Just in case you were wondering how to keep the stress level in your life high, here are some things you can try:

1. Don’t exercise
2. Personalize all criticism
3. Throw out your sense of humor
4. Be “macho” and never ask for help
5. Become a workaholic
6. Worry about things you can’t control

I saw these things listed on a handout and thought it was very true. I especially need to work on #5. What about you?

In April my friend Sarah blogged about a family needing prayer as they were going through a very difficult time and she posted a link to their blog – Bring the Rain. When I read the most current post I wanted to know more of the story so I went all the way back to the first post on the blog which was posted in January. It made for a very long night in front of my computer but I am so glad that I did.

Here’s a quick summary of what I read: Angie Smith, the author of the blog, was around 16 weeks pregnant when she found out something might be wrong with her baby. Later ultrasounds confirmed that the baby’s lungs, kidneys and heart were not developing like they should and that the baby would probably die in the womb or shortly after birth.

I think I read all this on a Friday night and she was schedule to deliver the baby Monday afternoon. She continues to post and has started quite a following on her blog. If you want to hear her whole story, you can watch it here or you can read her entire blog. (If you have the time of course – oh and a box of tissues!) FYI: the video is ~30 minutes.

I originally started reading Angie’s blog to pray for her and her family but the more I read, the more I came to love her as a person. She is an amazing Christian woman with a very strong testimony of what Christ has done for her and continues to do. She has taught me so much – it’s like she is my friend. She is very real about what she is going through in her posts yet portrays a faith in God that surpasses all understanding. I would love to meet her someday.

Her latest post was wonderful – The Past and The Pitcher. You don’t even have to know her full story to enjoy it. You should definitely check it out!