I know how busy everyone is and I truly appreciate you taking the time to read my blog. If you are like me there is a 50/50 chance you won’t make it to the end of this 620 word blog before your mind darts off to make a to do list, or plan what you should have for dinner and if you have everything to make that dinner, or solve world hunger. Knowing that, I am going to tell you the conclusion of this blog at the beginning. Take a deep breath and then slowly let it out and say Ahhhh. Now do it with me – 1, 2, 3 –Ahhh. That is the summary of this blog so if you don’t finish reading you at least have the major point. Just say Ahhh.
For those of you who are still with me, every time you come to the blue Ahhh I want you to count to three, take a deep breath, and slowly say Ahhh. The National Institute of Anxiety and Stress says there are proven benefits to deep breathing. They state that deep relaxation techniques such as deep breathing lowers blood pressure, relaxes muscles, and slows your heart rate. It also prevents stress from building up, reduces insomnia and fatigue and reduces general anxiety. It increases your energy level and helps you turn off analytical thinking and racing thoughts. The list goes on and on. In a nutshell, deep breathing helps to reduce anxiety and when practiced regularly may also help prevent anxiety.
Who knew something so simple and FREE could be so beneficial? God knew. We are truly wonderfully and fearfully created. But beyond the physical benefits we can derive from simply taking a few seconds and letting out a good Ahhh, there are spiritual benefits also. At the same time we are allowing our physical bodies to release stress, we can take those seconds to be mindful that we are At Home with God and allow Him to fill the stressed space within us with His presence. Now that is a great exchange rate!
John 15:4 says Remain in me and I will remain in you
2Chron 15:2B says that The Lord is with you when you are with him
2Tim 1 12 says he is able to guard what you have entrusted to him
Whatever situation it is that brought you to need to breathe deeply, God has a solution. If you find yourself in a stressful situation due to unforeseen financial needs, take a few Ahhh seconds to allow God to bring you home to the truth that he will supply all your needs. If you find yourself stressed over a physical need, allow God to bring you home to the truth that He is the great physician. If you find yourself filled with anxiety over a situation that has broken your heart, allow God to bring you home to the truth that He is the healer of the brokenhearted. Let your Ahhh be an automatic signal that you need to come home to God and allow Him to quiet your body, mind, and spirit and bring peace.
The goal of this time together is to cause us to consciously seek to be homebodies. Whatever is going on in our lives, whether they are filled with great sorrow or filled with great joy, we will close our eyes and say Ahhh and know we are at home with God . Now I want to close just the way we began, so if you have zoned out for a while, now is the time to rejoin us. I am going to count to 3 and then I want us all to say one last Ahhh…….
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