Delores Liesner
Activating Faith in everyday life
Stressed?
Got any stress? 
You might have
- Acute stress (immediate threat or trauma, anticipated demands or pressures, unexpected job change, poverty, serious diagnosis)
- Episodic stress – over-committed, always late, unorganized chaos, pessimism, fear, or major life events (good or bad), substance abuse
- Chronic stress –situations that are ongoing – usually relational,
caregiving, financial or physical (disease or nutritional issues or lack of rest)
Stress: “a condition or feeling experienced when a person perceives that demands exceed the personal and social resources the individual is able to mobilize.” (Webster’s Dictionary)
Some people have more than one kind of stress at a time. I’ve been there, haven’t you? Is it really possible to have peace in the roller coaster of life?
To get rid of stress: Put on Peace!
What is peace anyway?
ei˙rh/nh eirene; undisturbed*(1). peace, completeness, and welfare. security, contentment, good health, prosperity, friendship, and tranquility of heart and mind.
Jehovah Shalom – means and is – Peace
Ways to Put On peace:
- Identify your stress/enslavement and set boundaries – submit them to Christ, and write out a planned response. (Example, when I was guardian for my abusive mother, she often began swearing or shouting). I had to create a planned response: a. calmly say, please stop or I will have to hang up. Or b. when you are ready to converse in a normal tone of voice, call back, and then hang up. It only took a few times until she got the message – I had a boundary and that behavior did not benefit her in any way.
- Improve the areas you can still change, however small those changes might be. (Getting enough rest, eating properly, not going into stores if I don’t have funds all lowered stress)
- Revise your perception of what you do. You may not have a lot of control over your work life now, but you have total control over your attitude and your response to stress. (I needed to affirm that my place of work was not my calling – it was my location where I could perform my calling.
Stop reacting and start responding with compassion. Reactions are often instantaneous. Remove yourself even for a minute or two and review the situation with a quick prayer for wisdom before you respond.
- Free yourself from the unrealistic expectations you’ve set for yourself, those you’ve let others set for you, or you may need to free others from your unrealistic expectations. Write out the expectations, and write across from it the reality. It is something to pray over because defeating ourselves is not productive.
- Get inspired, moved, by others gifts (music, art, creativity) or use your gift to worship or to bless others. Sometimes listening is the best prayer exercise.
- Get rid of clutter – My Heart Christ’s Home – clean every “room” of your heart – and every closet.
All 7 of these steps sow peace. Sow peace, grow peace. 
Happy stress-free gardening!
Be the Miracle! – with journaling pages
Delores Liesner: Author
American Christian Fiction Writers Association
Delores Liesner 