Give.

This one is so basic. So obvious. Sooooooo preachy.

It is rare to check-out at the grocery store without a campaign to give to a charity of some sort to "round up" for animals in shelters or children with chronic illnesses. The opportunity to give is everywhere.

Giving to others increases our own well-being. It gives us a mental boost and has both a physical impact and a spritual effect on us.

Giving is good. And it is godly.

I have always been a giver, and I am working on recieving. Perhaps that will be the next blog I write. I will call it "Recieve" and it will be about the other side of giving.

When we conduct covert acts of kindness, we help restore people's faith in God and humanity, just by the simple act of kindness and the extension of a generous heart.

Mathew 6:1-4 reminds us to act in kind and generous ways without being seen or rewarded by man or earthly prizes. Matthew 6:3 reads, "But when you give to the needy, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing." Jesus is warning his followers about the importance of motivations behind acts of generosity. Jesus goes on to tell his listeneres to be careful not to practice their righteousness in ways seen by or announced to others. Charitable acts are between the giver and the Lord, rather than the giver and the receipient or bystanders. The offering is driven by the giver's relationship with the Lord and in a purehearted effort to spread the Word and share the provisions of God.

Have you heard of the "Generosity Factor"? If you haven't, you've gotta read this book.

(Click the link to order an audible or paperback copy: https://amzn.to/3RKdP6A)

You will see why I get so excited about giving and even more excited about the idea of big- time, wealthy, influential folks who embrace their God-gifted talents and treasures and GIVE on a large scale. The authors Ken Blanchard and S. Truett Cathy, ( the founder of Chick-fil-A restaurants), present The Generosity Factor--a parable that demonstrates the virtues of generosity.

Photo from Public Domain Pictures

What have you given lately?

Was it time, with your phone face down in the kitchen, to listen to your spouse share their day? Was it winter clothes, of which you have excess, to prepare those less fortunate for cold weather? Or was it financial support to a cause or an injured community member on the journey to making things better?

The Cleveland Clinic wrote an article in December of 2022 titled "Why Giving is Good for your Health". There is science behind it. And why wouldn't there be? We are made in God's image. To advance His Kingdom. To live with a free will to decide. To do what we can to be as Christlike as we can muster.

There is a chemical response and a release of serotonin (the mood regulator), dopamine (the sense-of-pleasure maker) , and oxytocin (the connection and attachment matchmaker between Mom and infant and guy and gal). It is stated that blood pressure is lower for those who give, along with lower stress levels, and a longer lifespan.

In our economy, I get it. It is hard to open your wallet and give as freely as you might have before (it is hard to even open your wallet some days and find 'enough' to pay for your fuel and items from the grocery), but giving comes in so many forms and often costs nothing at all to get that "helper high" and a burst of feel good chemicals. And the best part is, you are ONLY giving what GOD has already given you. James 1:17 reminds us that "Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and comes down from the Father of lights, with whom there is no variation or shadow of turning".

Sometimes the best thing you can give is your time, care, and attention. Life is moving at lightning speed. People are going through it. People are struggling all around us and the act of giving time and sharing a few minutes to emapthize is so valuable. Listen to them. Listen for the Lord. Share God's Word, And share a prayer with them near you or from afar.

Consider an act of service. Water someone's flowers or take them some tomatoes from your garden. Offer to watch their kiddos so they can have a movie night-in to spend uninterrupted quality time together or go to Bible study "kid free" for a night. Ask if you can share your talent and make them a blanket for winter, in exchange for one of the cool sweatshirts they print on their crafty machine thingy (you can tell this is not one of my giftings because I don't even know what to call that cool cut-out craft machine thingy that everyone uses for creating t-shirts and tumblers, but I can make a memorable lasagna and I am happy to watch 5 kids under 7 to allow the parents some grown up time together).

Just give a little. Or a lot.

If it is charitable and from your heart, it will be given and received in love.

When giving is authentic and motivated with purity of heart. both the giver and the receiver feel God's goodness.

Warm regards,

Dr. Getz

P.S. If you missed the link for the book, here it is again: https://amzn.to/3RKdP6A.

Also, know that if you buy it, I will benefit as an Amazon affiliate.

Also, you don't have to buy it just because you really like the founder of Chick-fil-a, but it isn't a terrible reason to buy it either - lol.

Also, enjoy the parable. Embrace God's Word.

Keep giving and keep being awesome.

Breathe.

In the Bible, in Daniel 10:17, we read about Daniel feeling unable to breathe. The scripture reads, "How can I, your servant, talk with you, my lord? My strength is gone and I can hardly breathe." (Daniel 10:17, NIV). It is important to note that Daniel is overwhelmed and when one is overwhelmed, logic and reason are not activated and a state of anxiety (fight, flight, or freeze) is activated. It is only when he can regain his breath that he can hear the message.

Ever felt a little panicked or felt your heart quicken, or your throat start to close? Ever had trouble convincing your heart to stop racing or your worries to stop? If so, you sound human and you have been overwhelmed, stressed, afraid, anxious, or unsure.

Welcome to the club.

Keep reading.

It is said that those who encounter angels (and I imagine trauma triggers and LIONS, too) often react with intense fear (Numbers 22:31; Daniel 8:16–17; Luke 1:13, 30; 2:9–10; Acts 10:3–4). This sounds about right. I imagine that, since angels are immensely powerful spiritual beings, my breath would certainly become wonky, if it didn't stop completely. Daniel is attempting to have a conversation with such a creature (Daniel 10:5–15) but is struggling not to be overwhelmed by his fear and anxiety. We cannot form intelligible words and have conversations if we are dysregulated. We cannot use our pre-frontal cortex to think or find solutions. One obvious sign of dysregulation is disprupted breathing or the inability to manage your breaths.

Much like Daniel, when we are faced with overwhelming circumstances, stress, fear, or worry, our breathing becomes dysregulated. For those who are caretakers, we know that the practical issue with breathing is that we have to take our next breath in order to help keep alive and safe those who are in our care.

As a youngster and childless adult (who traveled frequently), I often questioned the flight attendants (then stewardesses) when they reviewed the safety protocols for an emergency, and instructed all passengers to place their oxygen masks securely around their face, prior to helping those seated nearby. I often dismissed this idea, knowing that as a leader and a helper, I would naturally and most certainly, assist a nearby child, mother, or elderly person, before attending to my own needs.

How chivalarous.

How dumb.

How would I have enough oxygen to help another, when I hadn't taken breaths myself?

We are designed by God to keep breathing, and reasoning, and communicating until we pass. We are intricately designed to stay regulated or return to a regulated state once we are overstimiulated. When we take deep breaths, our vagus nerve is stimulated and our blood pressure will start to come down, our heartrate will return to normal, and we will feel a restored sense of physical and psychological calm.

Just Breathe.

Forbes Health recently posted about the importance of breathing and the impact of breathing on wellness. Forbes often writes about health-related issues and interventions to decrease stress and I appreciate those articles. From their attention to stress and anxiety, I gather that no matter your place on the "get rich ladder of life", you will experience stress and anxiety! So, none of us are alone or immune to anxiety.

Stress is not person-specific, but impacts us all- rich, "getting there", or poor!

Want some brething regulation ideas?

I have some!

"Belly Brething" or, breathing from your diaphragm has immediate effects on your rate of your breaths and your sense of calm. I often use the hexogram (Hex breaths) to help folks breath in a healthy pattern with control. My goals is to help people breathe in a 4-2-8 pattern, but it takes practice!

• 4 to inhale and make your "belly" full like you are filling a balloon with air.

• 2 to pause at the top or the bottom.

• 8 to exhale, creating a flattened balloon belly and controlling the speed of your breath.

There are many ways to breathe for moments a day, to feel the results and a better sense of control over emotions, triggers, stressors, or circumstances.

I have included affiliate links below for you to browse and shop (I do earn commisson on these Amazon favorites if you purchase).

I cannot gaurantee the effectiveness of all of the products listed, but I have used them and had great results, or read them and enjoyed the content. I also added a link to Forbes Magazine in case I peaked your interest on managing stress (or climbing the "get rich" ladder!).

To become a well-trained regulator of your nervous system, consider the Meditation Headband, by Flowtime. You can do nuerofeedback training in your own home!

Also, cuter and super affordable for the beginning "breather", take a look at theis Mindfulness Breathing Owl. He helps with guided visual meditation with lights.

Two books I recommend are Heart Breath Mind by Dr. Leah Lagos (it was under 20 bucks for paperback or Kindle when I last looked!) and Breathing is my Superpower, by Alicia Ortego, for any worried little ones in your life.

A Forbes Magazine will allow you to read through their articles about stress, getting rich, or staying rich!

Have a great day.

Take five minutes to make a cup of tea, put your feet up, get in tune with your breathes and do some intentional work on regulating your nervous system.

You will feel the results in your body, heart, and mind.

Be well or continue working to get better,

Dr. Getz

Wait

Not always, but sometimes, maybe most times, it is best to just wait.

Another biblical message that comes to us from several places in the Bible, waiting is a sanctification lesson to teach us to avoid false-starts, distractions, and pressures that tell us to "go" before God has called us to do so.

We are in a season of waiting when we date and court a partner before marriage, as we train for our careers, save money for a big purchase, stand in the checkout at the market, and look for signs and symptoms of pregnancy month after month in our first years of marriage. Waiting has to happen. But do you know the importance of waiting or what it means to wait well? (Are you waiting for me to explain? Ha! See what I did there?)

Betsy Childs Howard talks a lot about the wait in her book Seasons of Waiting: Walking by Faith When Dreams Are Delayed. If you click on the title my affiliate link will direct you to a purchase site for the book and my favorite resource for study all books of the Bible, Bible Recap by Tara-Leigh Cobble. This will change the way you understand the Word!

An oximorone to me for quite a while, I had no idea how to wait well. I also wasn't sure how waiting well could benefit me. So I waited sometimes and sometimes (many times), I did not.

Looking back, had I not had a false-start, I would have felt less defeated and saved energy. Had I listened to the Lord, I would have known it was the wrong timeing according to His plans, nevermind the plans I had for myself. I said "Go!" and He said "No!" His grace gave me other tries, in other seasons when I was listening more closely. For that I am grateful.

Ecclesiastes tells us clearly that God is a God of timing. It is declared that there is an appointed time for everything (Ecclesiastes 3:1). Kairos, in the New Testament, means "the appointed time in the purpose of God".

The waiting we have discussed is the long-haulers version. Waiting for marriage, waiting for the right career transition, waiting on the merciful passing of a loved one. But in high-emotion, high-intensity situations, the wait could be momentary or only 48 hours long, but still hold importance.

For some of you, right now, you are WAITING for another Amazon affiliate link to a resource and, for you, I have one. The women's bible study, titled I'm Waiting, God, by Barb Roose is written to help us find the blessings in God's delays.

To continue with the quick waits, I am reminded of waiting during conflict. I often practice the artistic talent of "taking the pause" - a term that I think I coined when I worked on a psychiartic milieu with very reactive, struggling adolescents who brought the fight right to my feet when they were unhappy, misinformed, hungry, tired, ratted out, ashamed, or insulted. This is also INVALUABLE if every you reveive a not-so-nice text or a rude comments on Facebook. Just think about the power of the pause in those situations. Use time to help dampen the flames, soothe the burn, and give you time to respond without emotional reactivity.

The art of the pause allowed me to respond instead of react.

Reactions are generally fear or emotion based and responses use the logic station of the brain and tune it to facts and important data. Often waiting for someone to vent (without interruption), pace, flail, stomp, or go out and come back, can have a profound effect on the discussion or resolution that follows.

Your waiting gives the other person a safe place to feel and a moment to model your affect and regulate. Intentional responses rarely manifest into a brawl. Irrational reactions often do. No one needs to brawl. Unless your opponent is a black bear, of course, but that is for another blog.

God is never early nor late.

God is never in a hurry, but He is always on time.

He is working for your good in your waits.

I can't WAIT to share the next blog post (but I will because, well, I have to practice what I preach!)

Many blessings,

Dr. Getz