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The Power of Perspective: Mary

 

 

As Mother’s Day approaches and passes I often love looking at this role I have…..mother.  I have a great mom whom I think I appreciated fairly well throughout my years with her but nothing prepared me for my most challenging role….. becoming a mother myself.  It has been through this process that I have a new, greater understanding and honor towards my own mom. I now see and experience everything she went through and sacrifices she made for me.

 

Lately I’ve been questioning my role as an adequate mom as I’m sure every mom has at some point (or many points) on this motherhood journey.  When I come to something especially difficult, I go to my mom, or other moms for advice, for help, or just for a sense of feeling “normal.”

 

I treasure these times because It redeems my trust and faith in my abilities to be a mom but it also gives me perspective.  Sometimes the sleepless nights, countless messes, temper tantrums, and whiny voices are just too much to give me a “bigger picture.”  I remember when my first child was a newborn, I felt like the days were eternally long and my life wasn’t my own…..it seemed like it would last forever.  Now five years later, I have perspective, I know this time will fly by.  And even though I went through it a second time, I found myself forgetting.  So I’m always happy to offer perspective to newer moms in their sleepless days because I remember.

 

Perspective is a treasure, a breath of fresh air, and a weight lifted off your shoulders.

 

Around this Mothers Day I have been constantly thinking about the greatest Mother of the Bible, Mary mother of Jesus.  Her journey and story teaches me so many things about being a mom.

 

She starts as a young lady learning from an angel that she will bear the son of God.  She isn’t married, she is shunned, laughed at, and exiled because of it.  She had to explain to her betrothed and hoped that he would stick around.

 

She then traveled to Bethlehem very pregnant, on a donkey….delivered the Son of God in a barn without any other woman there to help her.  Soon after she had to flee because the King was killing all male babies…..

 

Then she raised a sinless child.  He threw tantrums because he was angry, he cried real tears when he was sad, and he saw every one of her failures as she looked into the eyes of God.

 

Then at 33 years he traveled the land loving on everyone telling them the Good News.  She worried as she heard the rumors of hatred, she filled with pride at the cheers, and cried at every stage of his journey.

 

She then had to endure the beating and suffering of the cross.  Watching her son being crushed right before her eyes.  The son she bore, she raised, she loved unconditionally.

 

She wasn’t superhuman.  She was a mom, a normal loving, caring, want what’s best mom.  And the thing that strikes me the most about her is she had no perspective.  No other person could tell her it would be ok, no one else housed the Son of God.  No one knew how to raise a family in which one of them never sinned, no one knew how vulnerable it was to live knowing the eyes of God were upon every decision, mistake, and misstep she made.  No one could hand her a Bible and say, it’s OK…..He wins.

 

I wish I could hear her prayers throughout her life.  Her cries out to God of her  unworthiness.  The doubts, the fears, the anger……the trust.  You see, Mary taught me that when life offers no perspective, trusting in God is the only hope to hold on to.

 

Some days I have trust like the Mary did after the angel visited her telling her she was chosen to carry his son.  Or when she laughed with him as a toddler and rejoiced in his first steps.  Or on the days when she saw the miracles, and saw him love beyond politics, creed, or law.  Or when she saw the empty tomb and His nailed scarred hands.

 

And some days when there is no perspective and what seems like no hope, I’m like the Mary when she was shunned by her own friends, birthed in a stable alone, ran for her son’s life in the wilderness, watched her son be ridiculed, torn, and broken.  And during those long, dark, and hopeless 3 days when her son lay in a tomb, dead, like her, I’m just barely breathing out prayers of pleas, mercy, and grace.

 

I’m looking at her story and I realize that God used her to give me perspective.  Because of her willingness, her sacrifice, her obedience…..I can open the Word and find  peace, answers, and unconditional love.  This love is from a God who gives me His love no matter where I am.  I may have all the perspective in the world and trust Him so tightly and He loves me. Or, I might be full of anxiety and fear because of my lack of trust and perspective and He still loves me.

 

I’m grateful God decided to use a mom to bring his son into the world.  She offers unconditional love, sacrifice, and would do anything for her child.  She is a reflection of the heart of our Savior.  His perfect plan involved the heart of a young woman who was willing, imperfect and who would be herself throughout the whole journey.  She believed and never stopped.  She showed me that not everything in this life needs to have an answer.  Sometimes I will never have perspective.  But I do have God.  I believe He is the same yesterday as He is today. He is the same God to Mary as He is to me. That is truly astounding and comforting……I pray to never lose that perspective.

-Erin Motto

Abigail

We find Abigail’s story at the end of 1 Samuel and the beginning of 2 Samuel*

BACKGROUND…

Abigail was married to a man named Nabal (his name means “fool”), a wealthy rancher. During the period of time that David was an outlaw he and his men camped near Nabal’s lands and helped him protect his sheep. However when it was time to shear the sheep David sent some men to ask for payment for the services he and his men had rendered. Nabal, despite hearing from his own shepherds of David’s help, refused to pay them and insulted David. David became so furious that he gathered his men and set out to destroy Nabal. Nabal’s men went to Abigail and told her what her husband had done.

 

1 Samuel 25:23-31 tells us that Abigail immediately assembled food and went out on a donkey to meet David before he descended upon her household. When she saw David she dismounted and bowed to the ground at his feet and said, “On me, my lord, on me let this iniquity be! And please let your maidservant speak in your ears, and hear the words of your maidservant. Please, let not my lord regard this scoundrel Nabal. Foe as his name is, so is he: Nabal is his name, and folly is with him! But I, your maidservant, did not see the young men of my lord whom you sent. Now, therefore, my lord, as the LORD lives as your soul lives, since the LORD held you back from coming to bloodshed and from avenging yourself with your own hand, now then, let your enemies and those who seek harm for my lord ba as Nabal. And now this present, which your maidservant has brought to my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord. Please forgive the trespass of your maidservant. For the LORD will certainly make for my lord an enduring house, because my lord fights the battles of the LORD and evil is not found in you throughout your days.

Yet a man has risen to pursue you and seek your life (King Saul), but the life of my lord shall be bound in the bundle of the living with the LORD your god; and the lives of your enemies He shall sling out, as from the pocket of a sling. And it shall come to pass, when the LORD has done for my lord according to all the good that He has spoken concerning you, and has appointed you ruler over Isreal, that this will be no grief to you, nor offense of heart to my lord, ether that you have shed blood without cause, or that my lord has avenged himself. But when the LORD has dealt well with my lord, then remember your maidservant.”

 

David’s response to all that was … “Blessed is the LORD GOD of Israel, who sent you this day to meet me” (v. 32)

 Abigail’s quick action and her words reveal both a special intelligence and wisdom.

  • She sided with David
  • She met David’s request by bringing food to him and his men.
  • She emphasized her positive view of David’s character; also known as playing to his ego.
  • She appealed to David to see the similarities in his own situation, in that Saul intended to kill him.
  • She reminded David of his own values, and she suggested (did not tell) that killing Nabal would not be politically wise.

She succeeded in turning David from his plan and so impressed him that when Nabal died of a stroke a few days later, David married her. Abigail was married to a foolish, selfish man (probably not of her choosing). But she loved the LORD and he granted her not only wisdom but she was saved from this marriage and married King David.

 

Abigail’s story shows us how we as women have a lot of power in our relationships. Abigail chose to walk in love and wisdom rather than self-righteousness. She had done nothing wrong to David; by all accounts she was completely unaware of the entire circumstance. But her humble attitude saved many and led her to a royal godly husband.

 

Personally, in my own life I see much I need evaluate about how I interact with others and even my fiancé. If some “fool” did something that would reflect poorly on me I KNOW my first instinct would not be to go apologize and take the blame. I need to be better in my own life about thinking before I speak, and acting in humility and seeking wisdom. I believe that this comes from seeking the Lord first, when your relationship with the Lord is strong we are strong in Him and our reactions and emotions will reflect His glory.

 -Suzanne Skirvin

 

**1 Samuel 25:3-42; 27:3; 30:5

**2 Samuel 2:2; 3:2

**1 Chronicles 3:1

Joy

I breathe in deep, I’m watching them run, squeal and laugh. Without a care in the world. I admire their freedom, I want to be like them when I grow up. It is healing for my heart and I can’t help but smile and laugh. Laugh that deep belly-aching laugh that comes from way down inside and resinates in your soul.

This life is hard, so very hard. I have said this before and I will say it again. This year has been the hardest, with more pain than I ever thought I would experience in this life. I am finding though great joy with that pain. I have realized if I only focus on what I have lost, I will miss what is right before me, which to can be gone in an instant.
 I have to force myself to shift my perspective of this life. That this earth is not my home. That I am blessed, so very blessed. That my Joy is in Jesus. When I step out of that joy, and perspective everything falls apart.
This JOY….. It gives  me  hope and grounds me when tragedy or life’s hardships smack me in the face. Joy is deep seeded and is eternal. Its forever. We are told to rejoice always. (phil 4:4)  Joy  is a conscious choice.  My friends, I have joy because this earth is not my home. Because His word promises me that one day, there will be no more pain, heartbreak, disappointment,  sadness, tears, disease or death. I have joy because He knows me fully, completely. He memorizes me.
I also find joy in the blessings that God has given me,  coffee with a dear friend, the laughter of toddlers, Sunshine, kissing my mom because she is still here and could be gone tomorrow.  That I have food and a warm bed. Sounds simple, but I truly believe this is the proper perspective.
I’m not saying our other emotions and circumstances aren’t valid, because they are. Your pain and sadness is all very real. I also know, sometimes it seems impossible to find joy, when this life is so thick with pain. What  I am saying is that we are to choose joy regardless of our circumstances. It is so much easier said than done, but life is so much fuller when we do. We are to rejoice in our Lord always. His plan is perfect, He has you in the very palm of His Hand. God is so good! This life may  not be, but He is. God never changes, never fails, and He isn’t going to start now.

 -Brittni Rowland

Discontentment.

The alarm goes off. As I wake up I think about all of the baggage that followed me to sleep the night before. Another tremendously busy day. I push the snooze. Twice. The alarm rings again and I know this time I NEED to get up. I get frustrated with myself that I pushed Snooze instead of reading my Bible and praying. I get up. I simply walk through my day with no particular zeal for life.

DISCONTENTMENT.

You see, this is my discontentment routine, but I know you have one too. We all go through days or seasons that we simply feel like BLAH. Its especially true, at least for me, when I’m going through something that is emotionally draining and I don’t spend the time to give it to God.

Discontentment is one of the WORST emotions to feel because it stays with you. Its a weight on your back constantly nagging you. Its hard to shrug off. It affects one’s performance in every day life. It particularly frustrates me because when I feel discontent in areas of my life, I can’t be a source of light and love to anyone!!!!!

Discontentment tells you: You must be doing something wrong. Look at you, your pathetic! Maybe if you had more money, time, friends you would have a better life. 

I’ve found that when I feed into what Discontentment tells me to do (ex. shopping, excessive sleeping, selfishness) I only become more discontent.

Even though this feeling/emotion is nasty, all-consuming, and down-right UGLY, we must remember that it is still only a feeling. We are in control of our feelings! God has enabled humans to be able to tell when we are feeling something that is not right and give it to him! What a gift!

Not that I am speaking of being in need, for I have learned in whatever situation I am to be content. I know how to be brought low, and I know how to abound. In any and every circumstance, I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and need. – Philippians 4:11-12

This verse says it all. feeling discontent is never going to go away. Trials and pain and loss will never disappear. Those seasons where you feel as though you are in the deepest valley will still come. Its how we handle them that either enables Discontentment to CONTROL us or FLEE from us.

Dear Jesus,

I am sorry I have let discontentment hinder my relationship with you and my impact on the world. 

I pray that I would be brave enough to come to you and give up

Discontentment on the cross. I pray I would have the courage to LET GO of control 

and trust that YOU have a plan for me.

I love you,

-Lauren

Kim Kardasian’s Pant Size: a Look into Comparisons

One night I found myself fervently searching for Kim Kardashians pant size…

From Google to TMZ, to ask.com, I was on a mission. A mission to make

myself feel better. I had felt rather frumpalicious lately, 3 kids

later, getting older,and past pictures had really put me in a funk

about my body. So naturally I start looking up an icon, someone men

drooled over and fantasized about.  I needed her pant size….to

compare…..to come out on top. Because if my pant size were smaller,

than maybe, just maybe, I was beautiful too.

 I’ve known for awhile that Im hard on myself with my body image but I

never quite understood why, besides the obvious reason of today’s culture; “skinny is beautiful,” I can’t pinpoint the exact reason behind my struggles.  I’ve lived in constant comparison mode of stars and people around me.

As I sat searching, site after site I stopped…..”why the heck am

I doing this!?,” I whispered.  I mean, it’s absurd and ridiculous. Why would it matter

anyway? Would I hold my head higher if my pant size were smaller!? Or

would I hang my head in shame because I didn’t measure up? Either way

I figured it to be a sad ending.

So I slowly put the computer down and ate some chocolate while surfing Facebook. Then, I saw all the posts of pounds lost, work-out routines along with the diets that everyone posts.  I saw the Pinterest posts of green shakes, and ripped ads with motivational sayings.  I stared clicking on them to see how I could improve myself and strangely enough……I found myself back at square one.

When I choose to compare, I discovered that I don’t compare myself to someone that will make me feel worse.  Clearly I wasn’t going to look up a runway models pant size, I wanted a chance here. In fact one of my favorite pastimes when I’m needing to unhealthily pick myself up is watching reality television.  Yes I know it is low-quality, maybe staged but I don’t care. For the most part I can critique the character of these “stars” and feel pretty good about myself. I can come out on “top.”

Trying to see an end at this comparison tunnel, I confided in a friend a little about my struggle.  I’ll  never forget her telling me that her body image

problems went away when she became a mom. She insisted that I would

have more important things to worry about. Well when I did become a mom, she was right. I worried about my child sleeping, eating, surviving AND how I could avoid that awkward “congratulations!” when a stranger mistook my fat belly pudge for another pregnancy! Worrying about losing the baby weight and wondering if I’ll ever reach my pre-baby self………somehow I don’t think that is what she meant.

My comparing abilities are vast and also don’t discriminate.  I compare my children and their development with others their age, my teaching abilities, and exercise routines.  I see amazing pictures of homemade dinners that toddlers eat and parenting strategies.  I’ve even been known to compare Facebook friends and blog followers…..yes shameful…. I know.

Perhaps the most frustrating part about comparisons is how to stop doing it.  I’ve been told my whole Christian life that I “shouldn’t” because God made me perfect in His image. I’m given several verses that support that. Or I might hear, jealousy is a result of comparisons and that’s no good either so, stop. Just stop. So I try…..read my Bible a little harder, maybe take a hiatus from evil Facebook and then it’s back.  That’s when I even compare my Christian relationship with those others that somehow can “stop” comparing because they are just more awesome than me and my relationship with God.

The reality is comparisons happen. I often blame it on the media or on society’s

obsession to be skinny but the more and more I research shame and how

it is prevalent in my life I realize that comparisons are the root of

shame. Shame makes me want to hide my secret search of Kim K’s pant size, or that I would even use blog views or Facebook friends as a tool to make myself feel better.  I don’t want to admit it to myself, you, or especially God.  How embarrassing to tell Him, my creator that I’m just not satisfied with what I’ve been given.  That I use the things that don’t matter in life to fuel my satisfaction in myself.  That I take my flesh and deem it “ugly,” after measuring myself against someone of more clout or popularity. I want to hide in my shame, keep it in the dark.

Somehow I think that may be the key……reach the shame, reach the root of the issue.  In order to reach the shame, I must give it to God.  Man I can only imagine how Adam and Eve felt in the garden…..hiding in their shame, naked and vulnerable.  Come to think of it, Satan knew exactly what he was doing having Eve compare herself to God.

I never discovered the super secret answer to Kim Kardashians pant size (perhaps that is because of her shame). Yes I was sad about not discovering it at the time, but I did see the length I will go to in order to make myself feel better. I identified my source of shame, and the areas where I really excel at hiding and covering it up.  I see what the serpent puts before me secretly, deviously.  I can’t say I’ve been vulnerable enough to give it to God, vulnerably present myself completely, but I’m looking forward to that moment. Never thought I would ever say this but “thank you Kim Kardashian.” Thank you for bringing me yet another step closer in becoming an authentic woman to myself and Creator.

 

 

Emotions: What to do with them// Part 2

Editors Note: Brittni has been with FMF since the start of it all and she’s written some pretty amazing content for us! This post is a sequel to her first post about emotions found:http: //fmf-ministries.org/2012/08/23/emotions-what-to-do-with-them/  Brittni is authentic and real, I hope you get as much out of this post as I did!!! -Lauren

 

We sat across from each other.

I was on the verge of tears, and so angry, weary and broken.  She looked at me and said…..
“Your anger is turned inward. The depression. Eating disorder. It’s all anger turned toward yourself. You need to deal with your anger, your afraid of it. You need to be honest with God about your anger towards Him. Brittni, Anger is a response to Pain”
One of the hardest things to hear and swallow. But she is so right.
Isn’t it so sweet when God uses people to speak to our hearts, to speak life giving words that help change us  and refine us? Even when those words sting, reprove is good.
On my drive home that night I lost it. I screamed and sobbed. I cried until my bones ached and I had no breath left. I yelled at God. “Why did you have to take my Dad? What do you gain from all this loss, this pain?”
I got home and wrote down furiously what I was so angry over, and asked God to take it, to give me HIS perspective. I had so much peace as I went to bed that night. I’m so thankful that we serve a God who welcomes us to bring anything to His feet, even if that means our anger towards Him.
You see this year, it’s been the hardest ever. With more pain than I ever thought I would have to feel or experience in this life. With that pain comes SO much emotion. Sometimes so much, I can’t bear it. Being a woman of God who wants to live a healthy authentic life and being smacked in the face with grief is definitely not easy. Anger is shameful. We don’t want to deal with anger because that means we have to deal with the pain, sadness, disappointment, failure, heartache, loss. The list goes on and on.  I want to be honest in saying I don’t have it all figured out. I am on my own journey of learning how to deal with my emotions in a healthy way. I do have some Amazing people in my life who have helped foster and speak wisdom into my life regarding being emotionally healthy, and would love to share it with you. A  huge part of being emotionally healthy is being able to identify what your feeling. We as women have SOO many emotions!!! That can change constantly. So it’s important to  be able to recognize what we are feeling. I have to ask God to help me with this, because it can be so confusing. Secondly, understand WHY are you feeling that way? I think we feel so much but never stop to think or ask God why we are feeling that way. Lastly, discerning, asking God to help you and show you how to manage your emotions.
All of this is a process. It doesn’t happen over night. I am still figuring out what it means to be emotionally healthy and will probably be for the rest of my life this side of heaven. Because life is always changing, we are constantly facing new heart ache and joy, new disappointments and success’s. The beautiful part is God welcomes  our emotions and wants us to bring them to Him. He is the best comforter, the best to laugh and cry with. He is the safest to go to with our emotions because He is Big enough. Big enough for all the Anger. Pain. Sadness. And for all the Joy. He delights in it all.

-Brittni Rowland

 

Sadness

 

 

I don’t like being sad. No really, it’s so bad that I will avoid sad movies and if I do happen to watch them I will never watch them again.  In fact I really liked the movie Moulin Rouge so we ended up owning it.  As we sat snuggled up on the couch watching it for the second time, I got up and turned it off 3/4 of the way through.  Bewildered my husband asked, “What the heck is going on!?” ” It’s sad from here on out, so if you want to finish it, go for it.  “I’m out,” I said.  And it continued, Shakespeare in Love was another “turn off before it gets sad” movie.  In fact, every time we look to rent or watch a movie, my hubby will read the potential list I yell out “SAD” on the ones that will not be seen that evening.

 

At first it was funny, maybe a personal preference, but as I’ve been on this crazy journey I’m realizing that it is a deep-seeded pattern in my life…..I don’t like sadness.  After losing my son I was sad.  I didn’t like it.  I didn’t like making others sad hearing about it.  I didn’t like to admit that sadness had settled into my soul so deep that it couldn’t be thwarted.  Normally I would fill this sadness hole with things that made me happy.  Music, TV, reading happy things, and most importantly; finding people to join my “pity party for one” all in the name of making myself feel better.  I would justify my sadness by treating myself to things.  I would say something like, “I deserve this ice cream” to brighten my day, or “I could use this pair of shoes”…….

 

But nothing worked….it was beyond my cover-up efforts.

 

When I’m sad its bad, but what’s worse is when I cause sadness in someone else.  I just can’t stand it.  If you know me, I’m the first to apologize in an argument. It’s easier for me to take the blame than to keep someone sad.  Especially if I know I caused any part of the sadness, it’s faster to apologize than to work through it (oh I’ve learned this is not the case either).

 

Well….. all this went out the window when I had kids.  I’m well aware that my girls will be sad.  Not only that, but they will be sad about stupid things. No offense, but things that really don’t matter…..shows, phone rules, not spending the night at their friends house, what clothes they wear, and it goes on. I’m already seeing it now and I don’t quite know what to do with myself.  I mean, I don’t like it when they are sad but I know it’s going to happen so…….?

 

So…….I must deal with sadness.  It seems easy enough but when I’ve been avoiding it in myself and in others for so long it seems impossible.  When life hits and deals an unimaginable tragedy, sadness stares you in the face and dares you to try and cover it up.  I had to admit this deep-seeded truth…..I don’t like sadness.

 

When I look around me I see a lot of others who don’t like sadness either.  We are an insanely addictive bunch….alcohol, drugs, sex, porn, shopping, and eating (or not)……all to avoid dealing with sadness.

 

So here I was….dealing.  I knew the situation was too great to cover up, my own efforts were not cutting it.  My prayers and quiet times were comforting for the moment but small circumstances would knock me off balance and into the sadness spiral all over again.  The hardest part for me was admitting I needed help. I mean, I am a Christian…..I don’t need anyone but God….if if that doesn’t work than its because my efforts aren’t good enough.

 

See the problem with being sad is that it’s ok to be sad. Even though I was not ok with being sad, I had to learn how to be sad.  It was so difficult for me to cry when I felt it……no matter how silly it was.  I struggled to not cover it up but to sit and process it.  I learned that God did not say Perfect Christians are not sad, but he joins me in my sadness and holds me through it just as I cradle my crying two-year old when she falls.    Jesus was sad and cried when He was here on Earth, he didn’t avoid the emotion but embraced it as a real authentic part of this life.

 

Shame wanted to keep sadness from working itself out…..pride wanted to keep my soul from freeing itself from the chains that bind me…….Satan wants me to believe I’m not good enough……. I needed help.  My counselor, my family, my friends…..this was a battle beyond my own abilities and I needed an army.  Although I felt like a failure because I couldn’t do it on my own (because I felt I should be able too since I have God) the reality is, God equipped  me with an amazing army here on Earth……..plenty of help.

 

The truth is I will always deal with sadness, it’s unavoidable in this life.  I will make others sad with my actions, they will make me sad too.  My girls will be sad about stupid things.  What better way to speak to them through this real emotion, to empathize with their sadness because it is authentic.  To not try and protect them from it by buying them an ice cream to cover it up…..but also to show them my sadness and that it’s OK to feel it.

 

I truly believe going to battle by myself would have been a huge mistake.  Asking for help was the hardest thing I ever had to do.  But I know I’m living a fuller, freer, authentic  life because of sadness and what it has taught me.

 

-Erin Motto

The Octopus and the Train

I know my title sounds like an Alice and Wonderland fable; I promise you will understand very soon.

This month is all about emotions, and we as women definitely struggle with those. I wish to clarify how as women we can understand our emotions and therefore manage them instead of letting them control us. Managing our emotions is feeling the emotion(s) but still acting in a Godly responsible manner.

First, the octopus…

As women our emotions are like the tentacles of an octopus. We can experience more than a few at a time, we will be bobbing along and all of a sudden a tentacle is wrapped around our neck. I liken this to how it’s been said women have spaghetti brains. Everything can become one overwhelming issue quickly.

I am a visual person so I have added a drawing (apologizes for my lack of artistic ability) to help illustrate my point.

 

 These are some of the emotions that I struggle with. There are varying degrees of each of these emotions. Some cause minimal thought, others headaches, some emotional distress. Most of the time I can move through my days and feel like I am handling my emotions. But then one tentacle flairs up and wraps around my neck and I can’t seem to remember how to function and sometimes do or say things that I will regret and could potentially create unwanted consequences. Take a moment and think about the top 3 emotions that you struggle with, and get ready for a great month of posts…. and…

The Train… again I have a visual …

 

Our focus (the engine) is what pulls the train. It would not end well for a train if the caboose were driving (pardon the pun). However, in our lives we very often allow are emotions (the caboose) to lead to our actions. Then, after the fact, we go to the Bible and often feel guilt, shame, or remorse.

What we need to do is allow the truths of the Bible to “drive” our actions, which will then educate our thoughts/actions and influence our emotions. Allowing prayer to move us forward with faith to bridge the uncertain gaps as we integrate the message of the Bible into our actions.

For we walk by faith, not by sight. 1 Corinthians 5:7

Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Hebrews 11:1

Thy word is a lamp for my feet and a light to my path. Psalm 119:105

 ——————————————————————————————————–

I hope I have made sense and I hope you continue to read the posts this month about specific emotions, as we will take a deeper look at specific emotions. Defining and breaking them apart to better understand them and how we as individual women experience them and can manage them.

Please feel free to contact me personally with any questions or comments at SuzanneFMFministries@gmail.com.

 

Suzanne Skirvin