Erhalten Sie Zugang zu diesem und mehr als 300000 Büchern ab EUR 5,99 monatlich.
- Herausgeber: BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC
- Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
- Sprache: Englisch
- Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2020
By the end of a long day, the circumstances of life may have us feeling overwhelmed. We find ourselves in situations that are frustrating, discouraging, or maybe even a little crazy. As we spend time with God, we begin to experience the quiet reassurance of our wonderful Creator who displays his goodness and blessings in our weakest moments. Let these calming devotions, Scriptures, and prayers soothe your tension away. Spend a few minutes of your day unwinding with God and soaking in his presence. As you begin to relax, allow your mind and heart to be stilled with God's promise of peace. "Be still, and know that I am God! I will be honored by every nation. I will be honored throughout the world." Psalm 46:10 NLT
Sie lesen das E-Book in den Legimi-Apps auf:
Seitenzahl: 152
Das E-Book (TTS) können Sie hören im Abo „Legimi Premium” in Legimi-Apps auf:
Ähnliche
BroadStreet Publishing Group, LLC.
Savage, Minnesota, USA
Broadstreetpublishing.com
BE STILL AND TAKE A BUBBLE BATH
© 2020 by BroadStreet Publishing®
978-1-4245-6077-6
978-1-4245-6078-3 (eBook)
Entries composed by Michelle Cox and Julie Lavender.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, distributed, or transmitted in any form or by any means, including photocopying, recording, or other electronic or mechanical methods, without the prior written permission of the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical reviews and certain other noncommercial uses permitted by copyright law.
Scripture quotations marked (NLT) are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2007. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (NIV) are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. zondervan.com. The “NIV” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc. Scripture quotations marked (ESV) are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved. Scripture quotations marked (TPT) are taken from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission of BroadStreet Publishing. All rights reserved.
Design by Chris Garborg | garborgdesign.com
Editorial services by Michelle Winger | literallyprecise.com
Printed in China.20 21 22 23 24 25 26 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Introduction
CHAPTER ONE: I Can Do That
CHAPTER TWO: Proof of Goodness
CHAPTER THREE: Bubbles and Giggles
CHAPTER FOUR: Resting
CHAPTER FIVE: Beauty Treatments
CHAPTER SIX: Catching Up
CHAPTER SEVEN: Overflow
CHAPTER EIGHT: Breath of Life
CHAPTER NINE: Aching Bones
CHAPTER TEN: Sweet Dreams
CHAPTER ELEVEN: Calming Splashes
CHAPTER TWELVE: No Fractures Allowed
CHAPTER THIRTEEN: Beside Still Waters
CHAPTER FOURTEEN: Sticky Situations
CHAPTER FIFTEEN: Showers of Blessings
CHAPTER SIXTEEN: Yummy Goodness
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN: Fighting Gloves
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN: Hobbies
CHAPTER NINETEEN: Orange Fresh
CHAPTER TWENTY: Murky Waters
CHAPTER TWENTY-ONE: When Life Is Hard
CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO: Take the Plunge
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE: What Now
CHAPTER TWENTY-FOUR: In the Storm
CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE: Moving On
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX: Don’t Strike Out
CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN: At the Spa
CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT: Why Wait
CHAPTER TWENTY-NINE: Bubbling Over
CHAPTER THIRTY: He Is Enough
CHAPTER THIRTY-ONE: Far More Valuable
CHAPTER THIRTY-TWO: Furry Friends
CHAPTER THIRTY-THREE: At the Beach
CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR: Be a Blessing
CHAPTER THIRTY-FIVE: Gathered Together
CHAPTER THIRTY-SIX: Do Accordingly
CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN: The Guest List
CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT: Watch and See
CHAPTER THIRTY-NINE: Clean House
CHAPTER FORTY: Up and at ‘Em
CHAPTER FORTY-ONE: Stress Be Gone
CHAPTER FORTY-TWO: God’s Perfect Peace
CHAPTER FORTY-THREE: Mountains of Papers
CHAPTER FORTY-FOUR: Laugh Out Loud
CHAPTER FORTY-FIVE: Sweet Like Taffy
CHAPTER FORTY-SIX: Loving Arms
CHAPTER FORTY-SEVEN: Through God’s Eyes
CHAPTER FORTY-EIGHT: Complete Trust
CHAPTER FORTY-NINE: Facing the Unknown
CHAPTER FIFTY: Never Too Busy
CHAPTER FIFTY-ONE: Earthquake
CHAPTER FIFTY-TWO: Slaying Giants
Introduction
Most of us are under so much stress we are like a rubber band that’s been stretched to the limit. Like that rubber band, we’re going to either snap back or break if we add more stress. We know we’re too stressed, but what are we supposed to do about it?
Sometimes those anxieties are from our own doing as we over-commit, taking on enough responsibilities and challenges to exhaust a dozen women. Other times they are from things that are completely out of our control—which adds a whole other layer of stress because we like to be in control, don’t we?
That’s what Be Still and Take a Bubble Bath is all about. There are 52 devotions to help calm and relax us during our stressful days. It’s truly amazing how many stressors there are in our lives, and they can wreak havoc emotionally and even cause serious health problems if we let them go unaddressed.
We’ll talk about learning to say no when asked to take on tasks. (Yes, it can be done. Really.) We’ll discuss letting God be the keeper of our calendars. And we’ll talk about stressful situations we might encounter—and what to do about them.
Take a long, luxurious bubble bath. Soak your cares away as you take your eyes off your problems and put them on Jesus. He doesn’t want any of us to be stretched beyond our limits.
CHAPTER ONE
I Can Do That
Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.
JAMES 1:17 NIV
Lauren’s Facebook posts make all her girlfriends a bit jealous. Lauren is a busy author. She jets around the world doing research for her historical novels. She’s a guest on television shows, does radio interviews, and meets fascinating people. Her fun personality draws people to her, and she’s usually surrounded by adoring fans. She’s thin, gorgeous, and has beautiful fashionable clothes. But all these things aren’t what makes her friends jealous.
It’s her bubble baths that set off the green-eyed envy.
Every once in a while, Lauren posts photos of her jetted tub filled to overflowing with bubbles. Lit candles all around the tub’s ledge cast a warm and welcoming glow. And Lauren usually always mentions what soothing music she’s playing for her leisurely bubble-bath soak.
Most of us do well to get a quick shower or zoom through the tub as if we’re being timed for world-record speed. We have too much to do. Taking time to relax? That’s a joke. Or is it?
You see, Lauren’s one of the busiest people around. Her to-do list probably stretches from South Carolina all the way to California. But she’s discovered something important that we’d all be wise to learn. Lauren paid attention when she read in God’s Word that he designed our bodies to need rest.
Her bubble baths aren’t wasted time. They allow her body to rest, to relax, and to rejuvenate so that she will be refreshed for the important tasks God has given her to do. She’s taking care of the temple God gave her so that she’ll be ready whenever God opens doors for her.
Let’s try something new this week. Let’s take twenty minutes for ourselves and enjoy a bubble bath. Let’s rest the bodies God gave us and spend some time relaxing. Break out the candles. Put on some soft music. Let the bubbles and warm water soak your cares away. You can do it. Just think of this refreshing time as a good gift from the Father who loves you.
Father, I take great care of everyone else, but I’m sure not too good when it comes to taking care of myself. If I’m honest, I’m terrible about doing that. Remind me to slow down and to make time to care for the body that you’ve given me. I want to fulfill all the plans that you have for me, but I can only do that if I’m in good shape physically, emotionally, and spiritually. Help me to quit pushing myself to ridiculous extremes and to realize that an occasional bubble bath soak isn’t a guilty luxury, but a way to care for myself so I’ll be refreshed and able to do more for you.
Why don’t you take time to enjoy a bubble bath? How can you become a better caretaker of the physical body that God has given to you?
Taking baths improves your mood, decreases your stress, promotes better sleep, and relieves muscle pain. One study found that a daily bath, usually at the end of the day, significantly improved the mood and optimism of the participants.
CHAPTER TWO
Proof of Goodness
You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.
ISAIAH 26:3 ESV
Tina carefully opened the box. Her grandmother had passed away several weeks back, and these were the things she’d wanted Tina to have. Tina’s grandmother had been her best friend, so she was excited—and a bit emotional—to see what was inside.
When she opened the box, she realized it held the greatest treasure her grandmother could’ve left her—her grandmother’s Bible. Held together with duct tape and with pages falling out from use, the Bible still had a faint scent of her grandmother’s favorite perfume. Tina could see that countless verses were underlined with notes written beside them of times God had been faithful or answered her prayers.
Her grandmother’s prayer journals were also there. Written almost like a diary, they described the stress-filled moments when the children were small, scary moments when the kids were sick with high fevers, anxieties when finances ran short and when the weather ruined the crops, and other struggles.
But the journals also held notes about answered prayers—like a bumper crop of corn one summer that was enough to share with two neighbors, a beautiful wedding for Tina’s mother, provision of safety during the tornado that touched down close to the farm, and the fellowship of family and friends at Christmas. Yes, tense moments dotted the journal, but grateful moments flooded the pages, too.
Did you know that keeping a gratitude journal can be a beneficial stress-reliever? Writing a list at the end of each day of all the things God did for us can serve as a reminder that he cares for us and will handle the things in life that cause us stress. When we journal answers to prayers or unmerited blessings and favor, we’re reminded how much God loves us and how he always takes care of us. Those journals will be a priceless gift to leave behind for our children and grandchildren—reminders that God hears us when we pray, and that he always answers.
Keep a journal beside the tub. After slipping into a warm bubble bath, scribe words of God’s goodness and give him praise.
God, thank you for the legacy of my parents, grandparents, and others who taught me what it means to follow you and to recognize that every good gift comes from you. Help me live a grateful life as well, one that will be a legacy for those who come after me. Remind me that I’m less anxious when I am dwelling on you and your goodness instead of my problems. Please help me as I go about my day to keep my mind on you, watching for ways that you work in my life and the lives of others around me. Help me to learn to write those things down, or at least make a mental note of them, so I can have a heart of gratitude.
How will keeping a journal of God’s faithfulness and goodness give you peace? What’s your favorite thing you’ve written in your journal? Can you share that with someone who needs to hear about God’s goodness?
People who make a concerted effort to practice an attitude of gratitude each day reap many benefits, like the fact that stress hormones like cortisol are twenty-three percent lower in grateful people. Additionally, those who keep notes in a journal or some other form of daily gratitude practice can actually reduce the effects of aging to the brain.
CHAPTER THREE
Bubbles and Giggles
He will once again fill your mouth with laughter and your lips with shouts of joy.
Job 8:21 nlt
Giggles echoed from the master bathroom. The two little girls, Kate and Melissa, were having bath time in the oversized tub. They loved their cousin time, and bubble baths were always a must-do at the end of the evening when they had a sleepover.
Bubbles floated up to their necks. Each had designed bubble hairdos and bubble beards on the other, and their handiwork sent them into squeals of laughter. They dove into the water, disappearing into the mounds of bubbles.
Once they tired of that, they had a bubble blowing contest, catching large bubbles on their hands and then blowing them into the air. They watched in fascination as the bubbles floated across the bathroom before they burst.
They took heaping handfuls of bubbles and made fancy designs on the side of the tub. Then they turned to Kate’s mom, Betsy, who sat across the bathroom watching them to make sure they were safe. Kate said, “Mama, make us a new hairdo. I want a bun and Melissa wants a ponytail.”
She knelt beside the tub, scooping handfuls of bubbles in her hands, and soon the two cuties sported a bubble messy bun and a long bubble ponytail. Their laughter pealed out, especially when they realized that Betsy was now as wet as they were, her jeans and shirt soaked by two little girls splashing around in the bubbles as if they were playful dolphins.
It was so worth it as Betsy soaked in the sweetness of her daughter and niece and whispered a prayer of thankfulness to the God who’d loaned them to her. They both were pure joy. And even though Betsy wasn’t actually in the bubble bath, sharing their merriment had removed all the stress of the day.
Maybe you need to take a few moments tonight to thank God for his blessings to you. For a home and a tub for silly girls and bubble baths. For sweet laughter that rings throughout the room and into your heart. And for the stress-busting power of contagious joy.
Father, thank you for the gift of family. For bubble baths and sweet laughter that soaks into my heart and makes me smile. Even though family can be the source of my stress and exhaustion throughout the day, it only takes a few moments of laughter to make it all worth it and for my stress and tiredness to disappear. Lord, I want to have that same kind of happy spirit as I serve you. Please give me the kind of joy that is contagious.
Has laughter been missing from your life? What can you do to bring the joy of Jesus into your day? How can you be contagious so others will want to meet him?
A good laugh has great short-term effects. When you start to laugh, it doesn’t just lighten your load mentally, it actually induces physical changes in your body.
CHAPTER FOUR
Resting
May the God of peace, who through the blood of the eternal covenant brought back from the dead our Lord Jesus, that great Shepherd of the sheep, equip you with everything good for doing his will, and may he work in us what is pleasing to him, through Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen.
HEBREWS 13:20-21 NIV
Goldilocks had the right idea—neither extreme worked for her. She chose the one that was just right. A bubble bath at the end of a long and stressful day should be the same way, not too hot, not too cold, but just right.
The same is true of social and civic commitments. Too many commitments cause us anxiety and stress and result in poor performance in one or more areas of our lives. Often that’s the area that affects our family. We might wish we could be a superwoman and do it all, but we can’t.
Something will suffer—our health or our family’s well-being, a relationship with a friend, or maybe even our position at work. Saying yes too frequently can lead to anger and resentment if that yes causes us unnecessary stress or makes us put our family in second place.
Before giving an automatic yes to a request, we need to learn to first say, “Let me pray about that decision.” Sometimes saying yes is the easy way to keep peace or get the job done. But at times, saying yes means robbing someone else of the blessing of taking on that role or responsibility.
We need to pray diligently, read God’s Word, and seek counsel from mentors if necessary before making a decision that might over-commit us. And to abide in his will, we just might have to learn to say no more often.
On the flip side, too few commitments don’t benefit us either. God commands us to serve others. Even if we’re busy with work and family, we need to seek a balance so that we can still find ways to bless and help those around us in some manner. Volunteering at places like homeless shelters, fostering organizations, classrooms, or church takes our mind off the stresses in our lives and brings a peace that comes from obedience to God’s instructions. Helping others helps us even more.
Find a balance. As you settle into the bubble bath, know that your commitment status, like the temp of the bath water, is just right.
