Dear Friend,

I pray this brings you encouragement.  Although this blog is for training, nutrition, and the 10 areas of performance, I had something else is mind.  It’s a ‘I think I should just share what’s on my heart and shoot from the hip’ kind of post.

The one that isn’t well thought out nor organized.  No overarching purpose to teach you, but simply for me to write and pray that it still helps you in some way.

PRAYER TO START THE DAY

“Well, Lord, I don’t know what I should offer today if anyone may read this,” I prayed in my conversation with God.

He led me to read a devotional, Jesus Calling, however, the devotion for the day still didn’t seem like the thing I needed to share.

So I went back to God and asked, “Lord, what do people need to hear today?”  Knowing most people don’t care about what we ‘need’ to hear, but only what we ‘want’ to hear. I’m sure you didn’t ‘want’ to hear that either. None of us do.

CONNECTING WITH EMOTIONS

Instead of using the devotion for this post, He showed me the cartoon, Inside Out. Have you seen it?  It’s about an 11 year old little girl that had to move to San Fransisco for a completely new life and crazy uncertainties. It shows each of her emotions trying to work through the major transition, where Joy and Sadness are no longer part of her.

Fear, Disgust, and Anger are trying to pretend to be Joy for the little girl, but it’s just getting worse.

A transition like where most of us are: in the middle of the pandemic and crazy uncertainties, mandates, depression, and loneliness. I know you feel it, or have felt it.  I certainly pray you aren’t feeding it.

A time where joy has been forgotten, in both the movie and in our lives. We feel the fear, disgust, and anger, and some feed it.

DON’T ALLOW FEAR, DISGUST, AND ANGER TO LEAD YOU OR FEED YOU

There is a place for fear, disgust, and anger, but you aren’t supposed to be guided by them.  Just like every emotion is important, but they should never dictate your life. They point to something deeper.

What is dictating your life? What emotions? What gods?

Seriously quiet your heart and ask.  Pray. Let God show you just as he just told me to share this movie in hopes to speak to the one that needed it.

Being filled and led by fear, disgust, and anger is toxic to your health mentally, emotionally, and physically.  Learn how I deal with it here.

LOCK DOWN

Towards the end of the movie, the 11 year old Riley completely lost her personality.  Everything went blank.  She had no emotions by the time she got on a bus to run away.  She stared off in the distance, at this point, just numb.   Her emotions were on lock down.  At least they were until Joy and Sadness found their way back.

ARE YOU IN LOCK DOWN?

Don’t let your emotions lead you, nor shut down from them.  You need your joy.

Yes, things really suck right now.  But don’t let your joy get shut down or locked down.  You do have control over that.  Even when things suck, you do.  I pray you believe that and have hope.

INVITE JOY BACK INTO YOUR LIFE

Even when things suck, invite joy.

Over and over again invite it, look for it, create it, collect it, be it, and share it. The world needs it. You need it. Your family needs it.

Time out.  Now I need to chuckle.  A chuckle while saying, “Jesus, your timing is always perfect.”

I say that because at this very moment I type this, God showed me that maybe I can use todays devotion from Jesus Calling.  I didn’t plan on it as I began writing, but I trusted Jesus while typing this out to encourage someone to not let fear, anger, and disgust guide them.  And for others, to not be emotionally or physically on lock down.

As you invite joy over and over again, looking for it, creating it, and collecting it; here’s what todays devotion read:

As you go through this day, look for tiny treasures strategically placed along the way.  I lovingly go before you and plant little pleasures to brighten your day.  Look carefully for them, and pluck them one by one.  When you reach the end of your day, you will hav gathered a lovely bouquet.  Offer it up to Me with a grateful heart.  Receive My Peace as you lie down to sleep, with thankful thoughts playing a lullaby in your mind. – Jesus Calling

GOD’S PERFECT TIMING

Even when things suck, God still has perfect timing.  Though this time of uncertainty, still be certain of his timing.  Still be certain of not giving up.  Still be certain you have the power to invite joy and share it.  Still be certain to keep fighting for, believing in, and becoming what you could be.  Living in fear, disgust, and anger shouldn’t be that.

Just as I had absolutely no intention to use a devotional today, by the time I got to some sort of conclusion, the Holy Spirit was there to surprise me.  That devotional ended up being exactly what I didn’t know I needed, in His perfect timing. He keeps me on my toes.  I just have to be willing to look for those moments. Glad you could be part of one today.  But trust in His perfect timing.

You were created with emotions, but don’t let them guide you.  Let your faith do that.

FEED JOY AND HOPE

If you were encouraged in any way, please share below.  If not, please don’t comment.  Choose to not feed into fear, anger, and disgust, and instead joy and hope.