Took a look back:
I wrote a post called Life: Learning How To Ride The Wave
At times during the year, I take time to look back and see where I’ve been and what I’ve come through, because I wrote so much in journals, fb posts, blog posts, now also Substack. (Uhhh, yeah, I do really love to write.) I have the opportunity to look back at lessons, truths, and stuff I’ve yet to overcome.
This one was one-year 2017 – where we struggled financially and wondered how we would make it:
“We started looking for the paths of least resistance. Little side jobs that came in that paid all the bills one month. The time my husband took a job that was good work but felt off after a while and he was let go, but that employment kept us afloat for a little while longer. As people in our church began to hear about our struggle, we went through a time of learning to let the body of Christ take care of us. These people helped pay our mortgage one month, bought our son school clothes and supplies, and put food on our table many nights.”
This part feels especially meaningful to me because it captures a time when we had to rely on faith, community, and the support of others to get through a difficult period. It’s a reminder of how trust and gratitude, even in the midst of hardship, can lead to breakthroughs. The imagery of “paddling with purpose” is something that resonates deeply because it symbolizes persistence, faith, and the hope that, eventually, we would reach the breakthrough we were praying for.
And we made it! God is good. This post has helpful understanding of the process when life is hard.
I took a look at Wisdom (most recent Substack post):
Wrote a post over at Substack: https://starlalala77.substack.com/p/wisdom-for-the-blessed
If wisdom is for us and not our fruit. Wisdom is how we gain understanding and grow. And what we grow can then be given away to others as wisdom for their growth.
Starla
Give thanks challenge update:
Only 5 more days to go and then we switch to ADVENT! I will be doing an advent series over at Substack. If you are not signed up for my Substack, you can do that here:
https://starlalala77.substack.com/about
Something I’ve been pondering:
I’ve been dealing with some sad feelings that I have stuffed for a while. As a slower pace of living has come as it does every year, the pace also reveals the truth, the actuality, the reality of what’s been hidden under the surface of the fast pace of spring and summer. So, I’ve been pondering how are we supposed to deal with feelings. Let’s start with a common premise:
Some people will tell you not to trust your feelings.
Some people will tell you follow your heart.
But the Bible tells us in Proverbs 3:5 Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding.
It also says, Jeremiah 17:9 The heart is deceitful and wicked above all things, who can know it?
In the commentary portion of this verse in the Geneva Bible it says this: Because the wicked have ever some excuses to defend their doings, he shows that their own lewd imaginations deceive them and bring them to these inconveniences: but God will examine their deeds by the malice of their hearts.
Our hearts will deceive us. Convincing us that we are doing the right thing, when scripture clearly tells us that the actions we’ve taken are the wrong thing. Our hearts will stand proud that we are in the right, when God is calling us to humble ourselves and seek His way through all we go through. So, what do we do?
Many will just flat out ignore their feelings, but I don’t think that is the correct way either. The Bible shows us how people responded in their feelings. It displays for us over and over the way people responded to situations expressing their fear, anger, hurt, displeasure, and disappointment. The actuality is there for us to read. Ignoring our feelings and flipping them into a virtuous action without process is not healthy, nor is it helpful. Is this not also, leaning on our own understanding? Just because we know what the “right behavior” is doesn’t mean we are walking in it in actuality, when our hearts “are” fearful, angry, hurt, displeased, and disappointed. Isn’t this the definition of say one thing and do another. Our hearts yelling how we actually feel but we ignore it and do something else.
Galatians 3:6 If anyone thinks they are something when they are not, they deceive themselves.
To me, this is exactly what happens when I am hurt by someone. I choose not to say anything because I don’t like conflict and instead, I choose the action of “give them grace” and I let it go thinking I have done something virtuous. How do I know that I have deceived myself? Because the next time this person hurts me, and since I didn’t choose to walk together in relationship “with” them and “go through the process” together, in actuality and reality, the prior hurt comes flying up to add to the current hurt. A root of bitterness is there. Not the grace I pretended to have.
Is it right to give grace? Yes. But when God gives grace. We know what we did was wrong, we are guilty, we’ve owned it, repented and He offers grace – He gives us mercy that we don’t deserve and chooses to love us anyway. And we come away from the experience relieved of our guilt, knowing we are really loved, and changed by the experience. We’ve learned from it. We grew through what we went through.
This is not what happens when I choose to ignore my feelings.
Luke 12:2 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, or hidden that will not be made known.
What actually happened in my heart comes flying to the surface and reveals based on what side of this I am on that I didn’t forgive, give grace, or have mercy. or I didn’t repent, I didn’t own my side of this, and I lied. I deceived myself.
Whoever claims to love God yet hates a brother or sister is a liar. For whoever does not love their brother and sister, whom they have seen, cannot love God, whom they have not seen.
1 John 4:20
How do we love our brothers and sisters?
2 Corinthians 13:11 Finally, brothers and sisters, rejoice! Strive for full restoration, encourage one another, be of one mind, live in peace. And the God of love and peace will be with you.
Full restoration with God and with each other. Encouraging one another to live this way. Being of one mind in unity. Living in peace with each other. This is the way we walk healthy. This is how we, to finish the scripture from the start:
Proverbs 3:6 In all your ways acknowledge Him,
And He shall direct your paths.
In all the ways you have the myriads of feelings – acknowledge Him and He will direct our path!
Thanks for Listening,
Starla
Sunday2Monday 