Trying Not to be Overwhelmed

QUESTION

Celeste,

I am struggling with which move to make right now. It's a lot going on and I am TRYING not to overwhelm myself.

     1.    Living with my parents and they are now experiencing a possible foreclosure. I have given them all the resources that I know of and at the same time my dad needs a kidney and I am the last one to be tested. He has not stopped smoking and this affects his health as well.

     2.    My daughter needs money to go back to school in Georgia, her grades are slipping and I cannot afford to send her back there but I do not want her to stay in this area/DC.

     3.    My son is making poor decisions and I am looking for a school (military, etc.) to send him to for a better environment.

ANSWER

Dear Trying Not to be Overwhelmed,

       Remember God’s good success requires a continual study of and mediation on His word. Here’s the scripture God gave me for you and here’s how He wants to speak to your heart.

Even to your old age and gray hairs
        I am he, I am he who will sustain you.
I have made you and I will carry you;
        I will sustain you and I will rescue you. (Isaiah 46:4, NIV)

Even to your old age and gray hairs

If you desire to see your old age, approach and resolve each problem with this philosophy in mind: pray and don’t worry.  I have said in my word cast all your cares upon me for I care for you (I Peter 5:7). I desire to be the center of your universe. When you allow Me total reign over your problems you will find joy, peace, and calm. Remember, I will keep you in perfect peace if you keep your mind on me (Isaiah 26:3).

I am He, I am He who will sustain you

Do you believe that? I will sustain. You have tried to do it by yourself for so long but now’s the time to turn it all over to me. I do not grow tired or weary, and my understanding no one can fathom. I give strength to the weary and increase the power of the weak (Isaiah 40:29).

I have made you and I will carry you

Before I formed you in your mother’s womb I knew you (Jeremiah 1:5). So let me carry you out of your pain to an abundant life. That doesn’t always mean that the trouble disappears because it is good that you are afflicted (Psalm 119:71)  but I can keep the trouble from harming you. I said in Psalm 91, I will give my angels charge over you to accompany and defend and preserve you in all your ways. They will bear you up on their hands, lest you dash your foot against a stone.

I will sustain you and I will rescue you

With long life I will satisfy you; not just in years but to give you a life worth living (Psalm 91:16). I have great plans for you so trust Me, seek Me; I will answer you and deliver you from all your trouble. There is a great nation in you and you were created for such a time as this. Your children will rise up and call you blessed and for generations to come they will remember you as the one who served the Lord with all your heart. I love you, you can trust Me.

Amen

If you have a question you would like for God (through me) to answer please forward to info@drcelesteowens.com.

Praying God’s good success in every area of your life,
Dr. Celeste

Single with a Mortgage

QUESTION

Dear Dr. Celeste,

I have good government job but I absolutely hate it! I appreciate the steady check, the opportunity to learn new things, and meet some interesting people but my particular position has no real structure or purpose and my particular office is quite inefficient and very resistant to any suggestions that may help us be more effective in my opinion. 

Just thinking about the job produces anxiety. After starting this job, I started having physical health symptoms that my doctor diagnosed as stress-related. 

I've been applying for other government jobs for about a year but have not gotten any interviews or offers.  I even tried to go back to the last position I was in but they never even called back. 

I'm beginning to think God is telling me to quit relying on secure government jobs and follow my passions: writing, public speaking, spiritual direction, jewelry making, and entrepreneurship in general.  But right now I have debt and bills.  And the things I want to pursue take even more money than I already make or have.  

I began the ambitious goal of paying off my revolving debt this year by first assessing how much I actually have and it's nothing out of control but still more than I have right now in my accounts.  I am also reassessing my jewelry business and developing strategies to make it more effective. 

In sum, I am stuck and don’t know if I should just take a leap of faith.

RESPONSE

Dear Single with a Mortgage,

First things first, the word says in 2 Thessalonians 3:10b, "If a man will not work, he shall not eat." Unless you have clearly heard the voice of God—and not simply the voice of your frustration—DO NOT leave your "good government job". (Other reference: Proverbs 3:6)

There’s something to be said about seeing a process all the way through to the end. God will often use our most frustrating circumstances to develop His character in us. Some years back I was in a similar situation. I had grown tired of my job and wanted out desperately, but God wouldn’t move me. Like you I applied to others jobs to never receive a call back. Finally I prayed to God for the right attitude while I waited. With His help I stayed put without the frustration and before I knew it He opened a door for me to start my own private practice.

We forget that God is not in a rush. His word says “that with the Lord one day is as a thousand years, and a thousand years as one day”(2 Peter 3:8). So like I said…not in a rush.

Fortunately, there are a several things that you can do while you wait for God to move you:

1.    Pay down your debt: any business owner knows that one dramatically increases the odds of succeeding when one’s personal debt is null or at a minimum.

2.    Have an exit plan: Developing a solid business plan for the jewelry business might be a great place to start.

3.    Learn what you need to learn now: Running is not the answer. What God wants to teach you will be learned where you are or at your next location. Some repeat the same cycle for many years attempting to avoid a valuable lesson or development of character. Case in point, the children of Israel wandered in the desert wilderness for 40 years. Did I mention that God is not in a rush?

4.    Look for opportunities to minister right where you are: We often forget that ministry can occur right in our places of employment. There may be a person that God needs for you to touch before you leave.

It takes faith to stay in a situation that you feel is zapping the life out of you but if God has called you to this experience He will lead you out in His timing. The word says, “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil; For You are with me; Your rod and Your staff, they comfort me” (Psalm 23:4). God never promised a life of but we can trust that He will bring us out.

Lastly, when God is ready to move you He will and you won’t have any doubt that it was Him.

If you have a question you would like for me to answer please forward to info@drcelesteowens.com.

Praying God’s good success in every area of your life,
Dr. Celeste

Welcome to the Blog

Are you ready to succeed in every area of your life?

Well you're in the right place. This blog is dedicated to helping you achieve God's good success in every area of your life.

God's idea of good or proper success is outlined for us in Joshua 1:8 which reads, "This Book of the Law shall not depart from your mouth, but you shall meditate in it day and night, that you may observe to do according to all that is written in it. For then you will make your way prosperous, and then you will have good success." 

There you have it. Success is not about having numerous degrees, the best cars, a mansion, prestige, fame or fortune. It's simply about knowing God's word so that when He speaks, you hear Him clearly and obey.

I wish I could say that I always hear God correctly and follow His every command but I can't. However I am growing in my relationship with Him and learning to better discern His voice day by day.  As a matter of fact, I now find myself smack dab in the middle of an incredible adventure with Him and I would love for you to join me.

Here's what you are in for:

• Motivating blog posts by yours truly and guest bloggers
• Corresponding video blog post from my You Tube channel: The Good Success Movement
• Answers to your most pressing problems
• and much more!

I often hear, I understand what you are saying about good success but how do I apply God's word to my particular situation. Well I am here to help. I will offer sound biblical advice with a psychological slant to your most difficult problems. 

Therefore please forward a brief summary of your dilemma to info@drcelesteowens.com. I will do my best to answer each question received. I look forward to hearing from you! 

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Praying God's good success in every area of your life,
Dr. Celeste