Niagara Falls City Court Judge Robert Restaino was recently removed from his position on the bench by a New York State Commission. The Commission made their decision due to the actions of the judge in response to a cell phone that rang and interrupted one of his court sessions. The judge angrily ordered the "culprit" who allowed the interruption to come forward with the "guilty" cell phone in hand. When no one moved, he ordered all forty six people in the courtroom to jail. Once there, all were searched and herded into crowded cells. Those unable to post bail were shackled and bused to a separate jail. Restaino confessed to the state panel that he had been under stress in his personal life at the time. The judge is appealing the decision to remove him from his position.This is just another reminder that stress causes people to do things they would not normally do. And since we live in such a stress filled world, we had better learn how to handle it. I believe one of the best prescriptions for dealing with stress is found in Philippians chapter four. There the apostle Paul writes the following, "Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus" (4:4-7). There you have it. Focus on God, rejoicing in him and realizing that he is near (to help!). Stop worrying! Instead give all your needs to God. Thank him (no matter how what you are facing, there is always, always, always something to be thankful for!). You do this and HE will give you a peace that is out of this world (i.e. - a supernatural peace that only HE can give!). Give this a try - I won't guarantee less stress - but I will guarantee more peace!
Thanks for stopping by,
pj
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