Credit Paul Osteen for starting a sermon off with an attention-getter. Starting off the sermon, Paul bemoaned the number of things that television and newspapers offer up for us to worry about. You get the usual list of worldly events - global warming, terrorism, etc. But the punchline of the whole litany was that we're now told we have to worry about the bird flu (said in a somewhat comical manner). But wait ... Paul Osteen is a doctor, right? As in, physician ... with an "M" and a "D" next to his name ... right? And dude's not worried about the bird flu in some way, shape or form? Way to get attention and leave me to wonder how that gets resolved.

Anyways, we got rolling with Philippians 4:6-7:

⁶Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. ⁷And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Do not be anxious about anything? ... ANYTHING??? On the surface, that sure seems to be asking a lot. I mean, outside the list of major, earthshattering events that we might well be able to put behind us, there's still got to be some worthwhile anxieties in life worth taking part in ... right? Well, sorta ... kinda ... but mostly "No!"

Perhaps the most powerful example Paul offered up was a moment when his dad called him up while Paul was still a practicing physician. John Osteen had some liver problem and had noticed his creatine levels go up to an unhealthy level over the course of a few months. He called Paul to ask what all this meant for his health only to get a rather dim prognosis that involved a high probability of dialysis in the foreseeable future. Pastor John's response? "Well, thank God, Jesus still sits on the throne in heaven."

Not sure I can top that for "casting my worries." But I can relate. My own born-again experience happened at a time when there was some doubt about how or even if I'd pull off my own dream of graduating college. Lacking a big fat trust fund or a willingness to go into debt, my first semester was more than a little setback in the plan. I'd had a tough time adjusting to studying in college and a nice chunk of college debt found it's way to me anyway. Sitting out a semester was about the toughest thing I thought I'd go through at the time. This, coming from someone who sifted through college catalogs in Junior High. It was then that I initially cast my worries at the feet of Jesus Christ.

For a first try at that, it seems to have paid off. The experience of getting back on track with my college plan was tougher than I'd hoped for, but I do credit it for making me a stronger in the process. I had to save money a bit more diligently. I even had my first experience investing during the time and can't complain with the results. I had to learn to balance work and school and take a heavy dose of patience at times when I had to take classes part time ... and learn a bit about endurance in trying to overload a few semesters in order to fit in certain classes.

Paul didn't get too in-depth about the converse situation. But I can point to a number of times when I've not cast my worries aside and let the destructive process that worry brings about take root. Paul did use a few more examples from his medical practice as well as from dealing with an illness of his son. Good fit since it does seem to be an occassional excuse to delve into luddite status by casting our worries aside. It's worth noting the difference between "worry" and "concern" for this point. The mom who prayed for her hemmoraghing daughter in ICU didn't use her lack of anxiousness serve as an excuse to lack concern. She prayed and envisioned a positive outcome. Paul didn't avoid the situation in his mind altogether when his son was in ER. He prayed and envisioned a positive outcome.

How many times have we given into the temptation of sulking, worrying, and letting the worst possible thoughts get the better of us? Chances are, a bit too often. The good doctor's prescription for overcoming worry?

1. Recognize the temptation to worry and choose to TRUST (instead of worrying).
2. Choose to PRAY (instead of worrying).
3. Choose to be THANKFUL (instead of worrying).

And even though my own notes from the sermon were far worse than any prescription pad that any doctor has any written, the sermon notes are worth a few more scripture references for whomever wants a bit more.

SIDENOTE: Apparently, I need to look into this band a bit more in-depth. Cindy has a penchant for using a few of their songs. Thing is, her versions are more my cup of tea than the originals. Wednesday, it was "Open the Eyes of My Heart." Several moons ago, it was "Come, Now is the Time to Worship" (which brought the house down as I recall). Still, the P,C,&D versions of the songs are growing on me.