Jenn’s Journey

Coffee Hour @ Chicklit Power...

Hi! Happy Monday and here’s to a great new week for each of you. Summer is winding down, according to the calendar at least! School has begun and soon we'll be thinking about the holidays! But let's not get ahead of ourselves; let's enjoy today! Thanks for stopping by!

It's the night before 1st grade here in my house. We've bought the uniforms, the school supplies, met the teacher and reunited with old friends. Tomorrow it begins. Somehow, it seems more serious now…the official start of my daughter's school years. There have been many mixed emotions running through my mind, and my heart. On one hand, I am so proud of her and how she is growing, and on the other, I wish it would slow down just a bit!

Emotions: The highs, and lows. They can hit like a freight train. Or they can sneak up before you catch them. I am a very emotional person. In fact, most of my emotions are not of the sneaky persuasion. Until recently, my go-to emotion was anger. It was about three years ago that I realized anger was the only feeling I could put a name to. Luckily, it was about this time that I read an amazing book called "How We Love" by Milan and Kay Yerkovich. It changed my life. This book explains why I am the way I am, but it also explains how to begin healing from old habits. For instance, this book explained how anger is a secondary emotion, and that underneath it are feelings like fear, anxiety and sadness. One of the phrases that stood out to me was “get sad, not mad.”

I am only now learning to put names to the emotions I feel. It took me a long time to discern what feelings lurk under the anger. It has also taken me a long time to understand that it's okay to have feelings; they are not right or wrong. What I do with them and how I express them is what matters. For a lot of my life, I fought and tried to suppress feelings, which does not work by the way. I resembled a simmering volcano, to be quite honest. I often felt I was alone in my feelings and felt like I was floundering in them as well.

God has been doing a good work in me, as He promises He will in Philippians 1:6. He's helped me see how emotions have run my life. I have spent a lot of time “reacting” to life, rather than responding. He has seen fit to send some wonderful people who listen to my emotions, validate them, yet, they encourage growth beyond old habits.

I still have a long way to go but I've learned that naming emotions, and allowing myself to feel them, is a first step. It's a giant step towards managing feelings rather than being managed by them. Colossians 3:15 says "Let the peace of Christ rule in your hearts, to which indeed you were called." I know He's calling me to His peace. What is He calling you to?

Until next week, be blessed