God Lovers! week one

Welcome to the first week of God-Lovers! Maybe you were here last week for the first post or maybe you weren't, but sit back, maybe scroll down to the bottom to turn on some of the music I've got, and get ready to read. :) If you were able to fit in your chapters for this week, good for you, if you didn't, it's totally fine. You don't have to know everything that you learned from these chapters for these posts.

I told you last week that I would tell you which chapter I liked the most from that week and have some questions for you to answer. You can comment below with your answers to the questions or you can keep them private and scribble them out in a journal if you like. Do what's most comfortable for you. :) So, the chapter that stuck out most to me was Proverbs 4.

Above all else, guard you heart,

for it is the wellspring of life.

[Proverbs 4:23]

This week has been a week of emotion in my mind and heart. I struggle a lot with trust - which means I struggle a lot with guarding my heart.

Who\what to let in,

who\what to take out,

and who\what to stay away from.

And when I can't guard my heart it doesn't do any good for my "wellspring of life." Instead of making "my frown turn upside down", it stays where it is. Everything goes down hill instead back up. My emotions is an ongoing elevator. Up, down, up, down. Most of the time, I'm in between.

I've let a lot of people, things, and thoughts into my heart. I've let them tell me who I am and what I'm going to become. And in the end, I end up back at Level One - the bottom of the elevator. That's when my thoughts start to clog and I get depressed. That's where the feelings in my heart start to come out and start to really ache.

It's when I feel really empty, alone, hollow. Like no one is there. Almost as if I yell into myself and no one calls back, just my echo.

(source)

The picture above is me.

That's been my heart.

That's been my thoughts.

That's been me.

Not a very happy picture, is it?

Let your eyes look straight ahead,

fix your gaze directly before you.

Make level paths for your feet

and take only the ways that are firm.

Do not swerve to the right or the left;

keep your foot from evil.

[Proverbs 4: 25-27]

I don't know what's going to happen to me two weeks or two years from now. I don't know what will happen tomorrow or in a month.

I only know what has happened.

And it's my choice if I want it to keep dragging me down.

Or if I want it to help pick me up.

Because who I was yesterday was what made me who I am today.

And what I am today will make who I am tomorrow.

So I'm keeping my gaze fixed on Jesus. I've tried it my way by letting things into my heart that I thought would convince me I'm pretty, good enough, or better than somebody else. I've had my way and it didn't work. I'm letting what I've held onto, go, and grabbing onto what will always hold me.

Jesus.

Even though guarding my heart and cleaning out my mind is a daily battle, I can make me into a better person as long as what I'm keeping in me is what

Jesus says is good.

I can renew my "wellspring of life" with Jesus. I can guard my heart when Jesus holds the key to it. I can keep on going in life, down that road, even when the path doesn't seem to have an end. I'll hold onto the trust in my heart.

Questions:

What verses\chapters stuck out to you in these past few chapters?

Do you have a hard time with trust? Why?

What have you let be #1 in you heart? Was it good to let in? Why?

Continue reading Proverbs 6 today and Proverbs 7 tomorrow. Here is next weeks schedule:

Saturday: October 8th, Read Proverbs 8

Sunday: October 9th, Read Proverbs 9

Monday: October 10th, Read Proverbs 10

Tuesday: October 11th, Read Proverbs 11

Wednesday:October 12th, Read Proverbs 12

Thursday: October 13th, Read Proverbs 13

Friday: October 14th, Read Proverbs 14

See you next Thursday, God-Lovers! :)

lots of hugs, emma