I Second That Emotion ~ Session #3 & #4

Happy Friday Everyone! I pray you have had a great week and have been enjoying this Book Study as much as I have. There is so much to talk about but I want to go ahead and get this information up so you can take some time to work through it with us, ok?

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Session #3 ~ Ire Fire ~ “Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight.” ~ Phyllis Diller

Ire (According to Dictionary.com)
~ –noun ~ intense anger; wrath. ~ Synonyms: fury, rage, choler, spleen.

Page 19 ~ (Re-read these sections)

* Is it ever appropriate to be angry? Absolutely! It’s just…
* Kindness is a way to express feelings that’s more likely to be heard by…
* Truth is imperative. It’s our ticket to liberty…

Ephesians 4:15 (NIV) ~ Instead, speaking the truth in love, we will in all things grow up into him who is the Head, that is, Christ.

Page 20 ~

* We should always ask ourselves, “Is what I’m about to say wholly true?” “Wholly true” glimmers of Christ…

Page 23 ~

* Think about it; anger affects our appearance, our health, our sanity, and…

THINK ABOUT IT
* Who was the last person you saw who was furious?
* How did he or she look?
* What was the outcome of the fury?
* Did that person win?

Read 2 Peter 1:2-9

Re-Read 2 Peter 1:5-7

5For this very reason, make every effort to add to your faith goodness;
and to goodness, knowledge;

6and to knowledge, self-control;
and to self-control, perseverance;
and to perseverance, godliness;

7and to godliness, brotherly kindness;
and to brotherly kindness, love.

Does this sound like another verse in the Bible to you?

It sure does...it sounds a lot like the FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT, right? (Galatians 5:22-23)

List out what the Fruits of the Spirit are here:

22But the fruit of the Spirit is
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________
______________and
______________

Against such things there is no law.

THINK ABOUT IT
* Take some time to compare the Fruits of the Spirit with the virtues listed in 2 Peter 1:5-7.

* Write out or discuss your thoughts on each “virtue” (from 2 Peter 1:5-7) and how that applies to your life right now.

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Session #4 ~ Perils of Pauline ~ What I look forward to is continued immaturity followed by death. ~ Dave Berry

Page 27 ~

* Pity’s mantra is “self” – how I feel, what I think, what I want…

Page 29 ~
* Self-pity is a roadblock to maturity, not to mention that it keeps joy and…

3 Things to Tackle Pity

1) I have to: _________________________________

2) I have to: _________________________________

3) I have to: _________________________________

Read Philippians 1:21 ~ 21For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.

Page 30 ~
* I found it helpful to observe how others coped with disappointment and…

In the Study Guide on Page 129 it talks about finding some pity pals. Did you take the time to list out who those 2-3 ladies would be? If not, do so now.

List two or three friends you can call when you are feeling sorry for yourself. Chose those who will listen but won’t let you indulge. Reach out to them and ask if they would be your “pity pal”. Share with them how you’re working on this area of your life.

1) _________________________________
2) _________________________________
3) _________________________________

Page 33 ~
* Dear sisters, we don’t know what is in store for us either. But we do know…

Read Psalm 40:2-3

He lifted me out of the slimy pit,
out of the mud and mire;
he set my feet on a rock
and gave me a firm place to stand.

He put a new song in my mouth,
a hymn of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear
and put their trust in the LORD.

Hang with me here for a minute, would ya...

* When you are having a pity party and you are always sinking into the pit of despair it is really easy to get stuck in the mud and the muck. But HE lifts you out;
He lifted me out of the slimy pit, out of the mud and mire;

* Not only does HE lift you out HE places you in a safe spot where you can stand on your own two feet again.
he set my feet on a rock and gave me a firm place to stand.

* Did you ever notice when you are actually IN the pit that it is dark, sad, & lonely? Chances are while you are in the pit you aren't singing any praise songs either, right? But guess what...AFTER He lifts you out, the places your feet on a rock, He then;
He put a new song in my mouth, a hymn of praise to our God.

* Then, after you have been picked up out of the pit, set upon a rock to stand on, and the music comes back to your mouth, something even more amazing happens. Because ALL this time people have been watching you. No, not in a stalker sort of way, but in a "well, she says she's a Christian, but let's see what happens now that things are falling apart around her." way and guess what? Because of the way you handle yourself, get lifted out of the pit, start to stand on your feet again, and start singing His praises, this happens...
Many will see and fear and put their trust in the LORD.

Is that incredible or what?

This study has been SO rich in depth, words, and context...I pray you are taking the time to really let it soak in. No longer do we have to deal with IRE FIRE or the PERILS OF PAULINE because we are dealing with our emotions head on!

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I can't wait to meet y'all back here NEXT Friday as we talk about Session #5 Infinity Pool and Session #6 Chunky Monkey! Keep reading and keep untangling those zany emotions!

Seeking JOY on the Journey,

Rise Up ~ Part 2 ~ A Speak to My Soul Devotional

Part 2 of

RISE UP!

Battle Ready

This is part 2 of the Speak to My Soul Devotional called "Rise Up". If you haven't read it yet, click here to read through the first part. Thanks, Melissa

Ok, so, now you know that we are to RISE UP, but what does it take to become battle ready?

That is a great question and if we read on through Ephesians 6 it will tell us everything we need to know.

Ephesians 6:14-18 (NKJV)
Stand therefore, having girded your waist with truth, having put on the breastplate of righteousness,

15 and having shod your feet with the preparation of the gospel of peace;

16 above all, taking the shield of faith with which you will be able to quench all the fiery darts of the wicked one.

17 And take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God;

18 praying always with all prayer and supplication in the Spirit, being watchful to this end with all perseverance and supplication for all the saints—

I love this! It takes us step by step on how to prepare to RISE UP and get battle ready by putting on the whole armor of God.

The first thing you are going to do is put on the belt (gird your waist) of TRUTH! You have to stand on His promises and His truth in everything you do.

Then you are going to protect your chest by putting on the breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS. If you think about it, what does the breastplate protect…your heart, right? Keep your heart in the right place so you are being guided by Him.

Ok, so you have your belt of TRUTH, and your breastplate of RIGHTEOUSNESS on.

Next we are heading to our feet (we are women and we love our shoes, don’t we?) where we will cover our feet with the gospel of PEACE. We need to walk in peace in everything we do, we can’t be adding to the madness around us. Our goal is to be cool, calm, and collected while we shine HIS light to the world.

Now we have to shield ourselves with FAITH so that we can stay strong in the midst of the battle and the fiery darts that will come our way. I know that I know that I know that in the midst of these storms that the Creator of the Universe has me perfectly safe in the palms of His hands and that is so reassuring.

Ladies, this next piece of the armor is so important for us. We have to put on the helmet of SALVATION. We have to guard our minds if we are going to rise up and get battle ready! You and I both know that we can let our minds go to places they just don’t need to. The “what if’s” and “if only’s” can eat us up. Keep your mind focused on Him and let Him lead the way.

We also need to have the sword of the Spirit which is GOD’S WORD. When you are in the midst of these storms ladies you need to stay grounded in the Word of God. This is NOT the time to put your quiet time and Bible reading off to the side. This is the time when you need to be clinging to the Word, memorizing Scripture, and learning the Truth of who God really is.

The last piece in putting on the armor of God so that you can RISE UP and get battle ready is to spend time in PRAYER. Prayer is something that can move mountains, never forget about the power of prayer. Prayer is not just something for you to do in the morning, but something you could do all day long...not for Him, but for you!

I would love to tell you that it is going to be easy, but the reality is that it is probably not. The good news is this though…He has already won the battle for us all and when we rise up and get battle ready He promises to meet us right where we are.

What a great and beautiful gift that is.

If you don’t even know where to begin (I have been there, I know…it’s hard) you may want to start out by simply asking Him to give you the strength to get started. Once you make that first step you can prepare each and every day to RISE UP!

I’ll be praying for you as you begin to rise up and get battle ready…we need this! There are so many things we can do when we are battle ready for Him, for our families, for ourselves, but it all starts when we rise up!

Seeking JOY on the Journey,

PS - Continue to keep my mom in your prayers, please. Today is she is in surgery to tackle her breast cancer head on. Your prayers are appreciated and so important to me, thank you for rising up with me!

Photo Credit: Warrior Bride by Chris Fields

Wordless Wednesday ~ Science Fair

After 6 months of planning, research, data, building, studying, shuttling, and tons of work the County Science Fair came and went.

This is my oldest son Nick (he'll be 15 in a couple of days), and his Science Fair Project on "How Effective is Chiropractic Care?". He built an 8ft. display for it (PVC pipes and wood) and placed in the top 10 in his high school and 2nd in the County.

Needless to say we are thrilled and excited for him and oh so thankful that it is over (we have never done a science fair project like this at all...it was a learning experience for everyone).

For more Wordless Wednesday photos head on over to 5 Minutes for Mom!

Seeking JOY on the Journey,

Rise Up ~ A Speak to My Soul Devotional

RISE UP!

Battle Ready

You women who are so complacent, rise up and listen to me; you daughters who feel secure, hear what I have to say! ~ (Isaiah 32:9 NIV)

It seems to me that there are so many things that are trying to bring good people down these days. From failed marriages to a failed economy there is this barrage of “more” that hits us right at the heart and in the home each and every day.

I know this all too well because for me personally this has been a very tumultuous season in my life and in my ministry. The swells from the storms have been so fierce and so intense that there have been times when I just sit there with my head buried in my hands wondering when will it all end. Have you felt like that? You know that feeling where you just can’t take anymore.

In the last two weeks my world has been turned upside down. Instead of making me want to crawl in a hole and “give up” it has just made me mad! Enough is enough already! Less than two weeks ago, on the same day, my mom (who’s 57) was diagnosed with Breast Cancer and my grandmother (mom’s mom who is 86) was diagnosed with Bone Marrow Cancer.

I was completely devastated. Two of the strongest and most influential women in my life were both battling cancer. I couldn't breathe. I cried and cried (and not the pretty cry, but ugly cry that comes deep down from your soul) then I started to get…angry.

Ladies, there is a battle going on in our world right now. Yes, it is cancer, but it is also so many other things, and if we don’t RISE UP and start to get battle ready we are going to continue to ride the tumultuous waves as they crash down around us.

Friends, we are in a battle;
For our kids
For our finances
For our families
For our health
For our jobs
For our beliefs

In Ephesians 6:11 (NKJV) it says, “Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil.”

We can’t stand around any longer and pretend like everything is ok, because the reality is that it’s not. We are called to RISE UP and get battle ready each and every day. Unfortunately so many have been beaten down by life and struggle just to get up and go on with life, nevertheless to RISE UP and get battle ready.

I hear ya, believe me I do. But the reality of it all is that the battle wages on in and around us each and every day whether or not we even take the time to be aware of it. So, why not grab the bull by the horns and prepare for battle with me?

Come back tomorrow (Wednesday 3/4) to find out exactly how to get battle ready!

Until then take today to be praying about what you need to do to rise up in your life.

Seeking JOY on the Journey,

PS – My mom has her surgery tomorrow (Wednesday 3/4). I covet (and appreciate) your prayers for her to have a great surgery, an early appointment, for her lymph nodes to come back clear and normal, and for the family as we seek to rise up and stand beside her through this. Thank you dear friends, Melissa

Photo Credit: Flickr by ecinrebroxmyworld.net95

I Second That Emotion Reminder

Just a reminder...

We'll be meeting this week to talk about the following Chapters;

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Chapter 3 - Ice Fire ~ "Never go to bed mad. Stay up and fight" ~ Phyllis Diller

and

Chapter 4 - Perils of Pauline ~ "What I look forward to is continued immaturity followed by death." ~ Dave Berry

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We're meeting in South Florida on Thursday's at 10am and 7pm at PIC (click here for map)

and

Friday's here in Mel's World after 11am (EST) for comments and at 1pm (EST) for a Skype Group Chat.

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I can't wait to catch up with y'all to hear all about how you are "Untangling Your Zany Emotions".

Seeking JOY on the Journey,