every morning until I finally go to bed at night I don't stop.  I literally have something going on every minute of every day and rarely have any time to just stop and smell the roses!  Work full time, grandchildren here after school, laundry to be done, supper to be cooked, cleaning to be done - now the pool has to be cleaned and ready for a graduation party on Wed - grass seed planted - it's from one thing immediately on to another without any time for phone calls, coffee chats with friends,  or just turning things off. In fact, I can't think of a single thing I could change right now - or maybe I just don't want to change anything being the Martha  that I am.

The issue is that only WE can change this way of life!  We have to stop being Martha's and start being Mary's.   A quote Joyce gives us goes like this:

To complain and do nothing to make one's situation better is a total waste of time and very foolish. (OUCH again!).    We must "De-Stress"

  

1 - Turn to God for anxiety, fear, lack of confidence and any other major stressors you may have.

2 - Determine what your stressors are and work to eliminate them in your life.

3- START NOW  - no excuses!  

It is time to start repairing any damage we have caused our body AND  make the lifestyle changes we all deserve. 

 WE CAN ELIMINATE STRESS IF WE TRULY WANT TO!

This Martha has a hard time with that statement! 

QUESTION:

What is something that YOU can change today and make a huge impact on your body and your health?

Dear God, thank you for this group and for the reminders centered around stress and how it enters and takes over our bodies.  Be with each Jesus Girl here today and allow them to open their hearts and their minds to be able to make some changes and lessen the stress in their lives.  We love you Father and are so blessed.  Amen.

In God's Light

<3 Kelley