How to Control Your Emotions Week 1 Blog Link-up Party

Welcome friends! I hope this first week has been a blessing to you. I can't wait to read your blog posts about what you gleaned from this week's reading! At the end of this post you'll find the link to use so you can link-up your blog post. If you do not have a blog, please share your thoughts from this week in the comments section at the end of my post.


This week we read the Introduction and Chapter 1 of How to Control Your Emotions So They Don't Control You (a mom's guide to overcoming). See below the questions I asked in my post on Monday for our discussion today. In case you missed Monday's post, you can read it here.

 

Week 1 Questions

As you read through Chapter 1 this week, think of a time when you've invited God into your circumstances and felt a shift in your emotions that caused you to react in a way that pleased God. Next, think of a time when you failed to invite God into your circumstances and instead let your emotions take control in a way that did not honor God. Looking back on that time now with the "Feel, Know, Do" method, what steps should you have taken instead that would have been pleasing to God? 

Chapter 1 ends with Brooke speaking about the importance of worship. Think of a time when your act of worship has brought peace in the midst of undesirable circumstances. Describe your act of worship and what it meant to you.

I'll go first in sharing what God laid on my heart through this week's reading. 

 

Moving from Anger to Inviting God Into My Circumstances

My whole life changed during the month of June 2012 when my husband and I were given the news that our son had Asperger's Syndrome, OCD, and ADD. This past year and four months have held many trying and exhausting situations as we try to help our son with the struggles related to these diagnosis'. I have not always handled my emotions in a healthy way. My blog actually started as a way to voice my struggles as I tried to make sense of all that was happening. I've dealt with a wide range of emotions...being mad and crying out to God...anxieties over what the future holds for my son...being short tempered with my son...it's been an emotional roller coaster ride! So when I had the opportunity to read Brooke's book and lead this study, I was so thankful! I know that God has brought Brooke, her book, and this study into my life to help me. I believe you are here too because you feel the same way!

I remember clearly a time when I failed to invite God into my circumstances when this was all just unfolding for my family. I shared how I was feeling and the outcome in my post I Wrestled with God and He Won. I was mad at what was happening in our life. It all came to a head for me one night as I did bedtime devotions with my son. I was reading Psalm 100 and Psalm 150 to him and it was hard to even get the words out. I realized then how unhealthy my emotions had gotten. After putting my son to bed I knew I needed to get alone with God and work out my feelings. You can read all about it in the post I've linked to above. In short, it was during this time too that I invited God into my circumstances in that moment; and there was definitely a shift in my emotions. Read these words I wrote in my post:

My questions and anger turned into tears of thanksgiving as I reminded God of his promises to me which are found in His Word that over the years I have hidden in my heart. 

and

So I'm giving up myself in this struggle and finding God's gift of peace as I surrender the unknown to Him. I'm trusting that all things will work together for good because my family and I love God and we are called according to His purpose. (Romans 8:28) 

Can you see the "Feel, Know, Do" method? I can, and it's amazing to me that today God is confirming our interaction we had that night over a year later as I learn the "Feel, Know, Do" method through How to Control Your Emotions So They Don't Control You (a mom's guide to overcoming). 

That night after I wrote the blog post describing what had happened, I found myself searching YouTube for worship videos. I even created a Pinterest worship board to pin my favorite worship songs. I sat in the dark that night listening to worship music and praising God for His goodness. I also asked God to forgive me for the anger I had felt; and thanked Him for the peace He had given me.

My deepest desire is to love Jesus well and shine His light in my home. I believe in the Word of God and I know the power it has to speak truth into my circumstances. I'm learning how important it is to stand on that truth instead of letting my negative emotions take me on a downward spiral that is no good for me or my son. I hope you'll join me here again on Monday as we take on Chapter 2 How to Overcome Lies with the Truth!

Learning to Overcome,

Laurie
 


Now it's your turn to link-up your blog post about this week's reading. If you don't have a blog, feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments section below.