Join me on the Sing Out Your Stress with Faith
Experts say that one of the most stressful things we face is uncertainty - the feeling we have no control over what happens to us, or when we don't know what the future brings because our life situation has changed.
The paradox is that when we surrender to that fact - we really DON'T have control over what happens to us - we're relieved of the stress and our fear of the unknown future is erased.
For me the two most important aspects of faith are:
1. Accepting that whatever comes is what's meant to be.
2. I will always be taken care of.
Faith is not about where you go to pray, who you pray with or what day you do it. Faith transcends religion. My favorite definition of faith is that it's a "firm belief in something for which there is no proof."
Faith is a tool that's available for you to plug into at any time, just like electricity. When you choose faith instead of stress you're deciding to accept that there's a bigger plan unfolding that has nothing to do with YOUR plans and everything to do with God’s plans.
To Sing Out Your Stress with faith, find a recording of John Hiatt’s, "Have a little faith in me."
When I first heard this song, recorded by Jewel for the movie soundtrack to Phenomenon, I thought it was beautiful. But when I later heard John Hiatt singing the original recording, I was incredibly moved.
I felt like the words were coming straight from God to me, as Hiatt sung about how he would always be there and that no matter what I was going through I could trust him to "catch my fall."
I put this song, as well as others that inspire and encourage me, on a tape that I play for myself every morning.
When I hear this song today, even after listening to it every morning for well over a year, it still affects me deeply and reinforces my faith.
So go through your own collection of music and find the songs that inspire and encourage you. Consult your "Top 10 Ways to Sing Out Your Stress" report for a list of songs that visitors to our site voted the most inspiring. Listen to and sing along with these songs whenever your faith needs boosting.
What songs arouse your faith? Let us know by visiting this article on the Sing Out Your Stress website at http://www.singoutyourstress.com/updates and clicking on "Comments."
Stay tuned for next month’s article, Sing Out Your Stress with Mindfulness.
Faith Online
Members of the Sing Out Your Stress program can access this month's online lessons, including:
1. 'Have Faith in Tomorrow,' an original song by Linda Dessau. Includes:
a) 'Streaming' video of Linda singing and playing the song for you.
b) Printable lyrics sheet.
2. A written lesson that goes deeper into the material discussed in this email, including the Top 5 Ways to Find, Cultivate and Keep your Faith. Includes an audio version of Linda reading the lesson (streaming audio as well as downloadable .MP3 file).
The Advanced Materials from this lesson are available for purchase. Please contact Linda Dessau for details.
The daily practice of writing down and expressing gratitude for the gifts in your life is one that Oprah Winfrey endorses. She was inspired to do it after having Sarah Ban Breathnach, the author of Simple Abundance, as a guest on her show. 