Many of you know that I struggle with anxiety and depression. I am so thankful to have seen great victories in this over the last year. I can only attribute it to the Lord. I am learning to lean on Him through prayer when anxiety rears its head.

One thing that has helped me is keeping two daily appointments with myself. The first one is my quiet time with the Lord. This would be time to read, study or memorize some scripture and to pray. This is the most important part of any Christian’s day! I don’t mean that you just read a verse online or a snippet from a devotional book, but that you pick up the Bible and read from it. It helps to follow a system of some kind, but even if you just start in the middle, it’s all good! Devotionals are good, too, but not as your only source of Bible-food. Of course, prayer is something that I’ve shared that I have neglected too often over the years, and suffered for it. Our ladies choir just sang “Sweet Hour of Prayer” this past Sunday and I was encouraged all over again to keep my prayer appointment.

The second appointment is with my gym. I try to make this everyday, but there are a few days I have to miss because I’m out of town or something has come up. Of the two appointments, this one is more flexible. I do try to think of it as a definite meeting though because I do not want to slack off. I injured my ankle last May which made running and even walking long distances impossible. However, I am able to use the elliptical machine with no pain whatsoever. Other great benefits of the gym include air conditioning (a huge blessing in Oklahoma in August!), a roof during inclement weather, a machine that monitors my heart rate, and a TV! (I enjoy watching ESPN and Fox News.) Even though I do prefer outdoor exercise, this is better than remaining sedentary. I’m very grateful for a way to keep active despite injury.

If you struggle with anxiety or depression, perhaps keeping these two daily appointments will help you, too!

With love,