Thoughts and Jots--Blog Archives

panic attack: an intense attack of anxiety characterized by feelings of impending doom and trembling, sweating, pounding heart, and other physical symptoms. Also called anxiety attack .--Dictionary.com A panic attack sounds a lot like these verses: "My heart is sore pained within me: and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. Fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and horror hath overwhelmed me." (Psa. 55:4-5) It also sounds like a horrible way to live. Anxiety is real, and has also been linked to secondary health problems, but it does not have to become a ruler in anyone's life. We are missing some very clear instructions when we allow ourselves to be caught in a continuous loop of fear-panic-despair: "Be careful (anxious) for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God." (Phil. 4:6) Now if you've been a Christian for a year or more, you've heard this, read t...

I am not a bold soul winner, so I pray for more boldness, swallow my imaginations (fears are healthy imaginations) and then I keep my eyes open. The Lord put a soul directly in my path when I was in California recently for the Royal Ladies' Retreat at Liberty Baptist Church in Newport Beach. The Pastor's wife, Mrs. Gayle Tomlinson, took me to Sprouts Farmers Market. Stretching my legs in a natural foods store after a long flight is one of my favorite things to do, and I have visited them all over the country. This one was love at first sight, but before we got inside, we walked by a young man who was sitting at a picnic table in front of the store. "Would you ladies like to give some money to the homeless?" he asked as we walked by. "Sorry, I don't have any cash," Gayle said as she continued walking briskly, and it was true, because she only had cards on her. I hurried along beside her, but my heart stayed back at that picnic table. I couldn't help...