Listen to these warnings and try to decide what they are referencing:

• Negatively affects your eyesight
• Causes anxiety through chronic information or brain overload or overstimulation
• Can give you constipation and other medical ailments due to decreased activity
• Recognized by the medical community as addictive, psychological, and it will affect sleep habits negatively

If you said smartphones, you would be wrong.

These were warnings actually written and spoken in history against books and literacy.

For centuries physicians, poets, philosophers, teachers, and other respected members of the community warned against books and the educating of the masses. The rise of the printing press gave way to more and more literature shifting people’s practices to center more around reading in their homes rather than relying on communal spoken word for news.

And people were skeptical at best and fearful at worst.

They weren’t necessarily wrong. Some literature has been used for terrible things throughout history. But we can also see the many wonderful things that have resulted from the spread of books and literacy.

When we contrast the warnings of books with the warnings on smartphones they are remarkably similar. Although smartphones are a new thing, the feelings people have had about them are not.

King Solomon’s Warning

King Solomon of the Old Testament was the richest and wisest man who deprived himself of nothing. One of the often-misunderstood phrases of Solomon in Ecclesiastes 1:9 is this:

What has been will be again,
what has been done will be done again;
there is nothing new under the sun.

What Solomon is saying in the larger context is not that there won’t be new things, but rather, the fact that there are new things is not a new thing.

Just as books were a new thing at one time, so are smartphones a new thing for our generation. The Bible says God’s mercies are new every day. There are new things, but new things are not new and our feelings about those new things are also not new.

The Rise of Smartphones

The following chart shows the percentage of Americans who own the following equipment:

The first iPhone, which revolutionized the industry, was invented just over a decade ago.  Steve Jobs said of the iPhone that it was a magical object.

Kevin Noose, writer at the New York Times, says, “Right here, in my pocket, is a device that can summon food, cars and millions of other consumer goods to my door. I can talk with everyone I’ve ever met, create and store a photographic record of my entire life, and tap into the entire corpus of human knowledge with a few swipes.”

Smartphones will continue to be used and are powerful objects. How can we address them as Christian leaders?

With the rapid and sudden rise of this technology, it’s important we understand that these devices are not going away.  It’s inappropriate for us to avoid or neglect them completely.  It’s also inappropriate to give free rein without any intentionality into how we use these devices.

How do we appropriately steward smartphones?  First, we need to realize that with this device comes incredible challenges, but also an incredible opportunity.

Your smartphone can either be a terrible master or a terrific servant.

Here’s 3 words that will form a checklist to help you master your smartphone and not be mastered by it.

1. Contentment

There is so much content on this device. What content are you consuming?

We are consuming a lot of content through smartphones. According to BankMycell, the average use of smartphones and tablets a day is 4 hours and 33 minutes per day, 1 hour and 16 minutes of social media apps, and over 2167 swipes, clicks, or taps on your phone each day. Ericsson Mobility Report states that back in 2016 the average data being consumed on a smartphone per month was 1.4GB. In 2021, it is estimated that the average user will be 8.9GB of data every single month, more than 6 times the amount from just 5 years earlier.

You know the phrase, “You are what you eat.” What you put in will come out.

Your smartphone can either be a terrible master or a terrific servant.

People who feed their minds with lots of entertainment develop lazy minds. When we watch too many movies and too much television, we’re letting other people do our thinking for us. Those who feed their minds on a steady diet of celebrity gossip are more prone to become shallow. People who feed their minds on pornography will become sexually immoral in their thoughts and behaviors.

But what of those who feed their minds on quality literature, some educational materials, truly relevant information, and regular Bible Study? They become wise and sought-after leaders.

The Bible says it this way in Romans 8:5: “Those who live according to the flesh set their minds on the things of the flesh, but those who live according to the Spirit, the things of this Spirit.”

What content are you consuming? Look at your app usage and you can get a good picture.

Have you ever noticed that the word content is in the word contentment?

The content you consume has a direct impact on your level of contentment in this world.

If you are not content, it’s because you are not consuming godly content. So is the content you are consuming bringing you to more contentment or less contentment?

[bctt tweet=”The content you consume has a direct impact on your level of contentment in this world.” username=”kokomaha”]

2. Companionship

There have been rises in anxiety and depression since 2011, but specifically amongst teenagers. In 2011, sociologists noticed an unprecedented increase in anxiety and depression among teenagers. As Cal Newport points out in his excellent book Digital Minimalism, the only factor that also dramatically increased at this time was the number of teenagers owning their own smartphone.

Cigna reported before the global pandemic forced many to quarantine that 61% of Americans experienced loneliness.

Today many people claim to have stronger feelings with a person online than in reality. It’s even affected our marriages. Many men and women can become aroused easier having an online encounter with an image or a video than they can with their spouse in-person.

In light of 2020, many of us have been forced to do relationships digitally.  And what we’ve found is that you can have some very meaningful, lasting, and rich conversations.  It’s amazing to see how advancement in technology has helped us stay somewhat connected in a time where we’ve had to be distanced.

It’s amazing that we can “be there” for one another digitally in ways we’ve never been able before, but we are called to be more than “digital” friends.  We are called to do life-on-life.  The author of Hebrews reminded the people to “not give up the habit of meeting together, as some are doing.”

We have traded real in-person relationship for cyber-relationships. And that’s not good stewardship of this powerful machine. When we are stewarding it well, the smartphone, with all of its features, is a great way to be supportive, and help further relationships, but not the primary place that relationships are intended.

As you assess this, has your smartphone (or other devices like it) become your primary or secondary place to help you form and grow in relationship with others?

Use your platform to introduce people to Jesus.

3. Communication

This is the most powerful communication tool the world has ever seen. That presents great opportunities for us and also great challenges.

There is a term that has come up called “Internet Courage,” and what it represents is that often times people will feel more comfortable using language and saying offensive things on social media, message boards, etc. than they would in person.

The words that we use make a difference. Listen to these two proverbs of Solomon to show how helpful or harmful words can be.

Proverbs 16:24: Kind words are like honey—sweet to the soul and healthy for the body.

Proverbs 11:9: Evil words destroy one’s friends.

Words are not just helpful or harmful for the other person, but for you as well.

Proverbs 11:17: Your own soul is nourished when you are kind, but you destroy yourself when you are cruel.

The world needs our positive voice. We have to communicate, especially in a year where opinions, division, and sides have been drawn.  As disciples of Jesus, we cannot all escape and throw away our devices and delete all of our social media accounts.  There could be a select few that need to go that way, and likely there may be a few apps or social media accounts that would be wise to delete.  But the world needs us as the followers of Jesus to not just consume but to contribute by bringing the voice of Jesus into all things.

We can communicate the Gospel of Jesus like never before through the smartphone.

As followers of Jesus, we don’t want to make our name great. We want to make His name great. And this device affords us the opportunity, unlike any other time in human history, to do it at levels never before known. We can communicate the Gospel of Jesus like never before through the smartphone.

Use your platform to introduce people to Jesus.

Practical Steps

1. Do regular screen fasts. Have a set time every day or a set day each week you set it aside.
2. Check your Screen Time regularly and make adjustments as needed. Take a screenshot of your screen time and find someone to hold you accountable.
3. Parents: take responsibility. If you hand your child a smartphone (or any device similar), know that the tendency will be for your child to be mastered by it rather than use it as a servant. Set limits and boundaries.
4. Choose one way on social media that you are going to bring light into the darkness.
5. Disable as many notifications as possible. My relationship with my smartphone really changed for the better when I disabled 99% of my notifications, including texts. Prior to this, I was constantly “on” and “buzzing, pinging, and dinging” way too often. The amount of time I picked up my phone decreased by more than 60%.

On this particular day, Brady played outside in our backyard while Allison and I were on the back porch. It got quiet for a long time, which is always dangerous for parents, right? Parents crave a few quiet moments, but when our kids are actually silent, we think they are probably up to something! It turns out he was. Brady came up, and we noticed red spots all over his legs. After investigating what happened, Brady showed us the fire ant hill he had been playing on. I guess he was desperate to play with friends, and these devilish little creatures became his playmates that day. Brady endured more than 50 fire ant bites in the name of fun.

Just as Brady was physically playing with a hill of ants that day, I wonder how many of us mentally willingly play on anthills?

In the book What Most Parents Aren’t Telling You [i], the number one thing parents most want for their kids is mental health. While there is some debate in the medical field, many experts believe that much of mental health stems from the brain. Eric Kandel, a Nobel Prize laureate and professor of brain science at Columbia University, says, “All mental processes are brain processes, and therefore all disorders of mental functioning are biological diseases. The brain is the organ of the mind. Where else could mental illness be if not in the brain.” [ii]

[bctt tweet=”I wonder how many of us mentally willingly play on anthills?” username=”kokomaha”]

I wonder if parents are so worried about their children’s mental health because they are also concerned about their own mental health. I pose this because I know how easy it is for me to project my biggest fears onto my children.

So, what’s happening in your brain? What’s going on in your mind? As we look at the research, it’s easy to see why mental health, anxiety, and worry are skyrocketing in today’s world. According to the National Science Foundation, the average person has between 12,000 to 60,000 thoughts every single day! Of those thoughts, 80% are negative, and 95% are repetitive thoughts[iii]. Cognitive Behavioral Therapists describe those negative thoughts as ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts).

Our thoughts are a collection of broken records that we replay over and over and over again. And, if that were the end, it’d be depressing. But it’s not the end. You can not only change your mind, and you can change your life.

The key to a changed life is a changed mind.

No, this isn’t some Oprah, New-Age, name it and claim it kind of philosophy I’m pointing you to. Instead, it’s the opportunity to think new thoughts. And it’s pretty scientific and also quite biblical. I love it when science and the Bible line up. I agree with DawnChere Wilkerson, who says, “Real science is just the discovery of God’s wisdom.” [iv]

The key to a changed life is a changed mind.

Science tells us that our brains feature neuroplasticity. Essentially, while it is natural for our brains to go down a particular pathway, our brains can change, adapt, and create new pathways. This research proves it is possible to change our thoughts. But, it requires some work.

And as our thoughts can change, this can lead to a changed or transformed life. Romans 12:2a says, “Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind.”

But how do we renew our minds to be more like Christ? The apostle Paul gives us the 3-step masterclass in Philippians 4:6-9. As we look closely at those Bible verses, we see a 3-step process emerge to help us change our minds.

It’s possible to change our thoughts. But, it requires some work.

Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

1. Remove the ANTs (Automatic Negative Thoughts)

First, Paul says we don’t have to hang onto our negative thoughts or anxiety. Not every idea that comes into your head is worthwhile. Not every thought that comes into your head is true. The devil is known as the father of lies. That is his native tongue. And so, while his strategy is simple, his approaches are dynamic.

I don’t think his initial first step is to make you believe that God isn’t authentic or that the Bible isn’t true. Eventually, he will want to take you there. Still, he usually starts by forcing you to look at your outside set of circumstances and wanting to bring doubt into your minds.

Every negative thought can be given to Jesus.

But, you don’t have to fixate on every thought. Instead, you can give over every negative thought to God. We do this through prayer, by having a conversation with God. Because God desires to be in a relationship with you, you can test every thought. He’ll never get tired of listening to you and spending time with you. And, even more, He understands what you are going through. Remember that Jesus walked this planet and endured every temptation known to humanity. He can sympathize with whatever situation you are going through. So, every negative thought we can give to Jesus. “Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.” 1 Peter 5:7

Paul then moves to the second step in the masterclass.

Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. 

2. Replace with positive thoughts

It’s not enough to just remove negative thoughts. If you don’t fill your mind with positive thoughts, left to your natural state, you’ll find more negative stuff to fill it.

We have to think godly thoughts intentionally. The apostle Paul tells us in Colossians 3:2, “Set your minds on things above, not on earthly things.” What are those things above? He gives a pretty great list right here. He urges us to think true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy thoughts.

What a great exercise! Anytime you experience a negative thought, take it through this list.

We have to think godly thoughts intentionally.

What is true about this thought? You might recognize, by the way, with this first question, that there is nothing true about this thought, and it is a lie. So at that point, you can let go of that thought completely.

Then, keep going through that filter.

What is noble? The Greek word here is “venerable” and implies tremendous respect, primarily because of age. So, think about that. It’s time-tested and proven. Is your thought noble? Is it time-tested and proven?

Keep going through the list: what is right, pure, lovely, admirable, excellent, and praiseworthy?

What will end up happening is you will end up flipping a lot of the negative thoughts into positive, truthful statements that can become declarations. Here are a few examples:

• I’m not attractive to I’m grateful that I’m healthy, have eyes to see, ears to hear, and lungs that give me breath.
• I’ll never make it to I can take one step forward today.
• I can’t beat this addiction to God has put His power inside of me. If God is for me, who can be against me?
• Nobody knows me to God knows my name, has written my name in the book of life and orchestrates all things for my good.

Let’s return for the final step in the masterclass:

Whatever you have learned or received or heard from me, or seen in me—put it into practice. And the God of peace will be with you.

3. Repeat the practice

Paul says, “Put it into practice.” This process is not a one-time event. The world is coming at all of us very fast, which is why we must learn this process and repeat it multiple times a day. Again, if we think between 12000 to 60000 thoughts daily, there are ample opportunities to renew our minds.

Paul says that at the end of this process, we get the opposite of anxiety: we will have God’s peace. And God’s peace will transcend human understanding. I love the word transcend. It means to go above, beyond, or surpass. So, no matter what comes at us from this world, God’s peace prevails when we put this process into practice. It wins the day. God’s peace is what the world, you, and I need more of.

When you practice these three steps, not only will you destroy anxiety and be filled with peace from above, but you will also represent God’s peace in a world that desperately needs it.

[bctt tweet=”Paul says that at the end of this process, we get the opposite of anxiety: we will have God’s peace.” username=”kokomaha”]

Watch the sermon video to see how the apostle Paul, who wrote this masterclass for us, did this in his life. Share the link to the YouTube sermon.

Challenge for the Day: 

Today, we are going to put into practice the 3-step process that Paul lays out:

1. Remove: What are the negative thoughts that you are feeling today? List them out and pray that God would remove them.
2. Replace: Think positive thoughts. List one thing that you think about for each of the words Paul gives us in Philippians 4:8:

1. 1. True
   2. Noble
   3. Right
   4. Pure
   5. Lovely
   6. Admirable
   7. Excellent
   8. Praiseworthy
2. Repeat: After completing this exercise once, attempt to do this exercise every time a negative thought triggers you.

[i] What Parents Most Want, Page 25. Kindle.

[ii] https://www.apa.org/monitor/2012/06/roots

[iii] https://www.investmentnews.com/silence-those-voices-in-your-head-69986#:~:text=But%20these%20voices%20have%20the,negative%20and%2095%25%20are%20repetitive.

[iv] https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nP4GylMnRFc&ab_channel=VOUSChurch

]]> https://www.kingofkings.org/2021/02/14/the-way-i-know-god-loves-me/ Sun, 14 Feb 2021 19:47:57 +0000 https://www.kingofkings.org/2021/02/14/the-way-i-know-god-loves-me/ Read more »]]> Written by Tami Boesiger

I see the ugliness in me, the attitudes that need fixing, the weaknesses that make me too aware of my humanity and I cry out to God.

“Lord, forgive me. Again. Make me better. I’m a mess.”

Yeah, that’s true, God says, you can be a mess sometimes. You can be high maintenance and moody, exasperating and frustrating. . .

But I sure do love you.

What?! How can a perfect, holy God love puny, wimpy me?

Yet I know it’s true for He surprises me in unexpected ways, a text at just the right time, an opportunity I didn’t see coming, beautiful words I don’t deserve from people I admire and respect, a husband who’s attentive no matter how I look or act, front row seats to His work every day in my job.

When He says, I sure do love you, I am incredulous, yet warm because He shows me every day in little, special ways it’s true.

How else do you explain children who mock me, yet say they miss me consistently? Isn’t it God’s love that causes a friend to hug tight and whisper encouragement in my ear without knowing how much I need it? Aren’t the smiles and nods spurring me on, a signal straight from Him? He’s provided sanctuary in my home, with people inside and outside my house.

And when days don’t go as I wish, when troubles come, He leads me to the verse to hang onto, the Truth that will sustain. He supplies the prayer net, the friends to call in tears, the warm cup of tea to soothe, the arms to hold, the bed to escape to. He leads me through, His way, and makes me better in the process.

I sure do love you.

I know it and you can too. Open your eyes to God’s blessings all around you, especially, in the hard times. He is there. He is waiting to lift. He sees. He knows.

I sure do love you.

Will you believe it?

Tami is a counselor at The CORE Counseling Center located on the King of Kings Church campus. You can contact Tami at 402.513.0148 or by emailing her at Tamib@kingofkings.org.

We are living through stressful times. As the temperature outside drops and days get darker, we may also notice a drop in mood, energy, or motivation. Our desire for connection may be in conflict with our plan for safety with Covid-19. This can create stress and tension in our lives. A bright spot is that God made us knowing we would experience stress and gave us the tools for how to cope. 

We all have built-in stress warning signs that tell us when we need to take a break and reset. Stress will build and store itself in our body until we intentionally or unintentionally release it. Without an intentional release, stress shows itself as irritability, defensiveness, impatience, and aggression which can affect our work, home, and relationships. As God tends to each of our needs intentionally, we are made to model that intentionality with our self-care.

 Here are some tips to cope with overwhelming stress:    

• Name It: Stress can be really overwhelming. When we take a step back and name what is stressing us out it can decrease the pressure we feel. Usually there are some aspects of our stress we can control. Acknowledging our stress by name is the first step towards taking action. After naming it, I encourage you to check in with where you carry stress in your body. Understanding where we carry our stress can help us identify and take care of it in the future. Many of us carry stress in our shoulders, as a knot in our stomach, as a headache, or other areas of tension throughout our body. Naming our stress and recognizing where we carry it are the first steps toward stress release.  

• Know How You React- Often, when we think of the fight or flight response we think of extreme or dangerous situations. We think of shark attacks or a car accident. When we experience stress our body can’t distinguish between an actual physical danger and the experience of stress. Our bodies respond similarly when we experience stress, launching our body into fight/flight/or freeze and taking our minds offline. What is your natural tendency? When you’re stressed do you often fight, feel angry, or become defensive. When you’re under pressure do you feel the urge to take flight and flee the room. Or maybe you freeze up and have difficulty doing or saying anything. When we come to recognize our natural stress response we can key in to our stressors and understand when we need to step back and take a break to reset.  

• Breathe and Pray-Stress physically manifests itself in our body. When we take short shallow breaths, our brains think we’re in danger because we aren’t getting the oxygen we need and it can trigger our fight, flight, or freeze response. Taking deep breaths from our diaphragm allows our bodies’ natural calming system to activate. I encourage you to take a prayer breath as a way to release your stress. Spend a moment in prayer bringing God into your stress and ask Him for what you need. While taking a deep breath ask God to be with you as you inhale and ask him for what you need as you exhale. For example, “God be with me.” *Inhale* “Give me patience.” *Exhale*. Bringing our attention away from our anxious thoughts and focusing on our breathing can reduce our stress response and bring us mental clarity.   

These techniques are a way for you to acknowledge, react to, and release your stress. Stress can be overwhelming, but God gives us tools for living in the abundance of life He has planned for us.  If you would like to learn more about stress reduction or have other mental health concerns, please feel free to reach out to me at kyliek@kingofkings.org.   

Kylie Keisling is a licensed Mental Health Counselor and works at The Core in Omaha.  

Today, the popular phrase “living my best life!” is all over social media. There are pictures of people on a sandy beach or on top of a mountain with big smiles and apparently no cares in the world. While there is nothing wrong with this phrase it begs the question, “How do I live my best life?” As a clinical mental health counselor, my passion is helping people become the best version of themselves.  This question may lead to a host of fearful questions and unpleasant emotions. Opening a door to acknowledging we are not where we want to be or spiraling into fear, doubt, or anxiety about what the future holds. Often we feel stuck. Stuck in the same routines, emotions, and reactions. We want to change but we don’t know where to start. Allowing yourself to hope for more in life can be hard. In that vulnerability we open ourselves up to growth. Proverbs 27:17 says, “As iron sharpens iron, so one man sharpens another”. We are made to walk with each other towards the best version of ourselves. Counseling can be that next step toward becoming your best self.   

A key habit I help build in my clients is emotional intelligence.  Often when we are unsatisfied with our lives, we let our emotions run the show. Causing us to feel out of control as we sit in fear, anger, or anxiety. Emotions are our body speaking to us. When we don’t recognize and process our hard emotions they get stored in our body as stress. This stress builds up and our emotions start coming out in other ways like yelling at your spouse or crying when you make a mistake at work. God made our bodies, minds, and emotions to work together. When we lean into these tough emotions like shame, betrayal, or anger we can process that experience and release our stress. Tapping into, instead of shutting out, our emotional responses means we can better take care of ourselves, and in turn those around us.  An important piece for my clients in counseling is implementing an emotional release. This piece is unique to you, and is crucial for our mental and physical wellbeing. Higher emotional intelligence leads to increased stress tolerance, better quality communication, relationships, and more effective decision making and anger management. A key to better living is already within you, walking with a counselor toward a higher emotional intelligence may be crucial to unlocking your success.    I’ve found that often what’s holding us back is ourselves. It is ok to say that you’re not ok. It is a sign of strength to reach out for help to move yourself forward. In our world today stressors keep piling up, and we often seek comfort in experiences that give us momentary relief from our sadness, anxiety, and fears. Lasting change is possible and emotions can act as our guide to living each moment to its fullest. Understanding and acknowledging your emotional responses is no easy task, and it can be helpful to walk through with a trained professional counselor. No one should walk through their pain alone. If you desire this lasting relief, I would love to help you live your best life. Please feel free to reach out to me at kyliek@kingofkings.org for more information or to set up an appointment today.  

Mamma, Dadda, new parents, 8^th-time parents – Do you know how to know if you are doing okay? So much of your concern has been on your Little, that how you’re doing has not even crossed your mind at this point. The postpartum season is difficult for both moms and dads, and the year of 2020 has only amplified what is already undoubtedly strenuous.

This season is overwhelming, so even if the question of, “am I actually OK?” has surfaced in your thoughts, the effort to research and the energy to ask questions may still be far from you. I’m hoping to help you hone in on that here with facts and signs to help you decide for yourself what your next steps may need to be.

Let’s start off with this: You are not alone in this experience.

1 in 7 pregnant and postpartum women experience a Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorder (PMAD). Half of these women do not receive the proper treatment they need. We can do our best to make sure you are not one of them. To further add, a new dad can also experience depressive symptoms just like dad can experience those symptoms with mom while she’s pregnant.

Baby Blues

Of course there’s an adjustment period, you just added a brand new life to your growing family. Baby Blues may look like:

• Mood changes (irritability, tearfulness, etc.)
• Feelings of worry and/or unhappiness
• Exhaustion

When these symptoms last longer than two weeks, or become more severe, this could be an indicator that you need to reach out for more help from a counselor.

Postpartum Depression

No matter how many of these symptoms listed below are experienced, one alone is enough to indicate a need to ask for help.

• Persistent anxious mood
• Feelings of anger
• Excessive guilt and persistent doubts about your ability to care for the new baby
• Feelings of worthlessness, hopelessness or helplessness
• Crying more often than usual
• Withdrawal from loved ones
• Difficulty concentrating, making decisions, or remembering
• Trouble bonding or forming an emotional attachment with your baby; feeling “numb” or empty toward your baby

Perinatal depression is not brought on by anything the mother did or did not do – it’s not your fault, Mamma, that you feel this way! There are factors that increase your chances of experiencing depression and/or anxiety with pregnancy. These could be if you struggled with anxiety or depression prior to becoming pregnant, regardless of your experience with postpartum depression with previous pregnancies.

Postpartum Anxiety

• Extreme and persistent worries and fears, often over the health and safety of your baby
• Panic attacks: shortness of breath, chest pain, dizziness, a feeling of losing control, numbness and/or tingling

Postpartum OCD

• Repetitive, upsetting and unwanted thoughts (an obsession)
• An unrelenting need to act out a behavior (compulsion) in attempt to reduce the anxiety
  • These thoughts are often scary to the mother

PMADs affect both mom and baby, so it is highly encouraged and necessary that help is sought when needed. Untreated depression can increase risk of suicide. Take care of yourself so you can best care for your Little One!

If you are in crisis or emergency, call 911.

If thoughts of suicide are persistent: 1-800-273-8255

The deaf and hard of hearing can contact: 1-800-799-4889

Crisis Text Line: text ‘HELLO’ to 741741

If you would like to speak with a counselor about depression or anxiety, check out the counselors on The Core website and see who may be right for you. No matter where you seek help, the important thing is that you seek it.

Allie Molina, PLMHP

alliem@kingofkings.org

Many of us have a general understanding of the meaning for ‘disciple.’ Images of Jesus and His disciples may come to mind, or a more modern day go-to portrayal of students in class. When we send our kiddos to school, we anticipate they will learn knowledge from their teachers. In Jesus’ day, disciples were not only understood to be in the process of learning a specific expertise from their teacher/master/rabbi, but they were meant to learn their teachers’ way of being and engaging with the world.

Reflect on the story of the disciples with Jesus in the boat. [Here’s a refresher video for anyone – https://www.bible.com/videos/3177-mark-4-35-41-from-lumoproject-dot-com].

When the disciples woke Jesus, he did not jump up and join in their commotion. But His response brought calmness, peace, and an opportunity for growth in the disciples’ way of being in the midst of chaos their world presented at that moment. There is so much rich knowledge this account presents us, but here in this moment, let’s allow it to bring our own responses into question. If the lake is our world (also presenting us with tumultuous chaos), who is in our boat with us that we could consider disciples? If you are a parent, instantly you know you are discipling your children. We can tell our children to not be afraid, to stop worrying, to not be so anxious, and so on. But, if we ourselves do not model responses of assured peace and trust in the midst of anxiety, we are showing our children that our Prince of Peace does not provide any more than the provision and state of our world. I hope we know this is not true. Some of us may be questioning that right now, I get it. So let’s think practically to help us get there. If we are to not be overcome by our world (i.e. anxiety, fear, anger), we cannot respond in the same ways our world does. Consider these reflection questions:

• How do you tend to respond to unexpected bad news? How about the nightly/morning news station? Or the posts of those who are on the ‘other side’ of the political issue?

• How does this response effect your moments/hours/day/week/month following?

• How are your immediate people affected?

• How can we do better? What needs to change?

If you recognize something needs to change, now is the best time to start. Where/how/what will help us begin? You may find benefit from:

• Talk with community (yes, even over Zoom)
• Self-Care (are you just completely overwhelmed? Do what Jesus was doing in the boat – getting away to rest)
• Schedule and build a relationship with a counselor or mentor
• Research calm breathing techniques
• Journal
• Get active

Finally, if you are a parent with a Pre-K/Early Elementary kiddo we have a resource in the works specifically for your school year.

Parenting in an Anxious World 

6-Week Zoom Class 

September 16^th 2020 through October 21^st 2020,

Wednesdays from Noon – 1:00p CST

Led by professional counselors Allie Molina and Brenda Neyens, Parenting in an Anxious World provides ways to relieve anxiety and stress as parents and kiddos navigate an online school-year together. You and your child will learn some very practical approaches to lessening anxiety. While the skills are transferrable to additional children, we ask that only one child attend the zoom class. We encourage your child’s participation, but they do not need to be present for class. 

Class size of 4 – 8 households, registration is $60 per household, which includes one or two caregivers and a child age 5 to 9.

You can apply for a partial scholarship, which will be based on need and availability of funds. To sign up for this group, contact Allie at alliem@kingofkingofkingsomaha.org.

The world is bursting at the seams with rampant upheaval. We face a trifecta of turning-points.   The COVID-19 pandemic, global economic recession, and worldwide awakening to systemic injustices suffered for centuries by racial minorities in America.  This calamitous cultural moment begs not our pardon for its disruption, but our dedication to efforts toward healing and renewal.  Somethins’ gotta change.

While unable to control what’s happening all around us, we must assess its effect on us.  How do you feel about your life right now?  How would you describe the severity of your past and present life experiences?  Are you open to healing and change?  Are you willing to surrender to The Anointed One, Jesus?  No more than a zebra can change its stripes are we able to save, heal or change ourselves.  We need Someone far beyond us to burst onto the scene.  Someone with fierce, unparalleled power to reconcile what’s wrecked in our world.  We need the finished work of Christ on the cross and everlasting counsel of the Holy Spirit to navigate these storms.

According to Genesis 1:27, humans are all created in the image of God.  Nothing else is created in God’s image, only humans.  We are the crown jewel,  apple of His eye, formed to mirror God’s beauty into all the earth.  Yet sin shattered us … as individuals and societies.  The good news is that divine purposes for us would not be thwarted; we have this redemptive hope:

“All praise to God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly realms because we are united with Christ. ⁴ Even before he made the world, God loved us and chose us in Christ to be holy and without fault in his eyes.”  Eph 1:3-4

Holy functioning restores our God-image.  We receive what’s given freely us in Christ – righteousness, love, forgiveness, new life, etc.  And we develop the capacities to live and love as Christ does.  Capacities and capabilities like, 1) Relational connection – ability to lovingly bond with others. 2) Boundaries – ability to be separate from others.  3)  Processing Pain – ability to sort out the good and bad and deal with it.  4) Maturity – ability to become competent adults.

Beginning Wed. July 8, The Core-Omaha will be offering a 7-part teaching and discussion series called Churches That Heal, based on the book by Dr. Henry Cloud, Changes That Heal.  The trifecta of turning-points we face in our world today extend divine invitations to lament and repent.  We’re destined to be people who mirror God’s image and reflect His praise in a world of upheaval.  We are called to be a church that people will run to and not away from.  This will happen as we gather in community to courageously examine ourselves and commit to practicing what we learn in the Word of God.  At the nexus of grace and truth working within us, over time, transformation emerges.   So please consider joining us!   Be on the lookout for upcoming registration details. Cause somethins’ gotta change; and change begins in the heart.

It’s a little too easy to let our minds wander during this pandemic, especially when there’s more time for them to wander. Stock market reports are depressing. What is legitimate concern and what is hype? When will this truly be over? Will we ever go back to normal? Confusion about the future muddies our brains, stirring uneasiness and fear. How do we reign in our thoughts? How can we keep anxiety at bay? Where can we find peace? 

Isaiah 26:3 You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.

My dictionary defines steadfast as “resolutely or dutifully firm and unwavering.” A steadfast mind is focused on the truth that our God can be trusted, that nothing escapes His notice. He is in control, on His throne, on our watch, despite a virus stopping our globe. 

A steadfast mind, providing perfect peace, is focused on the truth.

So what is the truth? Our current situation is temporary. It will pass. We will be united with those we love eventually. We have gotten very creative. We are resilient. We have survived other disasters and come back strong. We can stay safe and healthy by following recommended guidelines. Smart people are furiously working on a vaccine. Technology gives us a variety of ways to stay connected. Most importantly, our heavenly father never quit being God! He promises to take care of his own.

Philippians 4:19 And my God will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus.

Isaiah 41:10 So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you; I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.

1 Peter 5:10 And the God of all grace, who called you to his eternal glory in Christ, after you have suffered a little while, will himself restore you and make you strong, firm and steadfast.

Scour your bible for the truth that resonates with you. Memorize it. Meditate on it. Chant it if you have to. Filling our minds with truth reminds, refreshes, rejuvenates, encourages. Perfect peace comes to those whose minds are steadfast. And the beauty is when we’re so focused on words of truth, our brains are distracted from the uncertainty. 

Squelch your fear by refusing to dwell on the unknown. Find peace with a steadfast mind, focused on the safety and wellbeing you have today, and the truth of who God is. We will get through this. One day at a time.