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How to Overcome Anxiety from Trauma Memories

Anxiety is the number one mental health issue in the world. I will share how I overcame debilitating anxiety from trauma memories. I remain somewhat nervous and distressed when triggered. The internet has many articles on anxiety if you want to learn specifics. This post addresses anxieties beyond typical, everyday occurrences. Getting on a plane or speaking in front of people may cause anxiety for one person but not another. You may get nervous or worried when taking a test, entering a competition, or a job interview. Anxiety from traumatic experiences is a cause of depression, addiction, and PTSD.

I will not tell you that anxiety is weakness and beat you over the head with Bible verses. However, a spiritually healthy person will have less general anxiety because they trust in God and know they can give their worries or concerns to Him because He cares and will act (Psalm 37:1-5 and 1 Peter 5:7). Trusting God is the antidote for general anxiety.

Today, I want to delve into why we have debilitating anxiety and how to overcome it by healing trauma memories. Trauma is an overwhelming event or experience that exceeds one’s capacity to cope and has a lasting and controlling effect on the mind and body.

Anxiety and Stress.

I developed anxiety during my dysfunctional and abusive childhood, which caused a lot of stress. As a child and teen, I dealt with the stress by escaping through daydreaming, reading, watching TV, church events, and going to friend’s houses. Childhood stress often leads teens to escape through drugs and alcohol. Last week, I wrote a post explaining how to overcome stress because stress and anxiety go together. If you remain stressed for too long, you will become anxious. Please read last week’s post if you haven’t already done so. Your anxiety may be triggered as I share my testimony, so practice the stress reduction exercises I described in last week’s post.

I developed a full-blown anxiety disorder when I was married for seven years to my first husband, who was very abusive. That is also when fibromyalgia manifested. During one of our fights, he said, “You will never see the kids if you leave me.” This statement triggered panic attacks, and I still remember the exact moment he said it and where we were. I knew he meant it, and I felt trapped.

I can testify that admonishing someone not to be anxious or fearful who is experiencing trauma or trauma memories is counterproductive; instead, reassure them with something hopeful and guide them to see different options. I could only see my trauma and my need to escape. I had no other perception, even though I prayed for God’s help.

God spoke to me during a prayer walk and said I was free to leave my husband because he broke the covenant of love. I did not think through a safe plan and did not seek counsel, but God was with me, and He protected me and the children. I recommend that you talk with a counselor about a safe plan to leave an abusive partner, especially if you have children. Establishing a support system is helpful. The police department can help you find good counsel. Though I trusted God and knew he cared for me, it did not stop me from having full-on panic attacks every time my husband came to get the children. You can learn more about how God performed many miracles in my life during that time in the post called Trust God to Keep His Promises.

Anxiety and fear

Just as stress and anxiety go together, so do fear and anxiety. After I left my first husband, I became overcome with fear that he would kill me or the children, that he would keep his promise, and that I would never see my children again. As I write this, I am becoming anxious because words have power, and rethinking those words and reliving the emotion generate anxious feelings. So, telling someone not to be anxious but with thanksgiving by prayer and petitions, let your request be known to God, and you will have peace (Phil. 4:6-7) is not beneficial. This is a mental health issue, not a spiritual issue, though they are interrelated.

Overcoming Trauma Memories.

First, I recognize and take the trauma thought captive. Next, I put it out of my mind by saying something like; I take these destructive thoughts “that I will never see my children again” captive, and they are to leave my mind in Jesus’ name. Breathe slowly and deeply while relaxing tense muscles.

Second, I remind myself that God is with me, and I do not have to be afraid because he is my protector. I claim His promise that He is my shield and deliverer (Ps. 18:2 and Ps. 144:2). Putting out of my mind the stressful thoughts and putting in God’s promises helps the most to deconstruct trauma memories. God’s promises give you hope and a different perspective. Prayer works to help you transform your thoughts and wrong beliefs with God’s promises. Read my posts on God’s promises to know what they are.

The hardest thing God asked me to do was to visit the places I did not feel safe. So, I went to my childhood home and asked God to show me the memories of when I did not feel safe there. As soon as a memory came to my mind, I forgave the person in the memory. Next, I put the trauma memory out of my mind in Jesus’ name, along with the spirit of fear or some other oppressive spirit God shows me. Next, I put a spirit of peace or deliverance into my mind. I then thanked God for protecting me, being my shield, and keeping me from greater harm. I went to other locations and did the same thing. After completing this exercise, I was free from controlling thoughts that create anxiety in my life. Before I did that, I would have a panic attack for no reason. I believed they came from my fearful memories of not feeling safe. Once I asked God to heal those memories and put them out of my mind and put in God’s promises, I no longer had panic attacks.

What Trauma Memories to Look for.

As you look through the following list, try not to despair but follow my example of forgiving, putting off the negative memories and the spirit of oppression, fear, or bitterness. Then, replace it with a good thought that God was with you, understands your suffering, and is there to help you overcome it. Apply any of God’s promises. Find something to be thankful for about that situation, and so on. Healing trauma memories is necessary to stop them from controlling your thoughts, emotions, and behavior. I still have memories that need to be healed because I recognize automatic emotional reactions to specific triggers. You also may need to grieve a loss of some kind in the trauma memory. I advise you not to dwell on the loss or trauma.

Violence toward you or someone else: physical altercations, screaming fights, threats of violence, unfair punishments. Did you live in fear?
Emotional, sexual, physical, or mental abuse toward you or someone else. Did you have someone to go to for comfort? Were you abandoned because one or both parents were on drugs or incarcerated? Were one or both parents mentally or physically handicapped or mentally ill and could not care for you? Did you feel supported academically and encouraged to do different things? Was there constant pressure to do better or do more? Did you feel loved and accepted? Were you demeaned and put down?
Neglect of emotional or physical needs. Was there enough food to eat? Was the home a pig stye, and were your clothes not washed, which caused you embarrassment at school? Did you feel nurtured or encouraged to be your best at something you enjoyed? Were you abandoned by one or both parents through death or divorce? Was there empathy?
Were you bullied at home, school, or on social media? Did a teacher or other school personnel ridicule or embarrass you in front of the class?

Trauma memories are very different for everyone, even within the same family. To be free from debilitating anxiety, you must seek God to heal those memories and heal your mind. There is hope for complete healing. To learn more, read my online book.

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All verses are from the English Standard Version. If you find my posts and website helpful, please share this link with your friends and family: hopeforcompletehealing.com. The information is copyright protected. Please do not reproduce any part of the posts or my book without proper citation to Joyce Hanscom and this website.

My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of relevant promises to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Contact me at hopeforcompletehealing@gmail.com, and ask for a PDF of Eight Life-changing Prayers from the Bible. The prayers are for the Spirit of wisdom, renewal, spiritual strength, knowledge of His will, virtues of God, non-believers, 23rd Psalm, and victory. I will also send you the Lord’s Prayer Model to pray effectively. Please leave your name, so I know you are a real person making the request.

How to Overcome Stress

Have you or are you experiencing stress? Stress occurs when you feel overwhelmed by a situation that is often out of your control. I would venture to say that all of us have experienced stress. Your spiritual health is evaluated by how you handle stress. Would you agree? For example, when you feel stressed, do you pray or swear? Do you worry or trust God? Do you become anxious or thankful?

Stress affects:

Your mental health when your job or family dynamics are challenging,
Your emotional health is affected when living or working with a problematic person or people,
Your spiritual health is affected when you have guilt from sin or legalism,
Your physical health is affected when you do hard physical labor or are overworked.

Did you notice how your muscles tense up when you feel stressed? Muscle tension is your body’s stress response, triggered by the parasympathetic nervous system. Head, neck, and shoulder muscle tension are common factors in tension and migraine headaches. Stress causes musculoskeletal pain in the lower back and upper extremities. When I am physically or mentally stressed, my fibromyalgia will flare up, which is very painful.

You may not have control of the situation causing the stress, but you can often control how the stress affects you. For example, my whole body tensed up when I learned that my daughter-in-law had to be induced early because of high blood pressure. I remained tense from worry until the baby was born.

The solution is to find a restful place or do a restful activity and intentionally unplug mentally and physically. It’s no surprise that rest is the solution to stress, so how do you rest when your life is full of stress?

Five healthy ways to overcome stress.

1. Learn to relax. Get comfy, tighten your muscles and face, then completely relax your muscles. Feel the tension drain out of your body. Remain relaxed. It helps to do the 4×4 breathing, where you breathe in four seconds, hold for four seconds, breathe out for four seconds, and hold again for four seconds. As you focus on your breathing, release more tension. This is also a great way to fall asleep fast. Relaxation shuts off the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces the cortisol level in your body. If you think about a stressful situation and become tense, practice this relaxation technique again.

2. Meditate. Meditation involves prayer and focusing on encouraging scriptures that reassure and comfort you. Ephesians 2:4-6 states, “But God, being rich in mercy, because of the great love with which he loved us, even when we were dead in our trespasses, made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved—and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus.” Colossians 3:1-2 states, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.” If our spirits are seated in heaven, and we are spiritually healthy, then our minds will be focused on the things of God in the Bible. When our minds focus on God’s truths, we will have peace and rest (Is. 26:3).

For example, I was harassed by a new supervisor who wanted me to quit. When I reported her to HR, she became vicious. I was very stressed and anxious. I meditated on Isaiah 41:10, “Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” I put this verse on my computer screen to remind myself to focus on God and rest in this promise. I also forgave her, put off the negative, stressful thoughts, and put into my mind God’s promises. There are many promises you can meditate on to help you destress and change your mental focus. See my page called POSTS about God’s Promises for examples.

3. Take a full day off. Even God rested on the seventh day. Genesis 2:2-3 states, “And on the seventh day God finished his work that he had done, and he rested on the seventh day from all his work that he had done. ³So God blessed the seventh day and made it holy, because on it God rested from all his work that he had done in creation.” God is our example. We need to take a day to rest for our mental and physical health.

4. Distraction. Listen to praise music, read your Bible, do a puzzle, watch an inspiring movie, walk through a garden, or work in a garden. You get the idea.

5. Exercise. Walking and meditating on God’s character and the Scriptures reduce stress. Jumping on a mini-trampoline is also helpful in getting rid of tension.

Please leave a comment explaining how you relieve stress. Turning to food, sugar, alcohol, or drugs is not healthy and not recommended. May God bless you richly.

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of relevant promises to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Why Be Physically Healthy?

The best reason to be physically healthy is because your physical health is directly related to your mental health and quality of life. Anxiety and depression are the number one and two mental health issues, and both can be improved or eliminated by being physically healthy. Being physically healthy requires self-control, a fruit of the Spirit (Gal. 5:22-24). Disciplining our fleshly desire to be lazy and consuming soda, desserts, and candy is hard. The Holy Spirit in you will help you take care of your body and mind, which is the temple of God (1Cor. 3:16 & 6:19). You can choose what is good to have a healthy body and mind.

The following characterize what a physically healthy person does.

Eat healthy (i.e., Mediterranean or FODMAP).
Eliminate all soda, junk food, sugar, and wheat products. These cause inflammation and weaken your immune system.
Drink a lot of clean water (32 – 64 oz).
Exercises (i.e., daily stretching, mobilization, walking, or strength training.)
Fasts (i.e., intermittent twice a week, 24 -36 hours once per week.)
Rest from working (Sabbath)
Sleep well, at least 8 hours.

Exercise and Mental Health

The link between physical health and mental and emotional health is widely researched. According to the Mayo Clinic, regular exercise has many mental health and emotional benefits. It can help you:

Gain confidence. Meeting exercise goals or challenges, even small ones, can boost your self-confidence. Getting in shape also can make you feel better about how you look.
Get more social interaction. Exercise and physical activity may give you the chance to meet or socialize with others. Just sharing a friendly smile or greeting as you walk around your neighborhood can help your mood.
Cope in a healthy way. Doing something positive to manage depression or anxiety is a healthy coping strategy. Trying to feel better by drinking alcohol, dwelling on how you feel, or hoping depression or anxiety will go away on its own can lead to worsening symptoms.
Exercise releases feel-good endorphins and improves your sense of well-being.

According to the Office of Disease Prevention and Health Promotion; “Physical activity has many well-established mental health benefits. These are published in the Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans and include improved brain health and cognitive function (the ability to think, if you will), a reduced risk of anxiety and depression, and improved sleep and overall quality of life. Although not a cure-all, increasing physical activity directly contributes to improved mental health and better overall health and well-being.”

Food and Mental Health

What you eat affects mental health, which you can learn more about in this article. An article by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) explains, “A growing body of research points to the mental health benefits of a healthy diet. Studies have identified particular benefits in addressing depression, and several studies point to the benefits of the Mediterranean Diet. A 2019 review published in The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that increased fruit and vegetable consumption positively impacts psychological health, and daily vegetable consumption has a therapeutic impact by reducing symptoms of depression in people with clinical depression. A National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine webinar presentation highlighting Nutrition and Mental Health reported on how improvements in diet can improve depression. A healthy diet provides more vitamins and minerals, healthy fats, and fiber from fruits, vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, which can reduce inflammation and alter neurotransmitters to reduce symptoms of depression.”

Fasting and Mental Health

Fasting improves your mental health. This article by Dr. Roseann explains, “Intermittent fasting, which alternates between periods of eating and fasting, has shown potential benefits for mental health, including the mitigation of anxiety symptoms.” “The act of fasting for 24 hours or more can lead to increased production of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which plays a critical role in brain health; low levels of BDNF have been linked to anxiety.” “Fasting benefits by the hour also include the potential regulation of inflammation, which has been implicated in depression. A 24-hour fast, performed regularly, may reduce chronic inflammation, thereby potentially reducing depressive symptoms. Additionally, fasting protocols, such as the 16/8 method, may foster a routine that provides structure for individuals struggling with depression, possibly resulting in a sense of normalcy and predictability.”

Sleep and Mental Health

According to the article by Psychology Today, “Sleep is essential to mental-emotional health and well-being. The relationship between the amount and quality of sleep a person gets and their mental-emotional health is reciprocal. Sleep both affects and is affected by an individual’s mental health status—mental health challenges such as anxiety and depression often make it harder to sleep well, and poor sleep can contribute to worsening mental health. Inadequate sleep is characterized by difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, and feeling fatigued throughout the next day.

Sleep is the body’s primary way to restore, repair, and rejuvenate. Sleep helps restore the cells in the body and wash away toxins accumulated from the day—literally. During sleep, the brain effectively goes into repair mode, activating neuronal connections.”

Conclusion

Can you see the direct link between spiritual health, mental health, and physical health? Prayer connects you to the power source, God, who then helps you be self-controlled. For example, when I go to a church potluck or family gathering, I pray for God to help me resist the temptation to indulge in unhealthy drinks and desserts that make my body weak. A mentally healthy person values themselves and wants to care for themselves. They are self-disciplined and self-motivated to persevere and do what is best for their health so they can enjoy life. They take responsibility for their condition and how to improve it.

May God bless you richly as you seek His help to be healthy.

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of relevant promises to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

What is An Emotionally Healthy Person?

How does a person’s mental health influence their emotional health? I never thought there was a relationship between mental health and emotional health until I began to heal my trauma memories. When my memories and resulting resentments were healed, my emotions changed. There is hope that your future can be different.

What you dwell on creates memories, either good or bad. The stronger the feelings, the stronger the memory connection. For example, think about your favorite vacation. Why was it your favorite vacation? What made that memory so strong? Strong feelings develop beliefs like “I had a great vacation because…”. Or, “I hated that vacation because…”.

For example, I hate going to the Outer Banks because of many traumatic memories from my negative perspective. How we feel is a matter of perspective. My husband loves going to the Outer Banks and didn’t understand why I was traumatized by it. I was anxious about so many things that my perspective was negative, which generated bad behavior. These negative beliefs caused me to stay home alone while my family vacationed at the Outer Banks. Being home alone was better than dealing with the trauma I felt going on that miserable vacation. Have you noticed that each family member has a different memory of the same event? Some family members are more traumatized by an event and have bad memories, which often affects their relationships in some way.

I also realized that my mental health improved when my spiritual health improved because the Bible verses I memorized changed how I processed disappointment from unmet expectations. The scripture that had the biggest effect on my mental and emotional health was 1Theselonians 5:16-18, “Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” So, when my expectations were not met, and I got angry, I would think, “What can I rejoice about?” Then, I would pray and give God the situation that made me angry or depressed. Next, I would think about what I can be thankful for in the situation. That discipline took me two years to master. By changing my thinking, I changed my feelings, which changed the beliefs that controlled my behavior. So, my relationships changed, and so did my future.

An emotionally healthy person does not allow a problem or disappointment to define who they are but sees themselves as separate from the problem. They can go to God with the disturbing issue and trust God to help them with it. An emotionally healthy person can self-regulate their emotions and have inner control. The following list is not an exhaustive list of what an emotionally healthy person is. As you read each one, count how many you struggle with.

Can love others without judgment.
Has a healthy self-worth and gives all shame and guilt to God.
Being able to regulate your emotions like sadness and joy.
Can give grace to messy people who frustrate them and are unaffected by their opinions.
Giving to people, not being selfish, and not expecting others to conform to their expectations.
Maintains hope in God despite life’s setbacks.
Take responsibility for their emotions and actions, and do not blame others.
Is not fearful but trusts God.
Identifies wrong beliefs and adopts God’s truth for their beliefs.
Is empathetic toward others.
Is comfortable being alone and being with people.

In the coming weeks, I will address many of these and how to identify the source of the negative feelings and traumatic memories. There is hope for complete healing. God bless you this week. Thank you for joining me today.

Are you Spiritually Healthy?

How Mentally Healthy Are You?

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of relevant promises to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

How Mentally Healthy Are You?

What is mental health? Because I am a former mental health basket case, I think I am qualified to tackle this issue and to offer anyone who needs it hope. You know you are mentally healthy when you have peace despite the problems around you. In this world, we will have many troubles. Jesus said in John 16:33, “I have said these things to you, that in me you may have peace. In the world you will have tribulation. But take heart; I have overcome the world.” Tribulations mean troubles, suffering, misery, hardships, and difficult trials. Only when we stay focused on Jesus do we have peace and can endure the hard events and people in our lives.

We live in a sinful world full of people who are evil and self-centered. The trauma and abuse both in and outside our homes cause mental illness issues. I was angry, depressed, anxious, and suicidal. I have come to accept that I have an anxiety disorder from all the trauma I suffered. Just today, I jumped and screamed when someone shot their gun close to my home. I do not live in a violent neighborhood, but it is hunting season, so I hear shooting all the time, but I still jump. I even joined a women’s pistol shooting club to overcome my anxiety about guns, but I still jump and scream.

When I look at various articles about mental health, including my coaching classes with Light University, I learn that there are many perspectives on what a mentally healthy person is. The following list summarizes people’s views of what a mentally healthy person looks like.

Aware of negative thinking but not obsessed with it.
Identifies and accepts disappointment but does not discount it.
Forgive those who offend them.
Is realistically thankful about something even when expectations are not met.
Humbly consider others’ needs and desires.
Understands boundaries and uses them.
See possibilities and positives in hardships and not obsess about unrealistic, worst-case scenarios.
Proactive and not defensive. So, they receive criticism and use it for positive change and do not get defensive or become depressed.
Do not get into futile arguments to prove their right.
Knows they can only control their thoughts and actions and not what others think or do.
They are content but also persevere towards positive goals.
Do not need validation from others to feel good about themselves.
Do not relinquish their power to external influences.
Take sad thoughts to God and rejoice in His help, provision, and wisdom?

This list does not cover every aspect of mental health. If you have mental health issues or want to learn more, please read my free online book to begin your healing process. My online book at hopeforcompletehealing.com helps people identify events that contribute to mental health issues and how to resolve them.

Some people are more resilient at handling difficulties because they focus on the positives and seek solutions. People like me who are melancholy or have fairness issues tend to focus on what they don’t like and how hopeless their situation is. So, your mental orientation will determine how mentally healthy you are. Do you see the positive or the negative? Do you seek solutions or sink into helplessness and self-pity?

If you have an influence over children, teach them mental resiliency, which is how to handle disappointment and be self-controlled. To learn more, read The Link Between Disappointment, Resentment, and Self-control. In the coming weeks, I will write posts about specific mental health issues and how to resolve them. I will also explain how to be spiritually healthy to influence your mental health so you can be mentally resilient.

May God bless you richly, and may His face shine upon you.

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of relevant promises to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Are you Spiritually Healthy?

Do you know that humans are spirits in a physical body (1Thes. 5:23)? Genesis 1:27 states, “So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.” What does the image of God look like? John 4:24 tells us, “God is spirit, and those who worship him must worship in spirit and truth.” 1Corinthians 6:17 states, “But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him.” We are joined to the Lord through faith when we believe that Jesus, God’s Son, died for the sins of the world, was buried, and rose on the third day (John 20:31; 1John 2:2; and 1Cor. 15:3-4).

Once a person receives the gift of salvation leading to eternal life, they must nurture the spiritual new life they received. 2 Corinthians 5:17: Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. What is the evidence in your life that your old self has passed away and you are living a new life?

A spiritually healthy person desires to read and hear God’s word and to grow in the knowledge of God. 1Peter 2:2 tells us, “Like newborn infants, long for the pure spiritual milk, that by it you may grow up into salvation.” Also, Hebrews 5:13-14 states, “For everyone who lives on milk is unskilled in the word of righteousness, since he is a child. ¹⁴But solid food is for the mature, for those who have their powers of discernment trained by constant practice to distinguish good from evil.” A spiritually healthy person has discernment and can distinguish good from evil.

There are no right answers to the following questions because that would be legalism. These questions are meant to bring awareness to how well you are supporting and advancing your spiritual health. From Monday to Saturday, what are you doing to nurture your spirit and new life in Christ Jesus? I am assuming you go to a worship service on Sunday or Saturday. But what do you do to support your spiritual health during the week?

How often do you thank God for what Jesus did on the cross for you?
How often do you realize you sinned and humbly ask God to forgive you and those you sinned against? (Sin is anything you do that breaks God’s command to love Him and others; see 10 commandments and 1Cor. 13:4-7.)
How often do you read and meditate on the truths of the Bible?
How often do you pray throughout the day?
How often do you set your mind on the truths of God and rejoice?
How often do you submit to God and obey Him instead of giving into your self-centered desires?
How often do you worship God throughout the day?
How often do you use your gifts to serve others in your church community?
How often do you exercise the power of the Holy Spirit?
How often do you do things by faith and not by sight?
How often are you mindful to live a holy life?
How often do you tell others about Jesus and His gift of salvation?

Conclusion

I understand that our salvation is not about works but all about the grace of God. Grace is a gift given out of love when we don’t deserve it. However, once a person receives the gift of salvation that leads to eternal life through the shed blood of Jesus Christ, they will show evidence that God is at work in them. Philippians 2:12-13 states, “Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now, not only as in my presence but much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.” Remember, a person’s spiritual health correlates to their mental health.

May God bless you richly, and may His face shine upon you.

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of relevant promises to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Additionally, consider my book Fighting Unseen Battles, which describes the many unhealthy beliefs that control our lives and what the truths are. To learn more about this book, read the post How to Fight Unseen Battles. my post called Breaking Mental Strongholds Book. Also, check out Fighting Unseen Battles on Amazon. To learn more about this book, read: How to Fight Unseen Battles.

What Does a Healthy Person Look Like?

Beloved, I pray that all may go well with you and that you may be in good health, as it goes well with your soul. –3John 1:2

According to this verse, the key to good health is when our soul is well. What is a healthy soul? The first step to a healthy soul is to have a personal relationship with God through His Son, Jesus Christ (Romans 10:9-10 and John 1:12). Second is to be humble and repentant of your sins. Third, is drawing near to God in prayer, reading His word, and worshiping Him? If you haven’t participated in the 365 Days of Worship, you can start this year. If you worshiped with me this past year, please continue to worship each day. Find and bookmark all my worship posts here. Reflect on what God has done for you this past year. How have you grown closer to Him?

I have been pondering and praying about what I should learn and write about. I kept coming back to what an emotionally, spiritually, mentally, and physically healthy person looks like. Do you consider yourself a healthy person? Have you ever wondered what a totally healthy person looks like? When I was in the depths of dysfunction, I longed to know how a healthy person acts.

When you face stressful times, do you react well? Do you overreact? Do you go into escape mode? Stress has a way of exposing how spiritually, mentally, and emotionally healthy you are. I still need improvement, but my emotional health is better than last year.

I am a certified Mental Health Coach and am becoming certified as a Child and Youth Mental Health Coach. Through my courses, I have learned a lot about mental health, but I am also learning how mentally unhealthy I was and how it affected my children. I am experiencing the consequences of my unhealthy reactions. I wish I knew then what I know now. I can’t beat myself up, nor should you, for what you did not know. I suffered a lot of traumas from my childhood, which developed dysfunctional actions as an adult. We are only responsible for changing as we grow in knowledge and with the help of God. It is my prayer as I expose areas of trauma in your life that you grow in God’s grace and give God’s grace to others who suffered childhood trauma.

I have discovered that being spiritually healthy is key to mental health because our hope and help can only be found in a healthy relationship with God. Being mentally healthy is key to emotional health because what you think directly affects your feelings. Emotional health is key to physical health because our feelings create physiological reactions in our bodies that cause cell weaknesses or lead to addictions. Being completely healthy leads to healthy relationships and overall well-being.

I will share what I have learned about each of these areas so you can be the healthiest you have ever been in the coming year. Note that a relationship is only as healthy as the least emotionally healthy person. So the goal of my website and this series of posts is to help you be spiritually, mentally, emotionally, and physically healthy to have great relationships with people and to enjoy life. Are you enjoying your present life and relationships?

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My latest book, Unlocking God’s Promises, explains 18 categories of relevant promises to each of our lives. It also includes the promises in Psalm 91.

If you find this website helpful, you would like to read Breaking Mental Strongholds, which expands on my website book and includes many of my posts.

Week 52: Worship God for He is the King of Kings.

For the LORD is a great God, and a great King above all gods. –Psalm 95:3

Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, And His greatness is unsearchable. –Psalm 145:3

When you think about something great, what comes to your mind? Do you think of the Super Bowl winners or Olympic winners? Do you think of a world leader, singer, or event? Someone or something that embodies greatness is credited with an outstanding accomplishment that was extremely notable and awe-inspiring, which inspires praise.

Why is God (Father, Son Jesus, and the Holy Spirit) great? King David said His greatness was unsearchable because He did so many great and incredible things, like creating all the stars, moons, and planets in the Universe.

Moses said in Deuteronomy 3:24, “‘O Lord GOD, you have only begun to show your servant your greatness and your mighty hand. For what god is there in heaven or on earth who can do such works and mighty acts as yours?” Moses personally experienced God’s greatness when he talked to Him in the burning bush that never burned up. Moses obeyed God and went back to Egypt, and then saw God perform ten miracles that brought the ten plagues to Egypt. God caused all the Egyptians to give their possessions, clothing, silver, gold, and jewelry to the Israelites before they left Egypt. When the Egyptian army chased after them, God parted the Red Sea, and over one million Israelites crossed over on dry ground. Wow, God is great and worthy of praise

God gave them the Ten Commandments and explained how to worship Him by building the moveable Tabernacle. Next, He showed mercy to them countless times when they disobeyed and did not trust Him. He took care of them for 40 years in the wilderness by feeding them every day and keeping their clothing and shoes from wearing out. Once they entered the Promised Land, he helped them defeat the inhabitants. God saved Rahab and her family when the walls of Jerico fell. God’s greatness can be found from Genesis 1 to Revelations 22.

God is the great King. Revelations 15:3 states, “And they sing the song of Moses, the servant of God, and the song of the Lamb, saying, “Great and amazing are your deeds, O Lord God the Almighty! Just and true are your ways, O King of the nations!” Also, Revelations 19:16 states, “On his robe and on his thigh he has a name written, King of kings and Lord of lords.” Jesus Christ was not born an earthly king and never reigned on the earth, but God humbled himself to become a man so we can relate to Him in a personal way. He then died to pay the debt for the sins of all of mankind so we can spend eternity with Him. We worship a great God.

My prayer is that your relationship with God is closer than ever as you’ve been worshiping Him with me. This is the last week of the year and the last post about worshiping God. How fitting to end the year worshiping God’s greatness because He is worthy of our praise. May God bless you richly in the coming year.

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WEEK 52–December 24-December 31

Day 358-Dec. 24—Worship God because you can be one spirit with Him.

But he who is joined to the Lord becomes one spirit with him. –1Corinthians 6:17

Day 359-Dec. 25—Worship God for helping you to escape temptations.

No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that you may be able to endure it. ¹⁴Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry. –1Corinthians 10:13-14

Day 360-Dec. 26—Worship God, who gives you the victory.

But thanks be to God, who gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. –1Corinthians 15:57

Day 361-Dec. 27—Worship God for giving you His freedom and transforming you.

Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. ¹⁸And we all, with unveiled face, beholding the glory of the Lord, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another. For this comes from the Lord who is the Spirit. –2Corinthians 3:17-18

Day 362-Dec. 28—Worship God for making you a new creation.

Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation. The old has passed away; behold, the new has come. –2Corinthinas 5:17

Day 363-Dec. 29—Worship God for His grace that helps you abound in every good work.

And God is able to make all grace abound to you, so that having all sufficiency in all things at all times, you may abound in every good work. –2Corinthians 9:8

Day 364-Dec. 30—Worship God for giving you divinely powerful weapons.

For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. ⁵We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ. –2Corinthians 10:4-5

Day 365-Dec 31—Write down all the things God did for you this past year and worship Him.

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Verses are from the English Standard Bible. To review the previous weeks, visit the 365 Days of Worship Page. This post is copyright protected.

WEEK 51: Worship God and seek His presence continually.

Glory in his holy name; let the hearts of those who seek the LORD rejoice! Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually! –1Chronicals 16:10-11

Take a moment and write down all the things you think about continually. What thoughts dominate your mind most of the time? How do those thoughts affect your beliefs about God, others, or yourself? How do they affect your mood and behavior?

For example, my son and daughter-in-law just had a baby. She had a high-risk pregnancy and had to be induced. Those thoughts consumed my mind and caused me to be fearful, anxious, and tense. It did not matter how much I prayed and gave it to God. So, am I praying with faith or worry? But when I worshiped God, I felt peaceful and relaxed.

Now, my thoughts are fearful that I won’t be as involved in my first granddaughter’s life as I want to be. My daughter-in-law is wonderful and has a very close relationship with her family, so they get the lion’s share of her time and commitment. I now have to analyze my wrong thinking about rejection and the subsequent unhealthy belief that I am not valued. All this stems from childhood abandonment and neglect issues from both my parents. But when I turn my thoughts to praising and glorifying God my anxiety and depression disappear. So amazing. Colossians 3:1-2 states, “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. ²Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”

God puts us in situations to reveal the hurtful issues of our hearts that He wants to heal. Remember, one of God’s commands is to love Him with all our heart, mind, soul, and strength. We can’t love God wholeheartedly or others if our souls are full of hurt and worries that consume our thinking. Take unhealthy thoughts captive through the power of the Holy Spirit and command them to be gone in Jesus’ name. Next, ask God to show you why you have those fearful or angry thoughts and work through the healing process of the hurtful memories that I explain in my online book. The most transformational thoughts are thoughts of thanksgiving, which can be about anything to be effective. 1Thessalonians 5:16-18 states, “ Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.”

Not only are we to worship and glorify God but to continually seek Him and His strength and presence through prayer and praise. “Seek the LORD and his strength; seek his presence continually.” Singing helps to focus our mind on worship and entering God’s presence. I am not someone who remembers songs, but I can make a joyful noise and serve Him. Psalm 100:1-2 states, “Make a joyful noise to the LORD, all the earth! ²Serve the LORD with gladness! Come into his presence with singing!”

I pray you are encouraged and challenged to take unhealthy, ungodly thoughts captive and transform them into thankful thoughts. As you worship God this week, seek His presence when you first wake up and before your feet hit the floor, then continually throughout the day.

WEEK 51–December 17-December 23

Day 351-Dec. 17—Worship God for the free gift of eternal life.

For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord. –Romans 6:23

Day 352-Dec. 18—Worship God for bestowing His riches on all who call on Him.

For the Scripture says, “Everyone who believes in him will not be put to shame.” ¹²For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; for the same Lord is Lord of all, bestowing his riches on all who call on him. –Romans 6:11-12

Day 353-Dec. 19—Worship God, who does not revoke His gifts and calling.

For the gifts and the calling of God are irrevocable. –Romans 11:29

Day 354-Dec. 20—Worship God, who gives you endurance and encouragement to live in harmony with others.

May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to live in such harmony with one another, in accord with Christ Jesus, that together you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. –Romans 15:5-6

Day 355-Dec. 21—Worship God for giving you hope and filling you with all joy and peace.

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that by the power of the Holy Spirit you may abound in hope. –Romans 15:13

Day 356-Dec. 22—Worship God for giving you His Spirit, who gives you understanding.

Now we have received not the spirit of the world, but the Spirit who is from God, that we might understand the things freely given us by God. –1Corinthians 2:12

Day 357-Dec. 23—Worship God for giving you the mind of Jesus Christ.

“For who has understood the mind of the Lord so as to instruct him?” But we have the mind of Christ. –1Corinthians 2:16

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Verses are from the English Standard Bible. To review the previous weeks, visit the 365 Days of Worship Page. This post is copyright protected.

Week 50: Worship God because He is Holy.

“Who will not fear, O Lord, and glorify your name? For you alone are holy. All nations will come and worship you, for your righteous acts have been revealed.” –Revelations 15:4

So, what does it mean that God is holy? What does holy mean? The Strong’s dictionary lists many connotations of the word holy, but the one that refers to a holy God is “purity from defilement.” God is perfect, and no sin exists in His presence. Because God is holy, He deserves our devotion and is worthy of glory.

Why should you fear a holy God? Because your sin separates you from God, and you don’t want to be separated from Him. Isaiah 59:2 states, “But your iniquities have made a separation between you and your God, and your sins have hidden his face from you so that he does not hear.” You must repent of your sinful nature by first asking Jesus, the Son of God, to forgive you because of the blood He shed as the perfect sacrificial lamb. Second, do what is right by obeying God’s commands, namely that you love Him and love others with all your heart (Luke 10:27-28).

King David tells us in Psalm 99:9, “Exalt the LORD our God, and worship at his holy mountain; for the LORD our God is holy!” And Psalm 99:5 states, “Exalt the LORD our God; worship at his footstool! Holy is he.”

Here is something interesting I researched. The scene of Heaven in Revelations 15 falls between the seven trumpets of judgment and the six bowls of wrath during the seven-year tribulation period. Because God is Holy, He will pour out His wrath on the wicked (sinners) who do not fear or worship Him, like in the days of Noah (1Peter 3:20). Also read 2 Peter 2:4-10.

Remember, 1Thesselonians 5:9-10 states, “For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ, who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.” If you were made righteous by your faith in Jesus Christ, repent of your sins, and walk in faith (Gal. 3:11), you will not experience the wrath of God. Hebrews 10:38 states, “But my righteous one shall live by faith, and if he shrinks back, my soul has no pleasure in him.”

Matthew 24:36-42 explains what the rapture will look like. “But concerning that day and hour no one knows, not even the angels of heaven, nor the Son, but the Father only. ³⁷For as were the days of Noah, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ³⁸For as in those days before the flood they were eating and drinking, marrying and giving in marriage, until the day when Noah entered the ark, and they were unaware until the flood came and swept them all away, so will be the coming of the Son of Man. ⁴⁰Then two men will be in the field; one will be taken and one left. ⁴¹Two women will be grinding at the mill; one will be taken and one left. ⁴²Therefore, stay awake, for you do not know on what day your Lord is coming.” Also read Luke 17:26-37.

Revelations 7:9-10 states, “After this (sixth seal opened) I looked, and behold, a great multitude that no one could number, from every nation, from all tribes and peoples and languages, standing before the throne and before the Lamb, clothed in white robes, with palm branches in their hands, and crying out with a loud voice, ‘Salvation belongs to our God who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’” It appears that the multitude are those who were raptured before the seven-year tribulation. Many who know about Jesus Christ but do not fear and obey God nor love Him and others with their whole heart will be left to go through the tribulation. I believe these and others will repent of their sins at the time of the rapture and are the saints in Revelations 13:7 and 14:12, “Here is a call for the endurance of the saints, those who keep the commandments of God and their faith in Jesus.” I understand everyone does not share this view.

If you want to learn more read my series of posts about the end of times.

The following posts explain the other aspects of worship mentioned in this post.

WEEK 27- Worship Gives God Glory.

WEEK 28: Worship reveals the fear of God.

Week 34: Worship God at His footstool.

365 Days of Worship – Week 8 – Exult

As you worship the Holy God this week, ask Him to show you where you are not obeying Him or loving Him and others wholeheartedly. I pray God blesses you this week.

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WEEK 50–December 10-December 16

Day 344-Dec. 10—Worship God for revealing Himself to all mankind.

For what can be known about God is plain to them, because God has shown it to them. ²⁰For his invisible attributes, namely, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly perceived, ever since the creation of the world, in the things that have been made. So they are without excuse. –Romans 1:19-20

Day 345-Dec. 11—Worship God because He is kind, forbearing, and patient toward you.

Or do you presume on the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that God’s kindness is meant to lead you to repentance? –Romans 2:4

Day 346-Dec. 12—Worship God because He is not partial.

There will be tribulation and distress for every human being who does evil, the Jew first and also the Greek, but glory and honor and peace for everyone who does good, the Jew first and also the Greek. ¹¹For God shows no partiality. –Romans 2:9-11

Day 347-Dec. 13—Worship God, who blesses you for your faith and with forgiveness.

And to the one who does not work but believes in him who justifies the ungodly, his faith is counted as righteousness, just as David also speaks of the blessing of the one to whom God counts righteousness apart from works: “Blessed are those whose lawless deeds are forgiven, and whose sins are covered; blessed is the man against whom the Lord will not count his sin.” –Romans 4:5-8

Day 348-Dec. 14—Worship God, who justifies you by your faith, so you can have peace with God.

Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. –Romans 5:1

Day 349-Dec. 15—Worship God for pouring His love into your heart through the Holy Spirit.

Hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured into our hearts through the Holy Spirit who has been given to us. –Romans 5:5

Day 350-Dec. 16—Worship God for removing the control of sin over you.

We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. –Romans 6:6

So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus. –Romans 6:11

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Verses are from the English Standard Bible. To review the previous weeks, visit the 365 Days of Worship Page. This post is copyright protected.