Feelings are the energy of motivation. They inspire us, compel us, push us, encourage us, they bring us down and they lift us up. Feelings are typically likened to "a weather" whereas a person's mood could be seen as "the climate" where emotions arise. This "climate" describes what kind of weather (read: emotions, reactions, responses) is typical for a person but, as we all know so well (this may surprise): one can sometimes experience a really hot day in Finland — even though it's not that common! (the science of motivation goes a lot deeper than I mentioned in this paragraph! just saying, it's complex and fascinating!) Why is it important to understand your own feelings? More than being our motivators (for the good and the bad) they help us make decisions and build intimacy. Emotions are from God. He created them. He made us into His own image so emotions didn't just "happen" but the ability to experience them was purposefully crafted into our hearts. We can see Jesus be a pretty emotional guy! I limit my observations to him, for when we see Jesus, we've seen our Father who really, really cares for us. Jesus CRIED when Lazarus died and was sad over the loss of his friend (women like men that show their feelings yes!), he rejoiced when he was happy (like: At that very time He rejoiced greatly in the Holy Spirit, and said, "I praise You, O Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and intelligent and have revealed them to infants. Yes, Father, for this way was well-pleasing in Your sight. Luke 10:21.), he got angry when the pharisees were misrepresenting the Kingdom of God, he was loving towards children and women and he expressed compassion without shame. Jesus definitely was moved by what he saw. Emotions are spontaneous. We cannot strategically plan to have them but actors can fake them. Certain environments can stir them up but we can decide to numb them down. A loving act towards me arouses feelings of being noticed, cherished and valued. (Yes, feelings are a fundamental part of expressing and receiving love but there's more to love than the feeling that follows. Love is a very vulnerable, sacrificial decision to be made.) On the other hand, a violent act toward someone can bring that person such pain that they can shut down if they aren't able to process it. Feelings are a precious gift from God! Crying-sadness and laughter-joy are two of the most powerful whole body emotional responses we use daily to process and express what's going on inside us. Positive emotions do more than provide psychological comfort, however. According to University College of London’s Sophie K. Scott and colleagues (2014): I find it fascinating that some Finnish researchers found what happens in our body when we feel different emotions! (Science Daily) All the above is important and good to know about emotions — but the truth has a deeper, beautiful, relieving (!) dimension to it: we are led by the Spirit, not by emotions and feelings. The truth that God loves me doesn't change whether I feel it or not. Haha! That's GOOD news. The Holy Spirit moving is more than a hype. The Holy Spirit leading is not always fun either, sorry. :D Few months after I came to Redding I saw a dream where I had a battle inside of me. In the dream I consciously decided to set the Spirit of God in the throne of my life and to be led by the Spirit. In that encounter I submitted myself to Jesus' Lordship in my life: I surrendered my will to His and it required an intentional decision that didn't "just happen" (this goes to the category "experiences impossible to explain with words"). I'm yet to fully understand what that meant but after that day I've felt it easier to practice spiritual disciplines in my life. In the morning after I found myself just flowing in prayer and wondered how easy it was! What matters is Who leads me and Who gets to influence and fuel my heart where the emotions are born. Emotions can be trained for unrighteousness in which case they can start leading us away from Christ OR they can be cultivated in a redeemed heart for righteousness... when they eventually will serve our well-being and the Kingdom of God! Many people spend their lives being guided by their feelings. When their feelings change they are convinced their heart has changed. But feelings are rooted in emotion, not truth. A virtuous person lives out of their convictions and expects their feelings to follow. Feelings are great servants but terrible masters. If you stop following them, they will follow you. // Kris Vallotton I have an exercise for you to develop healthy self-awareness! This will help you to pay attention to RED FLAGS (such like loneliness, unworthiness, shame, rejection, powerlessness...) that can trigger behavior that you don't wish, such like finding yourself browsing porn sites in search of intimacy? Binge eating to fill up emptiness? Love the journey of getting to know your heart! You have been given a NEW one and it's time to discover what makes your heart flourish. Ah, I'm glad to share these things with you that I have been learning and have found really beneficial over the past year. Check yourself when waking up/leaving the house/coming back home/going to bed/whenever. 1. How am I feeling? 2. Why am I feeling like that? 3. What happened? 4. Ask the Holy Spirit what to do with the information you become aware of. Becoming conscious of your "normal" helps you to meet your needs in a healthy way! It helps you to not to punish yourself for being a human, to love yourself and to love Jesus and your neighbor with all your heart. xoxoxoxo
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My parents came for a visit! AH wow. Loved it. I enjoy that I finally get to be the one hosting and serving them. Sure I did fill the dishwasher when I still lived home but it's different this way. I get to make them feel welcome in my place and I get to invite them to my life. I've been struck with a feeling of deep, deep love toward my closest people. I want the best for them. And I want to be involved in getting them there. I want to invest in my relationships and serve my loved ones so that they would feel loved when they are with me. One of the most significant things I've learned is that love looks like remembering details. It looks like being mindful of what my friends like, what they don't, what they love to talk about, what makes them happy, what disturbs them... Knowing your buddy's love language is a KEY to a relationship where people's needs are going to be met. It would be tragic if I neglected my friend's love language of words of affirmation if mine was acts of service – and all I did was love them with doing stuff for them and never affirming their value with my words. I would be thinking that I spend all this time loving them—and they never notice my sacrifice and on the other hand: they would be thinking that I have totally forgotten them! Happens all the time. If you're interested in what love languages are, you can read more about them here. (Do the test!) I can briefly say that there are five love languages: words of affirmation, acts of service, physical touch, receiving gifts and quality time. Your language is the one that you give and receive love. My opinion is that the more healed you get, the more rounded you get, and the more ways you will be receiving and giving love. We need all of them. Languages can be mistreated and wounded (e.g. abuse vs. the language of touch) and it take times until the language can be fully expressed again. For instance, in CA I had this one neighbor who couldn't hug for a very long time because of the memories that begun to arise when she did. So, to honor her we kept our hugs short. I wouldn't make a strict law out of love languages because some people freak out when they "are everything" or can't understand the "purpose of naming them". Relax, it may take time to understand what yours is if you haven't payed attention to it before. (I just heard this from Abi Stumvoll; she pointed out that the father of the prodigal son threw his son a huge party when he returned, which definitely was his son's love language — c'mon somebody! Why not!) Knowing your top love languages will help you lots! They are a great tool to be used in building healthy relationships. It's beneficial to be aware that with some people you might have to make more effort to make them feel loved and to speak some of the languages that you are not that used to speaking. Love your neighbor as yourself. So, after wondering what to offer to a person with a sensitive stomach... This was my choice! A chocolate avocado-banana mousse with whipped coconut cream. It was really, really delicious! Thanks God for creating us mouths to taste all this goodness....
Scoop the mousse into pretty glasses and place the cream on top. Decorate with chocolate chips! Leave in the fridge until they will be served and enjoyed with good friends and chai tea, just because. ♥
What happens when I draw in? What happens when I enter into His presence? Your faithfulness surrounds you. Psalm 89:8 What is it like to see His faithfulness surround Him? What does it feel like to have it touch my skin as His light shines away the shadows of lies that I had been carrying with me? Mercy calls me by name and I drop my burdens as I hear Him speak. When His loving-kindness captures my attention, I forget the worry of whether or not He will be able to sustain me. Jesus. This is what I need. Mercy and loving-kindness and truth go before Your face. 89:14
Exodus 33:19 “I Myself will make all My goodness pass before you, and will proclaim the name of the Lord before you ––”
In every touch of God there is a revelation of Him. Experiencing Him is like God kissing your face. Awaken my love. How do you see Him today? Will you let His light touch your fears? Will you pass through the disappointments of not being enough, of not measuring up... and just let the light come in. As you have been fully known and accepted, to remind you once again... We know that when He appears, we will be like Him, because we will see Him just as He is. Lift up your eyes my beloved. 1 Cor 13:12 For now we see in a mirror dimly, but then face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. Listen to the following song and ask the Father to let His light shine upon you. May He take you by surprise. |
Heavenly
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