Just breathe.

"Give your entire attention to what God is doing right now, and don't get worked up about what may or may not happen tomorrow. God will help you deal with whatever hard things come up when the time comes." -Matthew 6:34 MSG

I hate hate admitting this, but I am a worrier. I didn't used to be. I'd like to think I used to be really carefree and spontaneous without a worry in the air. Well...the spontaneous part still remains true, but it's kinda hard to be carefree when life seems to throw so many demands your way - and as much as you'd like to just completely ignore and dismiss them altogether, some things require your attention whether you like it or not. You know, like bills. Responsibility. Taking care of others. And yourself.  I mean, while I'm being upfront and honest here, I gotta tell ya - I have a 9lb. dog that worries me to pieces. Sometimes when she's sleeping on the living room floor, I clear my throat just so she'll perk up and I can be reassured she didn't unexpectedly die. She's 2-years old and in perfect health. I am a nut job.  Granted, our only dog growing up died unexpectedly at a young age, so there's some legitimacy to my fears, but I know that I know that I know I am not supposed to walk through life carrying so much weight & anxiety.  I worry about what I'll do for a living if someday I can't design anymore. I start trying to figure out what skill I can pick up in order to be more "marketable".  I worry about not being able to pay my bills even though I've never not been able to pay my bills. I worry about things that are so beyond my reality that it's seriously laughable. I worry about things that have never happened before and therefore have no reason to happen ever, and yet I still worry about them. Thankfully, in the midst of my craziness, I know where to cast my cares. I know where to place my burdens. I know where to lay my head and rest. And most of all, I know this truth...

"If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don't you think he'll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I'm trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God's giving. People who don't know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don't worry about missing out. You'll find all your everyday human concerns will be met." -Matthew 6:30-33 MSG

...a constant to reminder to just breathe.