Frankly, I can't. And I'm not alone! Driving to work yesterday, the top news story on the radio was, "People are afraid, stressed, depressed and angry! Are we facing another recession?" That seems to be the main worry fueling the fear. What will happen to my savings? Will I still have a job? Can I make my house payments? How can I make my grocery dollars stretch? When will I be able to buy my son the glasses he needs? What am I supposed to do about the overdue bills on my kitchen counter? Will there be any money for retirement?
My own night terrors are different but the pounding heart feels the same! What will happen when my husband has his upcoming open heart surgery? Will my daughter's home in Thailand be flooded? Should my dad be in a care home or in his own home? What will happen if I get too far behind at work? WHY WON'T MY HEART STOP POUNDING?
I pulled a book off of the New Releases shelf last week. The very act of taking it off the shelf had a calming effect. Okay, I'm acknowledging that there is a problem. Oh look, other people are in the same boat.
Angie Smith, wife of Todd Smith (lead singer of Selah), has written What Women Fear: Walking in Faith That Transforms for those of us that, like her, grapple with crippling fear. I knew I was in good hands when I read, "Maybe you don't worry about dying, but you get sick thinking about the fact that you might fail." She freely admits that fear has been her constant companion since childhood. She reminds us that we are not alone in our fears and that we aren't a bad person because of them.
As I have walked through our store the past few days other titles have caught my eye - Fearless by Max Lucado, Letting Go of Worry by Dr Linda Mintle, Moving from Fear to Freedom by Grace Fox, Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow and of course, the Word of God.
Zephaniah 3:17 in the New Living Translation says, "For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs."
~~Becky
Don't forget that you can order any of the above books through our website: www.houseofjames.com
Angie Smith, wife of Todd Smith (lead singer of Selah), has written What Women Fear: Walking in Faith That Transforms for those of us that, like her, grapple with crippling fear. I knew I was in good hands when I read, "Maybe you don't worry about dying, but you get sick thinking about the fact that you might fail." She freely admits that fear has been her constant companion since childhood. She reminds us that we are not alone in our fears and that we aren't a bad person because of them.
"I so desperately want to be able to...give you a solution that will replace your fear with faith. I have heard that so many times...trade your fear for faith...and yes, I do believe faith replaces fear. But I guess, in my mind, it just isn't as black and white as some people have made it sound. It is more of a balancing act, where we deliberately lean into Him and away from our fear."Love that - lean into Him and away from our fear. I know that this book will be helpful to many of us. Angie Smith has also written I Will Carry You, in which she chronicles her family's journey through unthinkable grief.
As I have walked through our store the past few days other titles have caught my eye - Fearless by Max Lucado, Letting Go of Worry by Dr Linda Mintle, Moving from Fear to Freedom by Grace Fox, Calm My Anxious Heart by Linda Dillow and of course, the Word of God.
Zephaniah 3:17 in the New Living Translation says, "For the Lord your God is living among you. He is a mighty Savior. He will take delight in you with gladness. With his love, he will calm all your fears. He will rejoice over you with joyful songs."
~~Becky
Don't forget that you can order any of the above books through our website: www.houseofjames.com
