Jesus is The Answer

Hey there BCU Family!

Typically, you have the option of listening to our podcast, reading the notes or both. For this post, because of the informal format, please tune into the podcast recording and refer to the written post for the highlights. We pray the post blesses and encourages you. If so, please thumbs up AND leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy the post.

Podcast highlights:

  • At the time of this post (March 2022),there are so many things going in current events.
  • Inflation is at an all-time high, food and gas prices have quadrupled or more in some situations.
  • On top of all that, some of us have personal situations we are dealing with (family, job, illnesses, et cetera).
  • We feel these situations–Jesus feels us. He is the answer.

KJV Scripture references:

It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness (Lamentations 3:21-22).

From the end of the earth will I cry unto thee, when my heart is overwhelmed: lead me to the rock that is higher than I (Psalms 61:2).

For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. Let us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need (Hebrews 4:15-16).

Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light (Matthew 11:28-30).

 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are honest, whatsoever things are just, whatsoever things are pure, whatsoever things are lovely, whatsoever things are of good report; if there be any virtue, and if there be any praise, think on these things (Phillippians 4:6-8).

O God, thou art my God; early will I seek thee: my soul thirsteth for thee, my flesh longeth for thee in a dry and thirsty land, where no water is (Psalm 63:1).

*And when the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with one accord in one place.And suddenly there came a sound from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven tongues like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them. And they were all filled with the Holy Ghost, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance.

Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and to the rest of the apostles, Men and brethren, what shall we do? Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. (Acts 2:1-4, 37-39).

BCU Fam, the coming of the Lord is nigh–there is no doubt about that. As we see the Scriptures fulfilling themselves, some of what’s happening can be alarming. When those feelings come, we just want to lean into Jesus all the more. More prayer, more trusting, more calling on the Lord, more reading the Word, more mediation on the Word, more speaking in faith, more Scripture application…just more. More of Jesus will have us fretting, worrying and stressing a lot less. Amen? Amen!

For those who may not know the Lord in His fullness or maybe you are not sure, read *Acts chapters 1 and 2, asking the Lord to open your understanding. Follow up the reading with repenting (being godly sorry for all sins committed against God), be baptized in the name of Jesus for the remission of your sins (washing away of those sins), and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost (Acts 2:38). You’ll know you have the Holy Ghost when you speak in other tongues as the Spirit of God fills you up. That means Jesus is down on the inside of you, and will lead and guide you here, and all the way to Heaven! If you need more clarification, contact me and we’ll talk!

As a reminder, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram. Also, if you so inclined, join us Thursday nights–we are LIVE on YouTube 8:05EST/7:05CST. You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher Radio , Google Play, and Apple Podcasts!

Thank you SO much for stopping by. God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

BlenCouragesU1 Comment

Creation & science: The benefits of crying

Hey there BCU Fam,

You have the option of listening to our podcast (click the BCU avatar below to listen), reading the notes or BOTH. In any case, we pray the podcast blesses you. If so, please thumbs up or leave a comment! Thank you and enjoy your study! 

For those of you who know me, I can get really emotional (a.k.a cry) over some of the smallest things–an unexpected note, a heart-felt word of encouragement, someone going through something, or just in response to God’s goodness and mercy–especially during/after prayer, praise and worship. I was talking to my amazing sister and friend Nekesha after a wonderful service at church where God really moved on my heart through tears almost throughout the entire service!  Nekesha mentioned she had done some research on crying and how cathartic it is for us. So, I thought it’d be interesting to see why God made our eyes to cry like they do.

According to an article in Medical News Today.com we have three types of tears:

Basal tears are omnipresent in our eyes. These constant tears are what keep our eyes from drying out completely. The human body produces an average of 5 to 10 ounces of basal tears each day. They drain through the nasal cavity, which is the reason so many of us develop runny noses after a good cry.

The second type is reflex tears, which serve to protect the human eye from harsh irritants such as smoke, onions or even a very strong, dusty wind. To accomplish this feat, the sensory nerves in your cornea communicate this irritation to your brain stem, which in turn sends hormones to the glands in the eyelids. These hormones cause the eyes to produce tears, effectively ridding them of the irritating substance.

The third type of tears is emotional tears. It all starts in the cerebrum where a strong emotion such as stress, pleasure, anger,  gratefulness, sadness and suffering or physical pain is registered. The endocrine system is then triggered to release hormones to the ocular area, which then causes tears to form.

Emotional crying is mostly attributed to babies/children, women, and “weak people”(whatever that means), but because God is so amazing, He MADE us the ability to cry for specific reasons. To start, crying can help you regulate your emotions, reduce your distress and rally support from others. In addition, research says that crying:

Helps to relieve pain

Research has foundTrusted Source that in addition to being self-soothing, shedding emotional tears releases oxytocin and endorphins.

These chemicals make people feel good and may also ease both physical and emotional pain. In this way, crying can help reduce pain and promote a sense of well-being.

Enhances mood

Crying may help lift people’s spirits and make them feel better. As well as relieving pain, oxytocin and endorphins can help improve mood. This is why they are often known as “feel good” chemicals.

Releases toxins and relieves stress

When humans cry in response to stress, their tears contain a number of stress hormones and other chemicals.

Researchers believe that crying could reduce the levels of these chemicals in the body, which could, in turn, reduce stress. More research is needed into this area, however, to confirm this.

Aids sleep

A small study in 2015 found that crying can help babies sleep better. Whether crying has the same sleep-enhancing effect on adults is yet to be researched.

However, it follows that the calming, mood-enhancing, and pain-relieving effects of crying above may help a person fall asleep more easily.

 Fights bacteria

Crying helps to kill bacteria and keep the eyes clean as tears contain a fluid called lysozyme.

A 2011 studyTrusted Source found that lysozyme had such powerful antimicrobial properties that it could even help to reduce risks presented by bioterror agents, such as anthrax.

https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/319631.php#benefits-of-crying

So, in looking at this list, BCUFam, I’m thinking if I continuously suppress my urge to cry, then I add to my body’s stress levels which in turn harbors sickness, pain, multiplies toxins, and hosts bacteria in my cells–that can’t be good for our bodies and minds at all! Even our Lord and Savior Jesus wept! (See John 11:1-45 and Luke 19:41-44). Let’s see what else the Bible says about crying.

Thou tellest my wanderings: put thou my tears into thy bottle: are they not in thy book? When I cry unto thee, then shall mine enemies turn back: this I know; for God is for me (Psalm 56:8-9). This poetic language reminds us that God does not forget our tears at all and will save us from our enemy! What a blessed assurance!

The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth, and delivereth them out of all their troubles (Psalm 37:17).  Here we are assured that God hears our cry and will deliver us. Hallelujah!

Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should pray for as we ought: but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us with groanings which cannot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God (Romans 8:26-27). Sometimes, we cry outwardly and inwardly (groan). Often, we do not understand why, but the Spirit does and advocates on our behalf. Praise our God!

And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow, nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain: for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold, I make all things new. And he said unto me, Write: for these words are true and faithful (Revelation 21:4-5). Can you imagine God actually wiping away our tears? Ohh— this is something to look forward to, BCUFam! 

The wrap up? As the book of Revelation promises, there will be a day where there will be no more tears. Until then, God in His infinite wisdom, made our tears to be like an internal pressure valve to release the tension and cares of this life, so that we can continue to run on and live for Him. So, ignore the stigma and negative connotations that the world has assigned to crying, let the tears flow and the healing begin! Amen?! Amen!

What are thoughts on our topic du jour, BCUFam? Does crying come easily for you? Is it a struggle? What do you think about the science behind the tears? Let’s continue our conversation in the comments section below!

In the meantime, if you have not subscribed to BlenCouragesU.com, please do so! It’s free and a good place to get the encouragement, inspiration and information based the Word of God! Additionally, you can also see what we are up to on Facebook, Twitter , and Instagram! You can also listen in and subscribe to the podcast on Stitcher Radio , Google Play, and Apple podcasts!

Thank you SO much for stopping by. God bless, keep and make His face to shine upon you as you #StayOnTheWall!

Love,

BCU

 

BlenCouragesU1 Comment

Room A203: Sleep vs stress

Hey family,

Here’s a little something on the lighter post side,  yet VERY important as we need to get things done, yet balance that with getting the proper rest. Yes, we need to take care of the physical body as best we can so we can be equipped to carry out God’s duties, whether it’s ministry, family, work, school, or in many situations, a combination of many or all of the above!

By applying the information in the link below, in addition to praying away anxiety (Philippians 4:6-7 tells you all about that), and casting all your cares on God (after all, He does care for you, I Peter 5:7 says so), you’ll find your stress level lowering and sleep quality rising. 🙂

Click here for more information.

Enjoy and God bless you!

 

BlenCouragesU

 

 

 

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