Life is a roller coaster

[julieb]

Hi Ladies,

My name is Julie, I live in a plural marrage with Nathan and his other wife. We have been married for 20 years and have been a plural family for the last 10 years. I have an 11 year old son who is starting to work out being a teenager. I love him very much and am very proud of all the hard things he is learning to do in this time of his life.

I wanted to share an article with you ladies that I read on the Credenda/Agenda website. It is a very interesting site if you have never been there or read any of their publications. They are Calvinists I think, don't quote me on that though. Anyway they are very biblical and conservative in their view of the christian life. The site is their magazine put online. I like to read the femina column and the childer column. I wish I made more time for others but as of now not so much. A couple of days ago I read the #10 article under femina entitled, The Roller Coaster by Nancy Wilson. She talked about how we allow ourselves to have such "highs" in our life that we don't always prepare for the inevitable "low" it will bring in its wake. I could truly relate! I have found it something on my mind in the past years about how women deal with their emotions, namely myself. As a young adult I was taught that you should never really show any depression or anger towards others. It would be unchristian and showing that God wasn't blessing you for some reason. I was never taught about having a solid foundation of truth from God's Word in my mind so that when different emotions came I had something to ground me regarding them. I want to be a women who uses that Belt of Truth from my Spiritual Armor. I want to be joyous over some special event but i also want to be wise in the days before and in the days after when I am coming back to normal life. I want to lift my hands in joy but have my feet on solid ground. I want to be able to feel a burden in my heart and know that it can be felt with the knowledge of His comfort for me. I don't want to be overwhelmed with how difficult things can get without remembering that I can call on HIs name and he will bring peace to me. I have found it very interesting as an adult to read the Psalms. As a child I never seemed to notice the agonies that David was writing about, probably cause I wasn't old enough to have that many agonies myself, I just read about how Great God was at saving David or the Israelites. Well, you know you have to have something to be saved from to actually get saved!

I have gone on more than I intended. I just wanted to share these thoughts. How do you ground yourself when the enemy comes and tells you lies? Is your Belt of Truth in good shape or is it something you are polishing up? I recently talked with a close friend of mine that has embraced a lot of liberal christian views. I was at a loss of what to tell her in defense of my beliefs because so much of it was a matter of faith. God impressed upon me to start laying more of a foundation in my heart of the Truths that I believed. What were they anyway? Why did I believe what Jesus said in the Bible? How can these truths be used in my every day life? Do I really trust in them and therefore trust in HIm regarding things out of my control?

There I go again ....I will end with an invite to read this article, http://www.credenda.org/issues/11-4femina.php. Please share what your thoughts are on it.

Blessings,

Julie

 

[sweetlissa]

Hi Julie,
Thanks for the article. I read it and am still absorbing it. It seems so simple to plan ahead for the inevitible highs and lows, but I have never heard it put like that. Since I was raised by a woman who is an emotional wreck, I have always just let it all hang out. Now, since entering into a polygamous marriage, I find myself having to keep myself in check more than ever before. My husband and sisterwife are both stoic compared to me (which is not to say they are without emotions). They have learned over the years to harness their emotions and I am learning from that all the time. I think that seeing this subject in writing both in your post and in the article has given me a fresh desire to continue in this progress. Thanks.

Lissa

 

[Bikerbabe3]

Thanks for the link to that article. I printed it out and will read it later. Sounds like a good read so far.

 

[sisterwife2005]

Thanks for the link, I have read the article and will be doing so in the future also, I also looked over the site and think I will enjoy it as much as you are. This does seem like a very healthy reading site, something I have felt led to do in recent years. I think it's very important to read good wholesome things rather than to fill our minds with garbage.

Kara

 

[julieb]

Kara,
I am so glad you are enjoying reading Credenda/Agenda. It always makes me think! I wish at times that I had more "intelligence" to understand all that they write about. I guess understanding is better if you have to work for it!

Julieb

 

[Tali]

Julie, dear,

Thanks for the link, as well as your honesty and transparency. I have always been an emotional being, and pretty much have learned to keep my emotions in check when needed. But what I came to understand just recently is how much I allow "small anxieties" to rob me of my peace. I get into this whole shtick about performance and accomplishment, and walk around with a knot in my stomach and not even realize it. It doesn't show so much outwardly, but I know live below the abundant life for which Yeshua died.

I spend time with the Lord every day, "do all the right stuff," but sometimes if that "knot" were visible it would look like some weird appendage sticking out of my gut! One of the things I am going to do is start meditating upon God's word. Years ago I did Transcendental Meditation, and once I got saved, understandably threw that out. However, I think that focusing daily for a period of time on the promise of God's Word is exactly what David did, and I am going to see if that helps.

Just wanted you to know that you are greatly appreciated !

Blessings,
ali

 

[julieb]

Ali,
The expectations we put on ourselves is a heavy weight, is it not! It is certainly one of the "enemies" favorite areas to accuse me in. My hat goes off to you for being wise enough to admit the "knot" exists and to do something about it. I also wanted to tell you how much I enjoyed our brief time together last month. What a joy to met you! I hope that there will be longer moments together in the future.

Hope for the future,
Julieb