Hurling My Anxieties
Anxiety is sneaky.
It rarely announces itself at the door.
It slips in quietly and before you know it, it is shaping your tone, your reactions, your sleep, even your body.
Anxiety changes what we say.
It edits what we do.
It colors how we see people and situations.
If left unchecked, it can convince us that everything rests on our shoulders.
And it never does.
This morning I am reminded of a simple but life steadying invitation from Scripture.
“Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you.”
1 Peter 5:7
Not some of it.
Not the manageable parts.
All of it.
The word cast there is wonderfully physical. It means to throw, to hurl, to place something forcefully in another direction. Anxiety was never meant to be carried politely. It was meant to be released decisively.
Paul echoes this same heart in another familiar passage.
“Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God.”
Philippians 4:6
Notice what God does not say.
He does not say, “Do not be anxious because your situation is small.”
He does not say, “Do not be anxious because you should know better.”
He simply says, “Bring it to Me.”
Why?
Because He cares.
That truth alone dismantles so much of our anxiety. We are not bothering God. We are not overwhelming Him. We are not adding to His load.
We are responding to His invitation.
Today, like many days, there are people on my mind.
Situations unresolved.
Conversations unfinished.
Concerns that feel heavier than they should.
So today I choose to do something simple and sacred. I hurl them in His direction.
Lord, today I have many people and situations going through my mind and heavy on my heart. Right now I throw them toward You and release them. Thank You for lifting my burdens, removing my anxiousness, and caring about all that happens to me.
Jesus once said,
“Come to Me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest.”
Matthew 11:28
Rest is not found in solving everything.
Rest is found in surrendering everything.
If anxiety has been whispering loudly lately, maybe today is not about fixing. Maybe it is about casting. Letting go. Trusting again that the God who cares deeply is already holding what you just released.
And that is more than enough for today.
Attention Always Follows Intention
I’ve been thinking about attention lately. Not the kind you crave from other people, but the kind you give away without even realizing it.
Because here’s the quiet truth.
Attention always follows intention.
Not motivation. Not inspiration. Intention.
We like to believe our attention is accidental, that life just pulls it out of us. The phone vibrates. The news breaks. The schedule fills. The noise grows. Suddenly our day is gone and we are not quite sure where it went.
“But attention is rarely stolen. It is usually surrendered.”
What you intend to value will eventually get your focus. What you intend to protect will receive your time. What you intend to grow will quietly shape your habits. That’s both sobering and hopeful.
Sobering, because it means we cannot keep blaming distractions forever. Hopeful, because it means we are not powerless either. Most of us do not drift into meaningful lives. We drift away from them. We wake up intending to live with purpose, but without clear intention, attention defaults to the loudest voice in the room. The urgent replaces the important. The immediate crowds out the eternal. We start reacting instead of choosing.
“Intention is the rudder. Attention is the wake behind the boat.”
If you intend to grow spiritually, your attention will eventually move toward prayer, scripture, reflection, silence.
If you intend to deepen relationships, your attention will show up in listening, presence, unhurried conversations.
If you intend to lead well, your attention will shift toward people instead of platforms, character instead of appearance.
But here’s the tension.
“Intention does not shout. Distraction does.”
Intention whispers while urgency screams. That’s why intention has to be chosen on purpose and revisited often. Once at the beginning of the year will not cut it. Once on Sunday will not sustain it.
Jesus talked about this when he said, “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” Another way to say it might be this. Where your intention is, your attention will follow.
Your calendar is a mirror. Your spending tells a story. Your screen time reveals your values. Not perfectly, but honestly.
This is not about guilt. Guilt never produces lasting change. This is about alignment. About asking better questions.
What am I intending to build right now?
What am I unintentionally feeding?
What deserves more of my attention than it is getting?
Small intentions create big shifts. You do not need a dramatic overhaul. You need clarity. One clear intention can reorder a week. One intentional boundary can restore peace. One intentional yes can open a new chapter. And sometimes the most spiritual decision you can make is deciding where your attention will not go.
You do not have unlimited attention. None of us do. Every yes costs something. Every doom scroll is a choice. Every distraction has a price tag, even if it feels cheap in the moment.
The good news is this.
“Attention is trainable. Intention is renewable.”
You can reset today. Not tomorrow. Not next season. Today.
Pause. Breathe. Name your intention. Then watch where your attention begins to flow.
Because attention always follows intention.
Warrior Spirit
There is a godly confidence that shows up in us when we understand the power that we have in the name of Jesus. Most of us spend way too many years relying on ourselves and our abilities. But when you have seen the power of the Lord show up in your darkest moments, you understand that nothing, no thing is impossible with God!
Every weekend at our church there are many people that trust in the Lord for the very first time and rededicate their lives to serve Him. What thrills my soul is knowing that they are going to see and experience a strength that they never knew was available. And that power is at work inside of them!
Today, I pray that the Lord will continue to show you His glory in your everyday routine. That He shows you each and every day that you are not alone and that nothing is impossible when you believe in Him and surrender control to Him. He is always as close as the mention of His name. The confidence we have is that God hears our prayers, sees our struggles and heals our illnesses. He is going to heal our nation too! Be strong in the Lord and in the power of His might. You have a warrior spirit in YOU!