Cindi Wood - The Frazzled Female

Copyright 2008 by Cindi Wood

All Rights Reserved

B&H Publishing Group

Nashville, Tennessee

bhpublishinggroup.com

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are taken from Holman Christian Standard Bible, Copyright 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003 by Holman Bible Publishers. Other versions used include Contemporary English Version, Copyright 1995 by American Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved; Amplified Bible, Copyright 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. And the King James Version.

Dewey Decimal Classification: 248843

Women \ Christian Life \ Stress (Psychology)

Printed in Singapore

A DEDICATION TO

The Frazzled Female Prayer Warriors, twenty-five amazing women who consistently lay this ministry before the Throne.

You girls are not only my sisters and friends, but valiant soldiers who have marched alongside me to and from every event and through every mile of travel. From your knees, you've paved the way through prayer for me to share Jesus on planes, in hotel lobbies, and restaurant booths. Together, we've embraced the goal of our ministry: bringing people to Christ!

You've also prayed unwaveringly for frazzled female study groups throughout the countryand beyond. Your prayers have sustained me as I connect with stressed-out women, helping them realize the peace, joy, and victory available through a personal relationship with Jesus Christ.

As I think of the many times I've called and emailed you requesting prayers for spiritual and physical stamina, I'm nearly overcome with emotion picturing you tossing me to Jesusover and over and over again.

May our Frazzled Female Devotional Journal be a divine tool, bringing hope and encouragement to our stressed-out sisters. And may they discover new purpose for living, as Jesus becomes the joy of their strength!

Keep comfortable on your kneeslots more praying to do!

More than ever, Cindi

We are confident of all this because of our
great trust in God through Christ.
(2 Corinthians 3:4 NLT)

Frazzled Female (fra-zeld fee-male) n

1: a woman of the twenty-first century who is stressed, frayed, challenged, frenetic and totally dependent on God to keep all the segments of her life together;

2: YOU?

I remember clearly when I first accepted the fact that I had joined the ranks of women who classified themselves as frazzled. They didn't call it that, of course, but they wore the look, walked the walk, and talked the talk.

I saw no one sporting Frazzled tees or wearing Frazzled designer jeans, but yet most women I knew had the invisible insignia FRAZZLED embossed on their foreheads.

You do know what I mean, don't you?

Here's what frazzled looks like, sounds like, and walks like.

THE LOOK

• A wannabe fresh radiant face that can't quite make it
• A not-so-put-together outfit that used to be in style
• Signs of wear and tear on a body that was once in pretty good shape
• Traces of twitching caused by an overloaded central nervous system

THE SOUND

• Less than positive words reflecting a what-the-heck attitude
• Strange noises caused by gastric juices jumping around in the stomach area
• A tone of voice that more often reflects misery, disgust, and I've had all I can take instead of joy

THE WALK

• A heavy gait giving one the appearance of carrying an oversized dirty laundry bag as opposed to a light, springy step
• A body that doesn't move like it used to, after too many days of I don't have time to exercise
• Hunched shoulders from carrying too many burdens for too many people

Whether married or divorced, single, with kids or without, working on the home front or out in the work world (or both), you may qualify for membership in the Frazzled Female Club!

The Frazzled Female Ministry is a ministry reaching out to all females who long for more peace and sanity in daily living. Women gathering for luncheons, seminars, or weekend retreats all share the same goal: seeking a life that's less stressful and more fulfilling every day, not just occasionally. It's my joy to share with women from all walks of life how to begin and then continue to live a victorious lifeone that is not free from stress but one that is lived with the confidence, power, and peace that an intimate relationship with Jesus Christ offers!

One thing's for sure: living life on the twenty-first century fast track is not easy. But, girls, there's hope. And hope's name is Jesus Christ!

I'm excited for you to work your way through The Frazzled Female Devotional Journal. After reading a brief chapter for each day, you'll find a Scripture verse to meditate on, a simple prayer to pray, and then some practical ideas for placing all the cares of your day before the Lordin very deliberate, very liberating ways. There's also a specific area for you to turn over the details of your day to the Lord. This will help you recognize His Lordship throughout each busy day.

In addition, you'll find pages at the end of each section to record how the Lord has spoken to you throughout that week. In this daily love relationship with Jesus, you will discover peace and joy, not to mention sanity. And this peace and joy will begin to affect the way you walk, the way you talk, and the way you look.

Read on, sister, and dare to imagine that a frazzled life can also be a joyful and saner one than you've ever imagined. That's the promise and assurance that a life lived day in and day out with Jesus offers.

Mary Chose the One Thing Needed, So Will I

Seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness,
and all these things will be provided for you.
Matthew 6:33

Do I sleep for five more minutes? What am I going to fix for supper tonight? Do I really need to stay for that meeting after work? So do I exercise now or put it off until tomorrow?

Oh my, so many choices! Have you ever considered how many choices you make in any given day? Whether it's choosing your attitude or your clothing, those choices you make can critically impact your day (and the day of those around you)! The choices you make will determine how your day goes.

I remember as a young mother when I chose to put my two-year-old son Brandon on a leash at the shopping mall. I ditched my pride along with my concern about what others might think of me strapping a leash to my son as if he were an animal. And I can tell you, for me, securing that leash was a good choice, a sound choice, and a choice that brought freedom for me to enjoy being out with my little guy and not having to spend all that time racing around after him. (Besides, if I had not made that choice, we would have never left the house!)

Every day as a busy woman you make countless choices, choices that have to do with everything from household duties to self-improvement to professional development. So it's truly important that you consider your options carefully.

No matter how many choices I make during any given day, I have discovered that the most important one for me and the one that has the greatest impact on how my day goes is to choose to spend time with Jesus at the beginning of my day.