FEAR NOT for GOD is always close to you.

"...Why are you afraid, O men of little faith?" -Matthew 8:26

"I have so many fears, Doctor," said the college-age woman to her therapist. She continued, "I listen to the news and hear about crimes, violence, hatred and war, and the whole thing gets my stomache in knots! I am anxious when I leave the house, a nervous wreck driving my car, I constantly worry about what diseases I might have, and I feel insecure about what the future holds.
"

The therapist nodded his head knowingly, and after jotting a few sentences in his notebook, replied, "Is this how you want to live your life, in fear?"

"Of course not," snapped the young woman as she cleared her throat in indignation."Then why are you chosing to invite fear into your life," he asked.

"Invite?" shouted the woman, "I never asked for it to be a dominant force in my life. It just IS, and I have no control over it!"

The psychiatrist smiled and stated, "You may not be fully aware of it, but we all have control over what thoughts we allow to remain in our mind. Your fear may start off as a sudden thought, but the longer that fear-thought remains, the greater risk you have of it starting to affect you physically and emotionally.

Before you know it, you start to feel anxious, then your belly gets knotted, and, well, you know the rest of the story."The young woman let out a sigh.The therapist continued, "Our brain is a wonderful and complex organ.

While it is great to use our intellect, it is important to not be so creative of mind that we scare ourselves to bits by imagining all sorts of mostly unrealistic and frightening scenarios or maladies." He continued, "I notice you wear a cross."

"Yes," said the young lady as she tightly grasped her necklace, "My faith in God is very important to me."

"So, because you have faith in God, I guess that means you trust Him, correct?"
replied the therapist as he fiddled with the pen in his hand.

"Well, yes," said the woman quietly.

"Good!" said the therapist gleefully.

"Then next time you are feeling fearful, remember that faith, and trust God."

MAD COW

Matt was driving along a country road and noticed that a number of the cows in the field beside the road were lined up looking at the fence. Every now and then one of the cows would charge the fence menacingly. Usually we think of cows as contented and laid back. What was holding their attention and provoking such fear? What was raising their hackles? A dog? A deer (also frequently present along that road)?

Then Matt laughed. Their fearsome stalker was a madcap paper bag, being blown along the fence randomly with the wind. They were mad cows-but not the kind you're thinking of. They must have though the bag was alive.

How often do we chase after, charge at and ultimately suffer much stress over items that turn out to be no more than empty paper bags flitting in the wind? Sometimes we call them straw men: things we think we have to battle, but we really don't.

The first one Matt think of is bad drivers. Now, yes, we need to drive defensively and be on the lookout for other drivers doing stupid things. But since we all do stupid things on the road occasionally, when someone makes a turn without making a signal or speeds up while you are passing, let it go! Don't fume for two miles.

Then there are those who worry so much about health, diet, and exercise they make themselves sick. Yes, these are all valid worries: but I am struck by how often those who are super careful about what they eat, staying trim, and following the latest health guru-then succumb unfortunately and tragically to cancer or heart disease.

There is the empty bag of worrying excessively about self. My schedule. My priorities. My family. My goals. How much I've had to suffer. Such persons are always first to tell their stories. Whether married or single, we need to learn the give and take of considering the needs of others as at least important as our own.

One of the most famous singles who ever lived has some good advice for us along these lines: "Do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink, or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than food, and the body more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air, they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life?" (Jesus, circa 30 A.D. Matthew 5: 26-27)

This is not to encourage irresponsibility. Of course we have to work, drive defensively, be careful to avoid litigation, take due care about our reputations, and so on.
But just remember that God was watching those anxious, angry cows along the fence row, too. If God cares about some silly cows, how much more does God care about you and me?

Focus on GOD

There was a story about a couple who is John and Janice that is on a journey bringing a donkey from their village to the town to sell it. In the begining of the journey,this couple were walking side by side with the donkey. Some passer by saw it and says that they were stupid for not riding the donkey since they are going to sell it off.

So John sit on the donkey while the Janice walk on the side. As they were walking, another passerby had seen them on the things that this couple are doing and the passerby says that John doesn't love the wife as he is letting his wife to walk and suffer while he is sitting comfortably on the donkey. So the John take turn to walk while his wife is sitting on the donkey.

As they were walking nicely towards the town, they meet up with some passers by. This time, the passers by says that Janice is torturing the donkey by sitting on it. As the couple were feeling bad for the donkey, they change their position by carrying the donkey on their shoulder.

When they thought that they are doing the right thing, another passers by says that they are extraordinaryly stupid for carrying an animal, while you as a human have the authority over the animals. It should be another way round, that the couple should be riding the donkey to the town and not the other way round.

Human being are a UNIQUE creature. Everyone had their own thinking and understanding and acceptance and needs. It is pointless to put effort to satisfy Human Being. Whatever you do, there will always be someone out there that will always go against your action and decision. Human Being should fulfill their responsibilities on earth and continue to do GOOD deeds.

Mankind could extinct in the future. Earth will probably not last long. There is no limit in earning Money and we can finish spending our money in a split second. Relationship can break at any times. It seems like nothing last forever. But there are 2 thing that will last for eternity; Heaven and Hell.

GOD's Love is unlimited for his children. GOD and Jesus Christ never fail to fullfil his promise to us. So why wanna satisfy Human Being when they can failed you at anytime, at anywhere, at any costs? It is always the smarter choice to focus your life, objective around GOD. Always maintain a moderation while an extremist with a wrong thoughts will become a disaster.