nothing to fear but fear itself

typing in all lowercase letters is very fulfilling.
i have been amazed lately at the control of fear and how people so easily succumb to a lifestyle of fear and worry. what blows my mind is that fear and worry are a choice, not a result, and not unavoidable.
"so do not fear for I am with you, do not be dismayed for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand." isaiah 41:10
"for I am the Lord, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, do not fear; I will help you" isaiah 41:13
"do not be afraid, for I am with you..." genesis 26:24
"when i am afraid, i will trust in you. in God, whose word i praise, in God i trust; i will not be afraid. what can mortal man do to me?" psalm 56:3-4
God does not suggest that we try not to be afraid, but rather commands 'that we not fear'. why do we need not fear? because God is with us. not only is fear not necessary, it negates our trust in God. fear is a result of looking to man, trusting in God and looking to God will 'vanquish fear' (see The Office Season 3 : Initiation).
along with fear i see that worry is often intertwined. from the beginning, God instructs us not to worry (genesis 7:16). not to try not to worry, not to worry only a little bit, not to let worry consume our lives but rather to control our worry, eliminating it. Jesus, in matthew chapter 6, reiterates the importance. "seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things (that you would otherwise worry about) will be added unto you." "do not worry".
it seems clear to me that not only does God not want us to fear for the sake of maintaining trust and dependence on him, but also to liberate ourselves from a bonding lifestyle that allows the devil a foothold.
please share your thoughts on this matter....

"3 months (plus a day)" subtitle: "married life"

it's funny how fast you 'grow up'. a year and a half ago i was married to a band, living at home, playing pratical jokes on anyone and everyone ... i mean ... obviously i wasnt involved with any of them... now i'm dealing with the intracacies of in-law relationships, bills, and dissecting my childhood. i realize that maybe that sounds like i think it's bad. i don't. i love being married - it's very fulfilling, though (and through) a lot of work and growth and sacrifice. (again, not bad)
i'm working at johnny garlics now. not enough hours, but fairly good tips. i like the people for the most part, and the food is delicious. is it bad to be salivating over something you're serving to someone else? maybe i should eat more before i go to work. i'm going to be working at the fair, starting next week - which should be interesting. when i was a little kid the fair was always here on my birthday and i would get extra rides for free and a taste of cotton candy - i was never allowed to get a whole one. i liked the bumper cars and bumper boats.
i miss baron davis already.