March 2026
Issue 240

Feeling anxiety? Try these simple tips to dial back your stress level

Our nerves are so pummeled we want to yell, "Make it stop!" And then we get pitched these so-called solutions:

• A promise-anything politician
  
• A cure-all wonder medicine
  
• A soothing tropical resort
  
• An ego-building luxury car
  
• A new feel-good movie
  
• A pampering restaurant experience
• Pep-talking preachers who ignore the cross.

While many external factors cause our stress, we each have a role to play too. We indulge in habits that add to the problem instead of solving it.

If we're really serious about a more peaceful life, we have to first, analyze the situation, then second (gulp) exercise some discipline. It's time to man-up—or woman-up.

Check out these tips on what to do when you're feeling anxiety.

Most of your troubles

Yes, the plants are all hardy
from their top to their root.
But scarcely a one of them
ever bears fruit.

See, my plants are my worries,
my problems and fears.
And some I have nurtured
for many long years.

I'll tell you a truth now
of which I am sure.
The things I most dreaded,
no, they never occurred.

So think on it friend
and I know you will find
that most of your troubles
are all in your mind.

Learn how to weed them out;
spare yourself pain.
Make your garden a place
Where peace and joy reign.

~ Jack Zavada, inspiration-for-singles.com, 2026 ~

A surprising temptation for singles

Society has changed in the past 30 years. A lot of people are doing rude, cruel, selfish things. They think they're claiming their "rights," but the truth is they're misbehaving and leaving a lot of hurt in their wake.

How can you protect yourself? How can you and I obey the command in Ephesians 4:31: "Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice."?

What is worth getting angry over and what should we let pass? Here are some observations on how to redirect your anger.

Help is on the way! *

This rescue manual provides real, proven solutions to loneliness, anger, depression, shyness, rejection, andlow self-esteem. These answers came from the painful Hard Knox College of Personal Experience.

Author Jack Zavada used the time-tested strategy of trial-and-error, but you don't have to! Learn from his mistakes. Learn from his successes. Be smarter than he was, because you won't have to go through all that muck yourself.

What would you rather do: bang your head against the wall for the next 20 years or pony up $10.99 for this 202-page paperback? How's that bangin' been working for you so far?

No doubt you've seen these ads before and skipped over them. How's that been working out for you?

Hope for Hurting Singles is the best bargain since…well, since last month's ad. And if you're a Kindle owner, that version is only $3.99.

Get smarter! Get Hope for Hurting Singles today!

(* Only if you order my book.)

March QOTM: Yep, it's folly

I think if you asked old people to name their greatest regrets in life, one would be that they worried too much. It's only when you get old and look back that you can appreciate the utter futility of it.

It's sure one of my regrets. It's an almost impossible habit to break because we all want to be in control all the time. What's ironic is God is in control all the time, and he's more capable than any of us.

The predicament, of course, is sometimes God lets bad things happen to us. Sometimes we can understand why, but most of the time we can't. So we suffer. During our pain, God is always with us. What would it be like to go through life with no suffering—but also without God?

What gets us through suffering is the truth that God loves us, deeply and unconditionally, proven for all time by Jesus' death on the cross.

Single's checklist: Who you are not

Here's the thing: Every day we're bombarded with subtle and not-so-subtle messages about what makes us successful/attractive/acceptable/cool. What we're not bombarded with every day is who God says we are.

Which messages do you think are winning?

The Bible urges us to be discerning, to sort out what's true and what's not. To do that, however, we must be acquainted with the truths of Scripture, and the only way to do that is sit down and read the Bible.

Use the intelligence God gave you. Don't fall for the propaganda and persuasion of the world. Check out this article on the world's false standards for who you are.

Take a deep breath…and trust God

And yet, my pastor, Rev. John Gutz, keeps saying, "Jesus is Lord."

What does that imply and why does he say that? First, it recognizes the sovereignty of Christ, a big word meaning God is ultimately in control of everything. Second, it means God is capable of handling every crisis, no matter what. And third, it ensures a resolution motivated by God's unconditional love for us.

We navigate hard times by holding tightly to God. What we don't always feel in our heart is God holding tightly onto us. But we can't go by our feelings. We have to go by what the Bible tells us.

You and I can't always feel the Holy Spirit's presence inside us, but we know he's there because Jesus said he is. He's Christ's presence on Earth. Some Bible translations call him The Comforter. He comforts us by reminding us "Jesus is Lord."

During these scary times, we could all do with fewer news updates and more prayer breaks. Believe what God says about you. You are accepted. You are protected. You are loved. Trust in God.

Easter, you, and hope

For single people like you and me, Easter provides the assurance of vindication. The Cambridge Dictionary defines vindication as "the fact of proving that what someone said or did was right or true, after other people thought it was wrong."

If society judges us as "less than" because we're single, heaven will vindicate us as having been right all along, and not guilty of anything wrong. After all, Christ was single and never sinned. Being single is nothing to be ashamed of.

Easter is conclusive proof of Christ's divinity. For his followers, the best gift in heaven will be the full reception of Christ's love, which we'll know only when we see him face-to-face. Finally we will be whole, in union with the God who loved us before the formation of the world. Christ's love heals all hurts completely and forever. I'm looking forward to that. How about you?

For more on Easter's meaning for singles, see this…

How is Christianity different?

The answer is surprising: no works. In Christianity, the emphasis is on Jesus Christ and his work alone to secure for his followers the ultimate goal—union with him in heaven for eternity.

Christians believe we are saved first and only by Jesus' sacrificial death on the cross, which in turn motivates us to do good works in gratitude to him. Our worthiness to enter heaven is imputed, or credited to us by Jesus as a f;ree gift. We cannot earn it, and we are simply incapable of saving ourselves by our own works.

That, single friend, is an enormous relief.

If you do not belong to a religion now, I encourage you to investigate Christianity. Jesus calls you to believe in him as savior and in turn receive everlasting life.

Here's an excellent guide to get you started.

March Prayer list:

Here are the requests for March:

Natalie: Freedom from pride, anger, despondency, shame and depression.

Dawn: God's guidance for the President & national leaders.

Lisa: Physical healing for her brother.

Jenny: Emotional healing.

Cherlyn: Physical and emotional healing.

Want to get on the prayer list or make a comment on this newsletter? Use our secure Contact Form. and your email will route directly to my personal inbox.

That concludes the March Inspire-O-Gram. Thank you for reading. This single life is a complicated, challenging path, but we Christians have a clear-cut goal: to honor and glorify Jesus Christ.

Until April, happy Easter, and God bless you!

PS: Not a Christian yet? Find out how to become a Christian.