Winning Over Stress and Other Fireside Chats

Winning Over Stress

Copyright 2018 Jack Exum

Smashwords Edition

All Rights Reserved

Scripture quotations taken from The Holy Bible, New International VersionR NIVR Copyright C 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.T Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.

The NIV and New International Version are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.T

(Note: A few references from the 1611 King James Version are also included and notated with (KJV).)

Description: Stress is a major problem so winning over stress is vital. Often times our stress seems like the giant spoken of in the Old Testament. His name was Goliath. He was about nine feet six inches tall and must have looked huge from David’s vantage point. Yet David overcame and was victorious because his faith in God was bigger than his fear of the giant. We don’t often face a Goliath sized problem, but we do face many pea sized problems, and the more peas, the more stress. The answer again is in our faith in God. The author approaches the stress problem uniquely from different angles and situations, and applies the faith factor to show us how to truly win over stress.

License: This book is for your personal growth and enjoyment only. You may not resell this book or give it away. This book or any portion thereof may not be copied without permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations of fifty words or less. If you would like to share this book with others, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. Thank you for respecting the hard work of this author.

Dedications

Originally, Dad dedicated this work to: Fred and his lovely wife, Mary, who continued to demonstrate the beauty of giving themselves to others during their lifetime.

I wish to dedicate this E-Book edition to my brother Robert (Bob) Exum… who has demonstrated a marvelous attitude throughout his life in spite of physical handicaps, the ups and downs of life, the good times and the bad… Always smiling and looking at life with a positive outlook that cannot help but attract people to him. Most of all, he is just a marvelous brother.

Hi there!

I’m your ‘get-well’ book. My job is to cheer you up so you’ll feel better about yourself and soon be more positive about life in general.

By the way, you’ve got nice hands. I like the way you’re holding me.

I must admit, that I was a bit frightened at first – the way people bent my soft cover backwards. But with this E-Book edition, I can relax a bit now. I can still tell by your touch, that you’re a warm sensitive person – so, I think we’ll get along fine.

I really enjoy you looking at me and reading these words. I can see in your face, as you are reading me, that you are feeling better. When you are finished reading me, I hope you won’t forget about me. Maybe you’ll put me somewhere on your computer where others can see me – and maybe they’ll want to read me. Meanwhile you just relax with my words and start feeling better.

I’ll be watching…

Table of Contents

1. Winning Over Stress

2. Freedom To Laugh and Cry

3. Coping With Stress

4. Reflective Christianity

5. Release

6. A Chair For The Judge

7. Why Preachers Make Poor Counselors

8. Journey of a Thousand Miles

9. Why Did You Do It?

10. Four D’s

11. Reunion — 40 Years Later

12. I Want the Right to Stumble

13. Be Good For Goodness Sake

14. We Live Sloppy

15. We Were Robbed!

16. The Power of the Word

17. Balance

18. I Spoke At a Crossroads Type Congregation

19. Beware of the Dirty Wound

20. Don’t Be a Religious Detective

21. Can I Speak With You Confidentially

22. How’s Your Wood Pile

23. The Hiss of a Snake

24. Ornaments and Chains

25. I Can’t Believe I’m That Powerful

26. No One Cared

27. An Old Time Mother

28. The Strange One

29. A Dead Dog Like Me

30. The Friendship Door (Jack and Ann Exum)

31. My Name Is Barabbas

32. Grace and Knowledge

33. Selling or Buying

34. Religious Dropouts

35. What Jesus Means To Me

36. Why Not Stop

37. What Has Motivated You?

38. I’m Fine

39. Life (by Lorie Crocker)

40. Water and Blood

41. A Parable For Mothers (by: Temple Bailey)

42. In Nothing Be Anxious

43. Happiness Is a Safe Gun

44. The Tater Family

45. Child in a Cesspool

46. That’s Unscriptural

47. How Many Tellin’s Do You Take

48. A Real Friend

49. Jesus Makes You Free

50. Do We Have The Truth?

51. Conscience

52. Confessing Weakness

53. Let’s Debate The Identity of the Church

54. Let’s Play War

55. Dumping

56. We Don’t Wash ‘Em, We Just Sell ‘Em

57. Write It Down ─ and Read It Later

58. Ordained or Just Recognized

59. Unity In Diversity

60. Someday

61. Life or Death (In The Power of the Tongue)

62. Reaction!

63. The Scriptures Are Unique

64. Let’s Get Back to Biblical Division

65. Labeling Principles

66. The Pie Pan

67. Ring Around The Roses

68. Embers Aglow (by Bob Exum)

69. After-words

1. Winning Over Stress

There are some authorities who believe that sixty percent of all illnesses begin with a worried mind, (in other words) a life of stress. The present generation isn’t turning out the way it was planned. Forty years ago, we rolled up our sleeves and vowed that our children would never go to bed hungry. The dream of working only a half a week, with buttons to push for all home chores, using the remainder of the time to be with the family, just didn’t work.

To the contrary, nearly forty percent of our families have only one parent working two jobs to pay the bills, and fighting a losing battle against crime, drugs and divorce. It’s snarled traffic, choking pollution, angry bosses, screaming children, fast foods and burnt toast. It’s drugs and suicides, humanism and empty church buildings, division and hurting hearts. Now it’s time for relief and renewed salvation.

1. Turn the word FAITH into the word TRUST. They were intended to be synonymous but, our usage of the words, are far apart in application. We have literally used faith as a guilt’ word. We say, You need a stronger faith, more active, perfect faith!! To the contrary, what we need is simple trust." To trust God may reduce the level of stress a hundred fold. We are His children but have failed to allow him to be our all-sufficient Father.

And God is able to bless you abundantly, so that in all things at all times, having all that you need, you will abound in every good work (2 Corinthians 9:8). Paul argues that if God spared not his own son but gave him up for us all, then there is no limit, no point when God would fail in meeting our needs. This requires an absolute trust, a no holds barred no ifs, ands, or buts, just the childlike trust. And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus (Philippians 4:19). Belief is wonderful! Faith is great! But trust is the best of all.

2. Begin each day with a SONG. Wake up singing and go to bed singing. Use songs of trust as your daily theme song. Hum them over in your mind. Allow the pace of the day to be set to music, for example, When we walk with the Lord, or Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus, or Only Trust Him.

Pick your own favorite song, and sing. Start now. Go on, burst into praise. Sing a line and turn your heart to God and relax. This secret is in the habit. Sing in the morning, sing it noon-time and then again when the shadows grow heavy with darkness. Human stress and spiritual hands never hold hands.

3. Pick up your SPECIAL VERSE of Scripture, as your repository of your anxiety. In other words, when you feel stress or anxiety you will release it immediately to the consuming power of God’s Word. Take Psalms 34:1 for example, I will extol the LORD at all times; his praise will always be on my lips. (When worry and anxiety is overwhelming, this verse helps you to refocus on the Lord ─ not that problems can be ignored, but they should not drag us down.) Pick your favorite verse, or verses. Rotate the verses each day if you wish… Simple trust – simple songs – simple (but powerful) words. Let your Bible fall open where it may, and verses of Scripture will be there to form your shield and your salvation. Unbelievers do not have this resource. Doctors have hospitals, and medicine cabinets, but these are their only source of refuge and help.

David writes, Blessed is the one who does not walk in step with the wicked or stand in the way that sinners take or sit in the company of mockers, 2 but whose delight is in the law of the LORD, and who meditates on his law day and night. 3 That person is like a tree planted by streams of water, which yields its fruit in season and whose leaf does not wither— whatever they do prospers. 4 Not so the wicked! They are like chaff that the wind blows away. 5 Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment, nor sinners in the assembly of the righteous. 6 For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous, but the way of the wicked leads to destruction (Psalm 1).

4. TURN OUTWARD! If you are serious about cutting your stress, find something good in everyone you meet (this may be hard at first but it’s time to form a new habit), and in everything you see. When the heart is full of goodness, and the lips speak and beautiful words the praises of God, that feature alone will lower the blood pressure on a crowded freeway. The power of just seemed good in others magnifies the goodness of God, and lifts the heart. This is trust in God. This is the song to sing, the verse to recite. Life is good is more than a motto, because with the Christian, life is overwhelmingly good and people are waiting to be reminded of it.

What about people who are corrupt? It just seems they get along so well and they have much more than their share. Let’s take a look at Psalm 37. Do not fret because of those who are evil or be envious of those who do wrong; for like the grass they will soon wither, like green plants they will soon die away (Psalm 37:1-2). David continues by comparing the wicked as a great power, 35 I have seen a wicked and ruthless man flourishing like a luxuriant native tree, 36 but he soon passed away and was no more; though I looked for him, he could not be found. So, don’t worry or be stressed out or be anxious. When you look back, the huge immovable spreading luxuriant native tree is GONE! It was there and just like that – GONE!!

Now, as Paul Harvey says, Here is the rest of the story. David continues in Psalm 37, Trust in the LORD and do good; dwell in the land and enjoy safe pasture. 4 Take delight in the LORD, and he will give you the desires of your heart. 5 Commit your way to the LORD; trust in him and he will do this: 6 He will make your righteous reward shine like the dawn, your vindication like the noonday sun. 7 Be still before the LORD and wait patiently for him; do not fret when people succeed in their ways, when they carry out their wicked schemes. 8 Refrain from anger (another form of stress) and turn from wrath; do not fret—it leads only to evil.

Focus on others; compliment others; praise others; do for others; receive (except) others; and in so doing, deal another deathblow to stress.

I remember a psychiatrist who ran a month-long experiment. Every new patient who came for help is given the same treatment. The doctor would begin by telling the patient of some of his present struggles and problems. The response was overwhelming. Each patient forgot their own miseries, responding in sympathy and compassion to the doctor’s dilemma. Results: each patient got better almost immediately. They lost themselves in the needs of others.

5. TOUCHING reduces stress! You know I’m referring to touching in the right way and places. This platonic, non-erotic touch is one of inner