The Gifts of Imperfection – Brene’ Brown, Ph.D.,

Have you ever experienced an embarrassing situation like Brene’ Brown described when she spoke at the UP conference? 

Being misrepresented or misunderstood for who we are or for what we represent can be challenging for anyone. Pretending is easy. Facing the truth takes courage and work. 

Brene’ Brown was really bullied (in my opinion) into keeping her speech “light and breezy.”

Most people don’t want to dig deep to find out why they aren’t happy or why they live in fear and shame. They just want to keep things “light and breezy,” Instead, they just want to know “how to” be happy and fulfilled. 

” I’m not about the “how-to” because in ten years, I’ve never seen any evidence of “how-to” working without talking about the things that get in the way.”

What “things” are getting in your way?

“We don’t change, we don’t grow, and we don’t move forward without the work. If we really want to live a joyful, connected, and meaningful life, we must talk about things that get in the way.”

What work do you need to begin to live a joyful, connected and meaningful life?

“If we want to live and love with our whole hearts, and if we want to engage with the world from a place of worthiness, we have to talk about the things that get in the way—especially shame, fear, and vulnerability.”

Do you have someone you feel comfortable talking to about the things that are getting in your way? If not, please contact me through email, text or PM. The first step to freedom begins with the courage to share your story. There are many resources available.

Life Church – Pastor Craig Groeschel

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4;

It is easy to fall into fear when life gets hard. My mind immediately goes to imagining all the worst possible bad scenarios of whatever situation I am going through. I have to stop,  pray and ask the Holy Spirit to cover my mind with peace and understanding.

Reminding ourselves of the power and goodness of God can help calm and strengthen us during times we may feel overcome by the troubles in our life.

Geneva Study Bible gives the following description:

Ye are of God, little children, and have overcome them: because greater is he that is in you is greater than he that is in the world.

He comforts the elect with a most sure hope of victory: but yet so, that he teaches them that they fight not with their own power, but with the virtue and power of God.

When I go through great trials, reading the Word of God and remembering all the times God has helped me in the past, it brings me great encouragement. I am reminded of God’s  faithfulness, no matter where I am in life.  I may get discouraged, but, the love and power of God never change. Even powerful prophets of God sometimes became tired and discouraged.

In 2 King 19 the Prophet Elijah became weary:

3 Elijah was afraid and fled for his life. He went to Beersheba, a town in Judah, and he left his servant there. 4 Then he went on alone into the wilderness, traveling all day. He sat down under a solitary broom tree and prayed that he might die. “I have had enough, Lord,” he said. “Take my life, for I am no better than my ancestors who have already died.”

If you continue reading 2 Kings 19 even though Elijah has become despondent God pursues him. God still feeds him and God still strengthens him. God will do the same for you. WHY? Because, God living in you is greater than the enemy trying to convince you — you can’t go on. God in you will reveal His truth to you when Satan fires his lies at you! 

You, dear children, are from God and have overcome them, because the one who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world. 1 John 4:4

Copyright Statement

These files are public domain.

Text Courtesy of BibleSupport.com. Used by Permission.

Bibliographical Information

Beza, Theodore. “Commentary on 1 John 4:4”. “The 1599 Geneva Study Bible”. https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/gsb/1-john-4.html. 1599-1645.

Love starts with God-He initiates it! His love fills us when the Holy Spirit comes to live in us when we trust in Him. This love, then overflows from us to others. Filled with His love, we become motivated, and energized to share it with others.

1,  Every person who believes that Jesus is, in fact, the Messiah, is God-born.

2.  The proof that we love God becomes evident in how we treat people.

3. We cannot truly love God while truly neglecting those who are created in His image.

4. Eternal life comes from facts, not feelings. We can know we have eternal life, if we believe God’s truth and have accepted Jesus as our Savior.

5. When we pray to God, we shouldn’t demand what we want; rather we should ask Him for what He wants for us.

6. When Christians commit sin, they should seek forgiveness and repent.

7. Keep away from anything that might take God’s place in your life.

New Living Translation

“To begin by always thinking of love as an action rather than a feeling is one way in which anyone using the word in this manner automatically assumes accountability and responsibility”. ~ BELL HOOKS

Professing Love  Practicing Love

In our study the author Brene’ Brown confesses something I am guilty of “When I’m tired or stressed, I can be mean and blaming—especially toward my husband, Steve. If I truly love Steve (and, oh man, I do), then how I behave every day is as important, if not more important, than saying “I love you” every day. When we don’t practice love with the people we claim to love, it takes a lot out of us. Incongruent living is exhausting.”

Do you ever find it hard to always practice love?

I must admit I do. I wish I could tell you I continually flow full of the fruits of the Holy Spirit and I am always patient, kind and loving. The truth is-I am not! I really struggle some days. I have to continually keep myself in check.  Several Joyce Meyer’s books have been a great help to me. Email me and I will be happy to send you a list (ejstand@gmai.com).

Can We Love Others More Than We Love Ourselves?

“Renae Cobb, a therapist-in-training by day and an undercover writer and occasional blog contributor by night, wrote:

‘Certainly, the people we love inspire us to heights of love and compassion that we might have never achieved otherwise, but to really scale those heights, we often have to go to the depths of who we are, light/shadow, good/evil, loving/destructive, and figure out our own stuff in order to love them better. So I’m not sure it’s an either/or but a both/and. We love others fiercely, maybe more than we think we love ourselves, but that fierce love should drive us to the depths of ourselves so that we can learn to be compassionate with ourselves.’”

Should we love others more than ourselves?

I really would like to know your thoughts? The new trend now is “self love.”

Is it Biblical? Is it healthy physically?

What is your view?  Please let me know.

1. What marvelous love the Father has extended to us!
2. The world doesn’t recognize us or take us seriously, because it has no idea who God is or what He’s up to.
3. We are: children of God
4. No one who lives deeply in Christ makes a practice of sin. None of those who do practice sin have taken a good look at Christ. They’ve got him all backward.
5. People born again and brought into life by God don’t make a practice of sin.
6. Anyone who hates a brother or sister is a murderer, and we know very well that eternal life and murder don’t go together.
7. If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it, but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.
8.  Let’s don’t just talk about love; let’s practice real love. 
9. As we keep God’s commands, we live deeply and surely in Him, and He lives in us. And this is how we experience His deep and abiding presence in us: by the Holy Spirit he gave us.