{"id":3798,"date":"2019-03-12T11:59:48","date_gmt":"2019-03-12T15:59:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/?p=3798"},"modified":"2019-03-12T11:59:48","modified_gmt":"2019-03-12T15:59:48","slug":"former-press-secretary-dana-perino-shares-how-faith-in-god-strengthens-her","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.beliefnet.com\/columnists\/inspirationreport\/2019\/03\/former-press-secretary-dana-perino-shares-how-faith-in-god-strengthens-her.html","title":{"rendered":"Former Press Secretary Dana Perino Shares How Faith in God Strengthens Her"},"content":{"rendered":"
\"Gage<\/a>
Gage Skidmore | Flickr.com<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Philippians 4:13 reads, \u201cI can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.\u201d It is a popular Bible verse, and it is commonly recited by athletes or worn on their shirts, hats, jerseys or shoelaces. It is also the favorite verse of Dana Perino, the woman who served as press secretary under President George W. Bush and launched her own business following the end of his presidency.<\/p>\n

Perino has stated that she reminds herself of the verse almost constantly. She recites the 10 words when she is angry, a faith-based twist on counting to 10, and counts repetitions with her personal trainer by silently reciting the passage.<\/p>\n

\u201cI\u2019ve done this probably since I was 23,\u201d Perino said. \u201cIt comes up over and over again.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perino\u2019s focus on faith, however, goes much farther back than her early twenties. She was extremely religious even when she was young. As a child, her Sundays were spent discussing current events with her father and worshipping God.<\/p>\n

\u201cMy sister always wanted to go to the late service, because she wanted to sleep,\u201d Perino said. \u201cI always wanted to go to the early service because that meant we could do that, and Sunday school, and still get home in time for \u2018Meet the Press.\u2019\u201d<\/p>\n

As Perino aged, she continued to focus on both politics and her faith. The former would eventually become her career, but it was the latter that would keep her grounded during both life\u2019s inevitable trials and the difficult times of Perino\u2019s own making. Her years as a graduate student, for example, were initially unpleasant. There was not a specific issue, but Perino was miserable regardless.<\/p>\n

\u201cI just wasn\u2019t happy,\u201d she recalled. \u201cAs humans, we try to fix everything ourselves. And when I remembered to surrender and to pray and turn my worry over to a higher power, that\u2019s when I felt so much better.\u201d<\/p>\n

Perino later refined the idea of surrender into a simple, five word mantra. Do not worry too much. She wishes she had learned that lesson earlier, but it remains the number one piece of advice she gives to young people. It is also, appropriately, linked to another one of Perino\u2019s favorite Bible verses, Matthew 6:25. The passage reads, \u201cDo not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes?\u201d<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen I read that [verse in a daily devotional one] morning, I thought, \u2018Who am I to worry?\u2019\u201d Perino said. \u201cImagine if you were a Syrian refugee right now. This verse might feel very hard to stomach.\u201d<\/p>\n

The difficulty dealing with some verses that are meant to be comforting is a situation that Perino has seen repeatedly through her charitable work. After accompanying Bush on a trip to Africa in 2008, Perino developed a serious interest in directly helping others. She ended up going on a number of mission trips to Africa and working with Mercy Ships, a Christian nonprofit that turns retired ocean liners into floating hospitals.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhen we go there,\u201d she said, \u201cyou really can feel the hand of God.\u201d<\/p>\n

No matter where she is or what she is doing, Perino always finds a way to see God acting in the world. Given that she currently serves as the anchor of \u201cThe Daily Briefing,\u201d co-hosts \u201cThe Five\u201d and hosts \u201cDana Perino\u2019s Book Club,\u201d she is certainly in a good place to keep an eye on various events and look for His influence. Just as in her childhood, her days are filled with faith and politics,and Perino seems perfectly happy to keep things that way.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Philippians 4:13 reads, \u201cI can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.\u201d It is a popular Bible verse, and it is commonly recited by athletes or worn on their shirts, hats, jerseys or shoelaces. It is also the favorite verse of Dana Perino, the woman who served as press secretary under President George W.…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":616,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"fbia_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[741,18,876],"tags":[164,973,90,812,441],"class_list":["post-3798","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-faith","category-inspiring-celebrities","category-politics","tag-celebrities","tag-christian-celebrity","tag-faith","tag-politics","tag-women"],"yoast_head":"\nFormer Press Secretary Dana Perino Shares How Faith in God Strengthens Her<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Dana Perino shares her secret for using her Christian faith to stay calm when dealing with life\u2019s challenges and trials.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link 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