The sun is barely peeking over the horizon. I lug my last suitcase out to the car and with a final heave, toss it in. Slamming the trunk, smile and let out a satisfied sigh.
Let the journey begin.
I have been blessed to travel to many different places so far in my lifetime. I’ve been to about 30 states(ish), a few foreign countries– Spain, Portugal, Italy and China. All of these trips have been educational, challenging and blessing to my heart.
Although traveling as a “big kid” isn’t as frequent as my college days, I can’t help to still be filled with anticipation and excitement with each new journey.
Starting out our journey of wedded bliss on our honeymoon, just “Rome-ing” around.” (Get it? Rome? Italy? Ok. Sigh. I’m done.)
But now my journeys have started to shift– they aren’t in the form of road trips for college football games (Go Kansas State!) or boarding a plane for a solo trip to China “just because I can.” Now, it’s a journey through marriage. A journey to parenthood. A journey of walking with Christ.
And today starts a new journey– one that you are personally invited along for…
A JOURNEY TO CONTENTMENT.
I hope you are packed and ready to ride. (Oh, and buckle up. Safety first.)
Today my friend Kelli Wommack and I are starting a journey to contentment via an in person AND online bible study called “Calm my Anxious Heart.”
I don’t know about you, but whenever I travel, I always have some kind of anxiety– usually stemming around “I feel like I am forgetting something” and “Did I turn off stove?”
But we are excited for Christ to take us on this journey and calm our anxious hearts. (Rumor has it, He’s a pretty stellar travel guide.)
Here’s how this journey is gonna work…
~Each Monday, Kelli & I will post our “take” on the previous week’s reading on our blogs, as well as post the “homework” for the coming week
~We encourage you to join in the fun and share your thoughts/comments on our blogs, regardless of if you have decided to so the bible study with us
~We will provide an opportunity for interaction on the Calm My Anxious Heart Facebook page
~Specifically for my blog: Homework will be posted at the very end of each of my Monday entries, which I am lovingly dubbing “Anxiety Free Mondays” or AFM for short (sounds like a radio station abbreviation to me… I like it!)
Then, we let Jesus do the work.
So as we kick off this journey, I have a couple questions for you…
- What things cause you the most anxiety in your life?
- What do you think a “content heart” truly looks like?
Please leave your comments below. 🙂
I hope you are all packed and ready to go! (Everyone bring their toothbrush? What about your cell phone charger? Your favorite beverage and snack?)
We are off and running… on a journey to free us from anxiety. On a journey to contentment. On a journey of a lifetime.
Revved up and ready to roll,
SGK
“I’ve learned by now to be quite content whatever my circumstances. I’m just as happy with little as with much, with much as with little. I’ve found the recipe for being happy whether full or hungry, hands full or hands empty. Whatever I have, wherever I am, I can make it through anything in the One who makes me who I am.” ~Philippians 4:12-13 (MSG)
If you are “officially” participating in the online bible study, here is your “homework” for week #1. Pencils up? Annnd GO!
Day 1: Read Chapter One
Write Philippians 4: 11 – 13 on a card and go over it every day. Pray it. Praise God with it! Memorize it. You can do it. You’ll be glad you did.
Day 2: Study Guide (back of book)– Questions 2, 3
Day 3: Study Guide– Questions 4, 5, 6
Day 4: Study Guide– Questions 7, 8a and 8b
Day 5: Study Guide– Question 9
Write in your journal what you learned about God this week, what you learned about yourself this week. Write a prayer to remember what God has taught you.
Helpful Study Tools:
- Strong’s Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible, Zondervan. ($20)
- A Good Study Bible
Great websites for searching and learning:
- Crosswalk.com
- Biblegateway.com
- Blueletterbible.org
- Studylight.org
Great apps:
- Strong’s Concordance Lite (free)
- eBible.com (free)
- Tecarta Bible (free)
- Biblestudytools.com (free)
- Prayer list app (1.99)
7 Days Time 
So excited to start the journey today!! My son is actually still sleeping so I am pretty excited to get some morning quiet time so I can start reading… although, now that I said that, hes probably going to wake up before I finish this comment… 🙂
Oh Jackie– I’m excited that you are excited!! (And I am just excited to be rolling with this too, after several weeks of talking about it.)
I hope you made it through at least a couple pages before your darling woke up 🙂 So blessed to have you along for this journey!
Happy learning and can’t wait to hear what you thought about chapter 1 next week!
I read the first chapter this morning and loved it. I truly feel God’s presence in me trying to show me the path to calming myself and my heart. To answer one of your questions, there are many things that cause me anxiety, but three that are the most prominent. 1. Life in general 2. Me, Myself, and I (I am my own worse enemy), 3. School (I am in my last semester at the University of West Georgia). I really want to be a calmer person, one who is not so uptight and nervous all the time. I believe that God is going to truly help each and every one of us in this group to overcome our anxiousness.
Isn’t it great, Eva? It is already knocking my socks off (not to mention changing my heart!) And praise Jesus that you feel God’s presence!! That is awesome in itself.
I totally identify with your sources of anxiety, minus the school part of things (I finished up that anxious chapter last December 🙂 )
I am so excited for you, my friend– can’t wait to see what God does in our lives!! So glad to have you along for this journey!
I SO want to take part in this Bible Study, but I am currently reading like 4 other books right now. I just read the sample on Kindle and *think* I can fit it in. I’ll pray about it today and see where God leads me tonight. I certainly don’t want to feel anxious about keeping up with a Bible Study about being anxiety free!
Your comment cracks me up… Why? Because the night before last, I was thinking that there was a former phase of life where I read one book at a time– and now, counting this Bible study, I have 5 books going. (It also helps that my hubby and I are fasting TV for a month)
Definitely pray about it and see what God says– if it is going to make you anxious we def don’t want that 🙂 But if you He says yes, join in– its an easy read (at least for the head… for the heart, yeah, it’s convicting, profound and transformational!)
Thanks for stopping by sister!
I’m in! I finished the chapter and wrote my thoughts in my journal. It was really a great learning experience for me to think about all the things that I concern myself with in the past, future and things that I cannot control.
What things cause you the most anxiety in your life? Plans that change (especially last minute), when I can’t find things or I am not prepared.
What do you think a “content heart” truly looks like? I’m not sure, but I can certainly picture what a discontent heart looks like. I hope to find out with this book!
Sharita- stopping by to say “thank you” for you comment on my blog. Your words meant so much, truly. Thank you for taking time out to pray for me today. So glad I stopped by too. I just finish Calm My Anxious Heart. It is one of the best books I have ever read and when I say that, I mean it spoke straight to my heart from cover to cover. Great truths and applications!!
I am so sorry for your loss as well. The loss of a child is never easy, no matter when it happens. Blessings to you my sister in Christ!! And yes, praising God with you that His gifts are so many more than 1000. My list is the beginning of what I pray is a lifelong journey to see Him, His gifts, in all things!! So glad you visited my corner today!!
http://www.counthisblessings.com
I’m excited too…but totally bummed that my kids and I “slept” through the afternoon and woke up at 6pm yesterday…doh!
I have however caught up and am even more excited now after reading the first chapter!
But to answer your questions:
1. I find I’m anxious about not being a “good” enough Christian, finances are a strain and with finances (they seem t be linked) are my kids. I want my kids to have what they need but mostly I want them to be saved, to become little Christs.
2. A content heart is a heart truly adjusted and tuned to God’s heart. it’s a fully trusting heart, one that is not easily pried from God’s warm and loving embrace. A heart that says “He is enough”
Hey, it happens, Maria! (That’s the beauty about having an online component! Too easy to get caught up and adds such a level of flexibility to this process.)
I totally get your anxieties– I struggle with the same stuff sometimes (although the kids thoughts will come in a few months, no doubt)
I LOVE the way you summed up a content heart. I hope you wrote that on a sticky note and stuck it on your fridge… Or bathroom mirror… Or both. That is RICH!!
What an exciting journey! I am learning that a content heart trusts and believes in God’s promises! I’m still in training but am so much less anxious!
I think we are ALL in training (and honestly, will be for a while until we get to see Jesus face to face!) But I rejoice that you are less anxious– I am getting there 😉
I am so excited to begin this study. My anxiety levels flucuate through different seasons of my life. I don’t feel I am overly anxious about any one or two things but pray unceasingly for family/friends to come to know Christ as their personal Savior and how I can help them. So maybe I am anxious if I pray unceasingly? 🙂 I pray God will help me take the opportunities He puts in my life and be bold in sharing the Good News. True contentment to me is having a peace in my heart during difficult times-not just praising God when things are going well, but more importantly when things are crazy and upside down. “Thank you Jesus” needs to be on my lips and heart all the time!!
I’m excited that we get to do this together, Ma! Even after this study is over with, we will be able to support each other during our daily text convos 🙂
I don’t think you are anxious if you pray unceasingly–because prayer is the remedy to anxiousness! (But I don’t wanna give to much away– that’s part of chapter 2!)
I also struggle with the contentment/circumstances flux– when things are going well, it’s easy to be content. When things are a little ooey, I struggle to not let my feelings drive my faith.
Thanks for your great thoughts, Ma! Can’t wait to talk about them with you in person in a week!
Sounds like a great study, and contentment is an issue we should all be looking into!
It is a good one, Lisa– I am really impressed and excited how God is going to transform us from the inside out!
got my camera!!!!!!! Let’s go!!!!!!!! I’m so excited about this. It couldn’t have come at a better time in my life! I’ve been working on being “content” already and feel like I’ve done fairly well…Chapter one put it in a whole different perspective though! My biggest anxiety?? A tie between fear of my child not being taken care of the way I’d like if something should ever happen to me…AND…singing. I could write a book listing my anxieties regarding that…we’ll leave it at that for now haha!
So glad you came along (and brought your camera– I am not a good picture-taker on my journeys. I go for quantity, rarely quality 😉 )
Thanks for sharing your heart with us today, Kristie– I pray God gives you peace about your daughter AND your singing career (because you are so good at it!!)
Thank you for sharing your Journey to Contentment at “Tell Me a Story.” Contentment with Godliness is GREAT Gain! 🙂
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