Are You Fed Up?

Hello Friend! Today was pretty stressful. Was running around like a headless chicken for like 10 mins before I calmed myself down (If you who haven't seen a headless chicken before, you'd probably be horrified right now). I had a 1001 things to do at the same time but like I said I calmed myself down and started taking things one at at time. I'm like 'I only have two hands, and two feet (and yes! a back!!!) lol. Would have loved to gist you more about my day but we have to get to the topic of the day. Summary is - Got to school successfully and then had to come back grab a quick nap and then go for night vigil.

During testimony time in church, someone gave a testimony about a friend/relative (can't remember exactly which one), who collapsed cos she was just fed up. She had had it up to here (If you can see me raise my handover my head). She was rushed to the hospital but is thankfully 'fine' now. I noticed that 3 other people gave testimonies about stress and they overcame it with God. All of them women!!! Hmmm... food for thought.

How do we avoid collapsing from stress? The only reply I can think of is 'relying on God'. That is the only solution. But you know I have friends that ask for advice and when I say rely on God, it's the last thing they want to hear. Been in the situation myself. You're just like I know that already! Can you give me something to work with here.

If you're under stress out there, wherever you are, I'd like to encourage you. We have a prophecy every year and every month in my church, and the prophecy for June is 'My month of Divine Visitation'. I learnt a few things yesterday at night vigil - It is only the visitation of God that can make a permanent difference in our lives. The rest will only be temporary. I also learnt that a dead person cannot be stressed with the issues of life, only someone who is alive can. So the fact that I am alive is reason for thanks and reason for hope. I can then ask God to visit me. To visit my situation. We all have different situations. For instance if you want God to visit you financially, you can ask Him to visit you by sustenance and back it up by scripture Ruth 1:6. If it is your career tell him, your marriage, your husband, your children, your health, your home, whatever desire it may be. Read the bible, pray and live a lifestyle of worship. (like we hear every time). God is ever faithful. He is the only one that cannot fail you.

Having taken care of our spiritual being which is the most important part of us. We can then take care of our body. I have done all sorts of things to relieve stress. Good things oh! I'd like to share some with you.

• Eating chocolate - Some people hate chocs but sorry I don't. It relaxes me. Not good for the calorie count thingy but it works. I try not to go overboard ofcourse.
• Watching my fave programs - I find that I don't always have time to watch TV. So I set the cable to record them. Then when the baby is crying at night and I'm about to go crazy I play them. When I was single. DVDs' worked. I'd slot in 'pirates of the Caribbean' like 11pm at night after coming back from work and 3 hr traffic and doze off. lol. Didn't make a difference to me if it was only the first 15 mins I watched.
• Listening to soft gospel music- Worship and praise God and relax at the same time
• Or like I said yesterday I'd blast some serious gospel music in the car to relieve exhaustion or frustration
• I chat over the phone with my friends too. I'd like to have time to do this more often though. But then I have to buy call cards which means remembering to go through the route where they sell them etc So I hardly get to, but I try to.
• Go shopping - Haven't had the time to do this too but of course I have to recommend it. It's very therapeutic and can get expensive too. lol (You can actually determine how much you'd spend before going out if you don't want the spending to add stress to you). If you're a shop a holic... I don't recommend shopping to relieve stress that might get a bit out of hand.
• I spend a little time doing something I love. I love drawing and painting. Just started it again two wks ago. Once the kids are sleeping I get my paper and pencil out and draw my stress away
• I also take myself out for a treat. Once in a while you can dress yourself up, don't bother if you don't have a babysitter. Dress the kids up too and go to a nice quiet restaurant to eat. The kids may shout and scream away but just enjoy the fact you're out at a fancy place. It's fun. whenever I can, I do that.
• Take a bubble bath - Try it. I remember when I used to fill the tub at home in naija (when I had the time to) my brothers would start laughing and be like 'what are you feeling like?', 'you will finish all the water in the pump oh! lol. If you're not in naija you don't need to worry about that. It's a good way of relaxing. At least once in 6 mths.

Of course stress relief things I'd love to do are go on a VACATION!!!, have the entire day to myself at a spa or something, have a get together with girlfriends (you know! out at the movies together, or dinner at home, or at a restaurant), exercise at the gym for like 2 hrs but I haven't gotten around to all those yet. So if you can get those into your schedule as a single or married person, please do. If you have any suggestions of what you do to relieve stress that I can also try please let me know. So I can try them and share them with others as well.

Let's also remember to encourage one another. If you can, encourage someone else today either by prayer, The word or physically (with a treat or item). It's memorial day weekend oh! So do something fun or at least rest.

Do not get fed up. May God help us all in Jesus mighty name. If you're on the go all the time log on to http://biblegateway.com/ to read 'The word'.

L8r