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.

DOES GOD WANT YOU TO LEAVE YOUR JOB AND DO SOMETHING ELSE?

Several years ago I got really worried about "God's will for my life." I was (and still am) in the Navy and had to make some career decisions that would either set me up to get out of the Navy or help me continue to progress in my career. I agonized over this for a whole year, spent lots of hours praying, read books about it, and generally did everything I could to try to figure out what God wanted me to do. But I didn't hear anything. God had gone quiet...or at least, I couldn't hear him.

IS IT BETTER TO MAKE A SMALL COMPROMISE IN YOUR FAITH OR GET FIRED?

Last week I heard about a US Marine who was court-martialed for hanging a scripture verse on her computer monitor. When her supervisor told her to take the verse down, Lance Corporal Sterling refused. She was convicted and given a bad conduct discharge. Her case went before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Armed Services last week. There are a lot of strong opinions on all sides of this case. But opinions aside, it got me thinking about the idea of standing up for my constitutional rights versus giving in to the desires of those around me (be they an authority, peer, or otherwise). I wondered what I would do if I were faced with the decision to compromise my faith in order to obey an authority.  

WHY BEING A "GOOD" CHRISTIAN MIGHT BE DANGEROUS

I couldn't believe they wouldn't let me go. My High School church youth group was going on a missions trip to Mexico and my parents said it was too dangerous. There were reports in the news of child abductions, gang violence, and other general bad stuff that parents guard against. But I still found it difficult to understand why they wouldn't allow me to go on a "Church Missions Trip." While that was a long time ago, I have never forgotten it. Before I go on, please know that I recognize that my parents had a responsibility to keep me safe and were authorities that God had placed in my life. That being said, I think they unintentionally taught me the wrong lesson. They valued my safety above all else.

DO YOU TRUST GOD ENOUGH TO LIVE LIKE IT?

I was recently reminded of a critical lesson I learned my first year at in college at the Naval Academy. Pretty much everyone who goes to an Academy finds it academically demanding, but it was even harder for me. I studied every waking moment for months; I saw tutors, went to study sessions, spent hours getting extra instruction from my teachers, and was still failing several of my classes. I didn't take the time to work out, hang out with friends, watch movies, or read more than a verse or two from the Bible. It was looking like I wasn't going to make it and I thought the only chance I had was to spend every available second studying.

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. 

THIS SIMPLE NEW YEAR'S RESOLUTION COULD TRANSFORM YOUR LIFE

I have never made New Year's resolutions. But this year was a little different. Over the Christmas break, I read a book that really inspired me to adjust how I think and act (I guess that is kind of like a resolution). It asked a simple question that helped me realize how much I was letting "fear" influence some of my decisions and actions. I realized that I often let silly little fears of rejection, failure, or ridicule keep me from doing things as simple as initiating a religious conversation with someone or even asking another Christian to pray for me about something.

DOES YOUR LIFE SITUATION MAKE YOU FEEL DISTANT FROM GOD?

I work offshore in the Gulf of Mexico for a company called Otto Candies. I work 28 days (12 hour shifts each day) and then am off 28 days. My schedule makes it challenging to stay focused and grow in my relationship with God (especially when I'm at work). I feel like I am often spiritually bogged down and just can't get traction. And I feel even worse about my relationship with God when I have been sinning or when I am personally making bad choices. 

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

I'M TIRED OF BEING AN HGTV CHRISTIAN

Several years ago I read a book about how to find, fix, and sell (FLIP) houses; shortly thereafter, I bought my first FLIP property. Though I am still very novice, I am on my third house and so far they have all been successful. Since I started doing this, it feels like everyone seems to know about FLIPing houses and everyone has advice for what to do and how to do it. When I ask if they have ever done a rehab, they often say something like "no, but I love watching it on HGTV." 

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.

My limbs are being cut off...

When I do not prune my lemon trees, they produce a lot of wasted wood that branches and grows in multiple directions, each one trying to make it to the top where it can get the most sunlight. They produce a lot of light green leaves that clutter up the tree. And, they produce lots and lots of very small, and largely useless, lemons that do not have the nutrients to mature and be used in my lemonade. 

Most people make this retirement plan mistake early in their career.

Since I was a kid, I have always given a lot of thought to finance and investments.

I have usually thought of my career and finances from the perspective of how many years I have been working versus how long until I can retire.

Why your future shouldn't stress you out.

As I cross the ten year mark in my military career, I am often asked if I will stay in for the next ten in order to reach retirement. Admittedly, it makes less and less financial sense for a service member in my situation to get out before then, but the question always reminds me about what James wrote in