PART 2 - HOW TO BIBLICALLY COPE WITH FUTURE ANXIETIES

In last week's blog, I wrote about how my work situation has given me a lot of anxiety lately and some ideas on how we can practice trusting God during stressful situations. But then the rest of the week happened-more stress, uncertainty, and anxiety. I spent time praying and meditating on verses that talk about trusting God but was still feeling very anxious about my life's circumstances. I went to bed that night feeling uncertain and unsure of God. 

There are times in life when Christians do all the right things but still feel very wrong. There are times when we cry out to God and read his word but life still doesn't go the way we think it should. We get upset that God doesn't act the way we think he is supposed to act. We know we should trust in him no matter what happens, but still find it difficult to get past the way we feel. 

HOW TO BIBLICALLY COPE WITH FUTURE ANXIETIES

In two weeks I'm graduating from a year long school the Navy sent me to. I'm excited to be finished but still have no idea what my next job will be. For several complicated and uninteresting reasons, I may not know what my next assignment is for several more weeks. I have also been trying to sell my house and a boat before I have to move. As you might imagine, I have been worried and stressed about these issues and what might come next...even though there isn't anything I can do to change my circumstances.

HOW DO YOU SPIRITUALLY PREPARE FOR A NEW CHAPTER IN LIFE?

Earlier this week someone asked me about what I do to prepare spiritually for a deployment. I think he was looking for a profound answer or some three step program. But as I thought about how to answer his question I realized that my response was more of a "back to basics" kind of idea. It isn't anything complex or deep but it is vital for a Christian's everyday life and for anyone going on deployment or any other kind of life adjustment.

HOW TO THINK BEYOND THE DAY TO DAY

For the past seven months I have spent the bulk of my spare time working on a house rehab project. As of now, I have spent almost 60k on repairs, made 71 trips to the project site, spent countless hours of my own time, and have hired lots of people to help with various tasks. It has been a big job and I have been pushing really hard to get it finished. Some days it has consumed me; it can be really exciting or really stressful, depending on what is going on.

4 WAYS TO RIGHTALIGN YOUR "WAY TOO CRAZY" LIFE

My wife and I are busy. We have 3 little kids at home (5, 2, and 3 months), we move coast to coast at least once every 18 months (7 moves in 8 years of marriage), my work hours are not typical (active duty US Navy), my wife is an avid runner (marathons, triathlons, trail runs, etc), and we like people (church, Navy, neighbors, etc). As a result of all that, we tell ourselves almost nightly that something has to give.  But what is that something?  

ARE YOU MAKING THE WRONG LIFE CHOICES?

For the past several weeks I have been scrambling to put together an application package to transfer to a different career field in the Navy. I have spent hours on the phone to discuss different options, get career advice, and ask for letters of recommendation. Sometimes I feel very excited about the opportunities I'm applying for. But I have also woken up in the middle of the night thinking about all the worries and concerns that come with potentially moving to an entirely different career field. I have been wondering if I'm doing the right thing. There are so many different options and I don't know how to ensure that the one I am choosing is the right one; if it is the direction God is leading me in or not; if there is a better choice; if I should wait longer or do it now.

HAVE YOU SCHEDULED YOUR APPOINTMENT WITH GOD?

For most of my career, I had anything but a predictable work schedule. I might work day shift one day, night shift the next, and then back to day shift. Sometimes I would wake up long before the sun came up. Other days I would still be awake from the night before when the new day dawned. For too long I let my work schedule and the lack of a routine be an excuse that explained my inability to consistently spend dedicated time with God and His Word each day. "If I just had a predictable routine," I would say to myself, "THEN, I would carve out some time for God and be consistent in the Word."

SHOULD I BE WORRIED ABOUT MY POSSIBLE CAREER FAILURE?

Last week I spoke with my job placement officer about my career progression and potential for future advancement. He told me that the numbers are not looking good for me to be selected for my next career milestone (Department Head) when the board meets in April. Until then, I'm taking a hard look at all my options and trying to figure out what to do. 

FOUR VERSES USEFUL FOR EVERYDAY MINISTRY

When I started kindergarten at a small Christian school (a long time ago), I was forced to start memorizing scripture verses. It wasn't too bad at first but by the time I was in 7th grade I was forced to memorize whole chapters. I hated it. 

Most of us don't like taking the time or effort to memorize verses. 

But as I got older, and wasn't being forced to do it anymore, I began memorizing verses that were meaningful to me on my own.   

HOW TO HAVE RELIGIOUS CONVERSATIONS WITHOUT BEING AWKWARD

I used to be extremely uncomfortable with how to share my faith with co-workers (or anyone, for that matter) or even how to bring up the topic of religion. I was afraid of talking about religion because I thought people might have a closed-of or even hostile response. But I also knew that as a Christian, I am supposed to be a bold ambassador for Christ. Still, it took a lot of courage for me to do it...and when I did do it, it felt clumsy and awkward.

Since those days, I have learned that I'm not the only one; many Christians struggle with how to evangelize. It shouldn't be so hard to talk about something we believe is true and life giving.  Nevertheless, it is very difficult for most of us.

HOW TO DO YOUR WORK IN AND OUT OF THE CHURCH

Many of us see the importance of allowing our faith to follow us through the church doors on Sunday and into the rest of our life. It is a struggle at times, no doubt. Many also see the importance of courageously making room for our faith to enter into the doors of the workplace. God at Church, no problem, God at home – yeah that can happen, God at work?  Now that is taking some personal risk. Many workplaces aren’t exactly faith friendly – despite the politically correct company line and the first amendment, there is a great deal of social pressure to be lukewarm, fit-in, and avoid upsetting the apple-cart. Nevertheless, despite the challenges, many acknowledge the virtue of moral consistency - to be true to your values and faith no-matter where you are.

WHY TO MAKE YOUR TIME COUNT (EVEN IF YOU DON'T WANT TO)

I'm a navy man, living in an Air Force town for one year where I don't have any close friendships while I am doing grad school (Air Command and Staff College-ACSC). While I will likely only be here another seven months or so, its hard not to see my time here as very temporary and therefore not worth the investment of my time and effort to build new relationships.  

HOW TO BE A CHRISTIAN AT WORK WITHOUT FRATERNIZING

When I started doing Bible studies with people from work, I was concerned that I might be engaging in the activity that everyone emphatically said to stay away from: FRATERNIZATION (frat). One document from my workplace says this about frat: personal relationships between officer and enlisted members which are unduly familiar, do not respect differences in grade or rank, and are prejudicial to good order and discipline are prohibited. Your workplace may have similar policies or expectations for personal relationships between co-workers. 

HOW TO AVOID EASY, EMBRACE RESISTANCE AND SUCCEED

Recently I was reflecting on the resistance I got from some people on my ship when I tried to implement a few minor changes. I had been reading a book about management, leadership and team building when the "good idea ferry" started to go to work in my brain. I was "in charge" after all and felt responsible to make my organization better if I saw a way to do so. "Anyone, then, who knows the good he ought to do and doesn't do it, sins" James 4:17

WHEN ITS RIGHT TO CREATE TENSION IN THE WORKPLACE

I was sitting in my office working on my computer when one of my co-workers came over and started discussing some work projects with me. As the conversation went on, I began to suspect that he was being deceptive about some of the details he mentioned. When I asked him about it, the conversation quickly turned into a confrontation. The argument got heated and then ended with neither of us conceding fault.

I usually feel bad when I get verbally upset or frustrated with people and am quit often at fault in some way. As usual, after our conflict, I started feeling really bad about how upset I got and the fact that I so stubbornly stood up to what he was trying to do.

But then I felt like God told me "don't feel bad about standing up for the truth." I had never had this thought before but it occurred to me that I had in fact stood up to his deceptive half truths simply because he was not being truthful.

WHY MAKING TIME FOR GOD IS THE BEST USE OF YOUR TIME

My freshman year of college, I learned an extremely painful but valuable life lesson about time management and priorities. I had a very full class schedule, was overwhelmed and was failing in calculous and chemistry. I was sure I would fail out of college if I didn't spend literally every waking moment studying. I ignored everything else in my life, including God.

Up until that point, I had made it a priority to spend time praying and reading the Bible daily in an effort to grow in my relationship with God. However, with all the stress of school, I was spending less and less time dedicated to my faith.

How To Spiritually Prepare For A New Job.

I recently moved several thousand miles for a new assignment in the Navy (again) and am getting settled in at my new location. Over the last ten years I have moved eight times, changed jobs eleven times, and changed positions within a job close to twenty times. I should probably be a pro at moving

I got rejected-one reason I'm happy about it.

Recently, I was up for a new job (Operational Aviation Department Head in the Navy) and was surprised when I found out the selection board didn't pick me. I have done pretty well professionally, but still didn't make the cut. The Navy will give me one more shot at that job this coming year; if I
don't get selected for it, I will have to change career fields in order to stay professionally competitive in the Navy. 

Before the job results came out, I would have told you that if I didn't get picked it would be a clear indication to me that God had something else in mind. My hope and faith aren't in the Navy, but in Jesus Christ. While I still believe that is true, I was disappointed when I found out that I wasn't selected. It was more of a hit to my pride than anything else. The rejection helped me to

Important Reasons Why Christians Don't Thrive Alone

In my last assignment, I was stationed on a Navy ship where I sometimes was so busy that all I did was work, work out (sometimes), eat, and sleep. I tried to set aside time to pray and read my Bible, but would become so busy that I had difficulty focusing on God at all, let alone have any time to

Jesus. Yes or No?

Recently I spent some time in a car ride with a friend I met through work. We hang out on a weekly basis and have gotten to know each other fairly well. Eventually, the conversation landed on religion. I really like it when I get to talk about this topic and am always trying to figure out the best way to