Give me all the verses... I need them! In part 2 of this conversation on biblical emotions, Jen, Emily, and Steph share their favorite Bible verses that have led them to process their feelings in a godly way and train their children to do the same. You'll want your pen and paper out for this one!

First there is a fantastic, no-prep Valentine's tradition to embrace and a prayer for when you are feeling like your mundane doesn't matter or you can't muster up joy for the day.

Scripture Referenced:

Psalm 90:12-17

Galatians 5:19-22

Matthew 5:2-12

Psalm 131:2

John 14:27

Jeremiah 17:7-9

Isaiah 49:14-50:3

Romans 12:2

Romans 8:6

Colossians 3:1-2

Luke 24:17, 32-35

Matthew 6:25-34

Ephesians 4:2

Hebrews 13:5-6

Book Mentioned:

God's Smuggler

Wanting more biblical wisdom? We're so glad you asked! Check out our biblical parenting study: Entrusted with a Child's Heart

They're the joyful agains our children shout on the swings, the

2

exhausting agains of cooking and laundry,

and the difficult agains of discipline.

3

So much of what we do

as mothers is on repeat.

4

So what if we woke up with clarity,

knowing which agains we were called

5

to, and went to bed believing we

are faithful in what matters most?

6

We believe God's Word is

the key to untangle from the

7

confusion and overwhelm we feel.

8

Let's look up together to embrace a

motherhood full of freedom and joy.

9

Welcome back to the again,

podcast from entrusted ministries.

10

where we believe that what moms do

over and over truly matters to God.

11

I'm Stephanie Hickox, and in this

conversation, I'm joined by Jen

12

Frechman and Emily Dio, as we

continue to discuss biblical emotions

13

and how to handle our own Emotions

and the emotions of our children.

14

In this portion of our conversation,

we are going to fire hose our favorite

15

scriptures that the Lord has brought us to

handle all the fields in a more godly way.

16

This episode is a little bit

shorter because we know we have

17

a lot of scripture coming at you.

18

Don't forget to check the show notes.

19

So you can remember those references.

20

Before we get to the episode, I would

love to share a really fun Valentine's

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idea I got from my friend, Amy.

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Each year on Valentine's day in her home,

she has each of the family members take

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turns standing in the center of the living

room, right on top of the coffee table.

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And then everyone spends a few moments

speaking into that person's life about

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how they see God working and how their

character is shining for the Lord.

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She says it's such a pivotal moment

in their family, and it's one of

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her favorite traditions all year.

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That's an easy one.

29

You can pull off this

Valentine's Day with no prep.

30

Also, I want to acknowledge

that sometimes, in the middle

31

of these winter months, it can

get dreary and discouraging.

32

I've been blessed by meditating

on a prayer in Psalm 90 lately.

33

It begins, So teach us to number our

days, that we may get a heart of wisdom.

34

Return, O Lord, how long?

35

Have pity on your servants.

36

Satisfy us in the morning with

your steadfast love that we may

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rejoice and be glad all our days.

38

Make us glad for as many days

as you have afflicted us.

39

And for as many years as we have

seen evil, let your works be

40

shown to your servants and your

glorious power to their children.

41

Let the favor of the Lord, our

God be upon us and establish

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the work of our hands upon us.

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Yes, establish the work of our hands.

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This has been so powerful to me

lately because it acknowledges

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we will have afflictions and

we will see evil on this earth.

46

And yet every day, the steadfast love of

the Lord can satisfy us and give us joy.

47

We're not going to reach a point in

our Christian walk where we don't

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need the Lord to refresh and renew

us Approach the throne of grace with

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confidence knowing that he longs to

give it to us And then, of course, when

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it says, let your power and glorious

works be shown to our children.

51

Amen.

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We're all longing for that, right?

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And then establish the work of our hands.

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We need that as moms, Lord, and all we

are doing in these agains and agains,

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would you establish the work of our hands?

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May it be built on the foundation of you.

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And now I'll take you to part two of that

conversation on emotions, where I get

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a little bit more personal, and then we

share so many incredible scriptures the

59

Lord has used to minister to our hearts.

60

Be blessed.

61

Steph: I have a personal testimony

where the Lord has actually

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radically transformed my thinking

on emotions the past six months.

63

I, did not realize it, but I

definitely believed subconsciously

64

that emotions were wrong.

65

It was wrong to show emotions.

66

I didn't really feel that way about

other people, but, that was a message

67

I realized there were so many heavy

things in my life that I was battling

68

between the changes in my husband due

to his MS and mostly being almost single

69

working mother and dealing with so Many

things on my own with the Lord's support,

70

of course, and really not having any break

to process or to deal with any of it.

71

And people would say to

me, have you grieved?

72

Have you grieved?

73

Yeah, you can look at my schedule.

74

When would you do that?

75

I'm pressing into the Lord.

76

I promise.

77

But I don't really know when I would

grieve or, are there groups for that?

78

I'm sure there are, but.

79

Who would watch my children so

I could go it's been tricky.

80

The Lord has been so faithful, but I've

noticed I just kept having the emotions

81

bubble up and it felt like almost any

time someone asked me, how are you Steph?

82

I would just start to get tears in

my eyes and it was like, stop it.

83

Do not cry you're fine.

84

And I would be so frustrated and ashamed.

85

And I think looking back, it was like,

I have this pot on the stove and it's

86

simmering and it's simmering, but the

pressures of life and the circumstances

87

of life, the flame would get turned

up and I'm just pushing the lid down.

88

Don't boil over, don't boil over.

89

And it would bubble up

and it would bubble up.

90

And I would say, stop it.

91

I did feel like I'm, I'm

making it obedient to Christ.

92

It's wrong to be so sad about this.

93

Don't feel sorry for yourself.

94

Don't be discouraged, all of the

things that feel godly to say.

95

And It just wasn't working and I

realized even I would have shame over

96

I'm not going to journal like I realized

that's why I don't like journaling

97

because why would I write down my

emotions if I think that they're wrong.

98

It's hard to process through that so

I would be very quick to identify the

99

emotion I was feeling and to take it

to the Lord and process it with him.

100

But to actually let myself feel deeply

and not feel shame over that was

101

something I was really struggling with.

102

And the Lord just really

helped make me aware of that.

103

If it's not wrong then for me to take

my grief to him and to really empty

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out my heart before him, then now that

brings up so much freedom that I don't

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have to be the pot bubbling up anymore.

106

I can empty myself out.

107

I can pour myself out at his feet.

108

That really for me was transformative.

109

And I was working with a biblical

counselor through a lot of these issues

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and I think that's helpful in seasons

for sure when we're dealing with heavier

111

things and she's been fantastic for me,

112

In one session, I recall sharing this

revelation with her and she said, what

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did you think that the Psalms were?

114

And I explained how I had believed

that everything that David or the

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Psalmist would be pouring out was

sharing all the ungodliness so that

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at the end they could get to the godly

part of acknowledging God's holiness

117

and his sovereignty and his goodness.

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And she helped me realize that that

whole process of taking it to the

119

Lord is godly because it's effective.

120

even our culture right now is realizing

the benefit of lamenting and grieving.

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And as we said earlier, if the

purpose of emotions is to connect us

122

with God, we need to embrace that.

123

Even if the emotion itself does

need to be sanctified or does need

124

to be made obedient to Christ, if

we actually sit in it for a second.

125

and make sure that he does

help us get to the root of it.

126

Then it can be healed

and we can move past it.

127

But if we jump over it too quickly,

trying to fast forward through this

128

process, we're not having true fellowship

with him and we're not going to

129

experience freedom from the emotion.

130

Emily: hmm.

131

And this is very different than

saying all emotions are good.

132

Biblically, there are many

emotions that are condemned.

133

Jealousy and envy are a few examples.

134

But we do still want to get to the root

of those issues, even when it is sinful.

135

But that whole process of taking it to Him

can be a godly process that we don't need

136

to be ashamed of and fast forward through.

137

Emily: Yes.

138

Steph: There are so many scriptures that

we could say that deal with emotions

139

or that the Lord has used to meet us

in our emotions, we're gonna fire

140

hose them, let's just throw out verses.

141

Emily, you said you were

thinking of Galatians.

142

Emily: Yes, I have Galatians 5 22 but

the fruit of the spirit is love, joy,

143

peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness,

faithfulness, gentleness, and self

144

control against such there is no law.

145

I love this verse because I feel like

they're listed in this order of you have

146

to have love and then love to joy and then

joy to peace and then so on and so forth.

147

And then you get to the

bottom With self control.

148

I love that gentleness

comes before self control.

149

Because I feel like where there is no

gentleness without God in the center.

150

And then there is no self control

without the gentleness of his goodness.

151

So I love that self control is at the end

and that just speaks to everything above.

152

Yes.

153

That's so good.

154

Would you read the prior two verses also?

155

Emily: Yes, the acts of the flesh

are obvious sexual immorality,

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impurity, and debauchery, idolatry.

157

And witchcraft, hatred, discord,

jealousy, fits of rage selfish ambition,

158

dissension, factions, and envy,

drunkenness, orgies, and the like.

159

I warn you, as I did before, that those

who live like this will not inherit.

160

The kingdom of God.

161

And then we have the contrast

below, but the fruit of the spirit

162

is love, joy, peace, forbearance,

kindness, goodness, faithfulness,

163

gentleness, and self control.

164

I'm, there is no, no further polar

opposites than the list of the acts of

165

the flesh and the fruit of the spirit.

166

It's just like light and

darkness on one page.

167

Steph: And it, those verses make it

so clear that emotions can be negative

168

and the things we feel can be negative.

169

And if they're We have to be so

careful because so often sin starts

170

in our minds and in our hearts.

171

And if we believe that what we

feel isn't wrong, then that can

172

often lead to sinful actions.

173

So when it says then in verse 24,

and those who belong to Christ,

174

Jesus have crucified the flesh

with its passions and desires.

175

We.

176

Sometimes it's painful to tell

yourself you don't deserve any

177

of those things that you want.

178

Those are not good desires.

179

Those are evil desires.

180

And to choose love and patience in

hard times, because that's what the

181

Lord has called us to, and that's

what Christ modeled on this earth.

182

Emily: Yes.

183

It's constantly dying to the list

above so we can have the list below.

184

Jen: Totally.

185

I love that.

186

It's true.

187

That's so good because that's

all in us apart from Christ.

188

It's all in us.

189

It's all there.

190

Emily: Yes.

191

I just got excited because you don't

have to dig very deep that top list.

192

You don't have to dig very deep to find

that, but you do have to do dig deep.

193

And be surrendered to the Holy

Spirit to have that second list.

194

Steph: Mm and isn't it scary to see

envy in the middle of some of those

195

or jealousy in the middle of those?

196

You're like, it makes it, you realize

how wrong those things are and obviously,

197

if we go back to the Ten Commandments,

we're told coveting, the Lord has

198

warned us about that from Exodus.

199

Emily: Yes.

200

Steph: I thought of the Beatitudes,

blessed are the poor in spirit for

201

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

202

Blessed are those who mourn

for they shall be comforted.

203

Blessed are the meek for

they shall inherit the earth.

204

Blessed are those who hunger

and thirst for righteousness

205

for they shall be satisfied.

206

Blessed are the merciful for

they shall receive mercy.

207

Blessed are the pure in

heart for they shall see God.

208

Blessed are the peacemakers, for

they shall be called sons of God.

209

Blessed are those who are persecuted

for righteousness sake, for

210

theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

211

And blessed are you when others revile you

and persecute you and utter all kinds of

212

evil against you, falsely on my account.

213

Rejoice and be glad, for your reward is

great in heaven, for so they persecuted

214

the prophets who were before you.

215

It might not have a ton of emotions

named in those verses, Other than the

216

mourning and comforting and rejoicing,

but I hear emotion with every situation

217

and the depth of pain that you feel

in all of those things or the pure

218

heartedness and the hope of seeing

the Lord in your circumstances.

219

Jesus is so tender.

220

And meeting his people where they're

at and promising himself and also

221

that he came to experience all of

the things that we experience and

222

did it perfectly without temptation.

223

But he's so compassionate

towards us as we deal with them.

224

Jen: That's great.

225

I'm reminded of the verse in

Psalm 131 that says, I have

226

calmed and quieted my soul.

227

And if you think about what is my soul,

my mind, my will, and my emotions.

228

And okay.

229

We calm our minds.

230

We talked about that,

taking our thoughts captive.

231

Our will.

232

That's the faculty of our mind by

which we like actually determine

233

whether we're going to do something

or not, whether we're going to

234

restrain on an action or not deciding

whether to do the good or the bad.

235

And making that calm down and be like,

all right, what am I going to do?

236

How am I going to handle this?

237

And then our emotions obviously are just

by stopping the roller coaster of our

238

emotions, maybe taking a deep breath,

reading scripture, singing a hymn, doing

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yoga, like any part of you that, that.

240

to calm you down your emotions, but then

it's interesting because as we wait on

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him, most often he changes our hearts

before he even changes the situation, if

242

he even is going to change the situation.

243

So just remembering in the moments of

we are being charged to calm our own

244

souls down and to take those thoughts

captive to him, but also realizing

245

that the situation may not change.

246

But my heart very well

needs to be changed.

247

So true.

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Steph: I love in John 14,

27, Jesus says, peace.

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I leave with you my peace.

250

I give to you not as the world gives.

251

Do I give to you?

252

Let not your hearts be troubled.

253

Neither.

254

Let them be afraid.

255

And it's hard because again,

he's, he promises we're going

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to have trouble in this world.

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But he still promises us peace in it.

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People so often quote verse nine, but

I'm going to start at verse seven and

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Jeremiah 17 blessed is the man who trusts

in the Lord, whose trust is the Lord.

260

He is like a tree planted by water

that sends out its roots by the stream

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and does not fear when he comes for

its leaves remain green and is not

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anxious in the year of drought for

it does not cease to bear fruit.

263

The heart is deceitful above

all things and desperately sick.

264

Who can understand it?

265

I the Lord search the heart and test the

mind to give every man according to his

266

ways, according to the fruit of his deeds.

267

And I think this is a picture of someone

who's planted themselves in the Lord.

268

So you're meeting with him regularly,

you have the fruit of that relationship.

269

So when the trial comes, when the

heat comes, when there's drought,

270

you're not getting fearful.

271

You're not getting anxious

because you have that time tested

272

relationship that he is good.

273

And so that's why you don't trust

in your emotions, even though it's

274

acknowledging That there is a reason to

fear right you have the circumstances

275

you can see the circumstances They

are scary, but you're not gonna fear

276

because you're trusting in the Lord

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Emily: hmm.

278

Jen: Amen.

279

Emily: that's so good.

280

Jen: I have this devotional

that goes through.

281

The book of Isaiah.

282

And so for the day that we were discussing

Isaiah 49, 14 through Isaiah 50.

283

Verse three, this is what the

author said, and it's so good.

284

Talking to yourself, we used to

say, is the first sign of madness.

285

Far from it.

286

Rather, it's an important sign

of Christian common sense,

287

depending, of course, on what

you are saying to yourself.

288

Paul puts it another way when he

says that we are transformed by the

289

renewing of our mind in Romans 12, 2.

290

And, of course, The mind is only renewed

by thinking of new and renewing topics.

291

If we talk to ourselves about worldly

things, we develop a worldly mind.

292

If we focus on things above,

we develop a heavenly mind.

293

Colossians 3, 1 through 2.

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We can cultivate the mind of the

flesh or the mind of the spirit.

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Romans 8, 6, every thought entertained

disposes our minds in that direction.

296

It matters what we talk

to ourselves about.

297

And today in particular.

298

What do we say to ourselves when things

go from bad to worse and despondency

299

takes over the natural tendency,

and it often seems strong beyond

300

resistance is to retire, hurt, and

moan to ourselves how terrible and

301

unfair life is and to chew the fat.

302

So they say go that way.

303

And despondency feeds on itself and

deepens and darkens by the minute.

304

Don't do it.

305

Isaiah would counsel us.

306

Feed your mind on the promises of God.

307

Tell yourself all that

he has pledged to do.

308

Hold on to his word.

309

Look at the four promises

in today's scripture.

310

He never forgets us, verse 14 through 16.

311

He will increase his

church, 17 through 23.

312

He will give it victory

over the world, 24 to 26.

313

And he will ransom us from

every alien power, 1 through 3.

314

Somewhere in that list, you can

position yourself in every situation.

315

The Lord's therapy is to bring us by

means of his word pondered and understood

316

out of depression and the downcast

face, Luke 24, 17 into the burning

317

heart, the buoyant step and the assured

testimony, Luke 24, 32 through 35.

318

I just thought that was so great.

319

I copied that entire thing.

320

And I.

321

Circle I wrote renew my mind and I circled

it and I put that in like my little

322

journal of prayers that I read when I'm

feeling different things that I'm like,

323

Oh, I don't have the words to do this.

324

I need to redirect my

heart towards the Lord.

325

And it's like my own little every moment.

326

Holy.

327

I just tuck that away for those

times when I'm like, my mind

328

is racing and I am not able to.

329

Take these thoughts even captive

because I don't even know what

330

one to take captive first.

331

Steph: Yeah.

332

Jen: Been so helpful for me.

333

Steph: Yeah.

334

That's really beautiful.

335

I love Isaiah.

336

Matthew 6.

337

And it says therefore I tell you, do

not be anxious about your life, what

338

you will eat or what you will drink, nor

about your body, what you will put on.

339

Is not life more than food and

the body more than clothing?

340

Look at the birds of the air.

341

They neither sow nor reap, nor

gather into barns, and yet your

342

heavenly father feeds them.

343

Are you not of more value than they?

344

And which of you by being anxious can

add a single hour to his span of life?

345

And why are you anxious about clothing?

346

Consider the lilies of

the field, how they grow.

347

They neither toiled nor spin yet, I

tell you, even Solomon and all his

348

glory was not arrayed like one of these.

349

But if God so clothes the grass of the

field, which today is alive, and tomorrow

350

is thrown into the oven, will he not much

more clothe you, O you of little faith?

351

Therefore do not be anxious, saying,

What shall we eat, or what shall

352

we drink, or what shall we wear?

353

For the Gentiles seek after all

these things, and your heavenly

354

Father knows that you need them.

355

But seek first the kingdom of God

and His righteousness, and all

356

these things will be added unto you.

357

Therefore do not be anxious

about tomorrow, for tomorrow

358

will be anxious for itself.

359

Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.

360

I think about how much time I've spent

thinking about how to care well for

361

my children's bodies, how to feed them

well, how to just bless the, those

362

little bodies or to bless my body.

363

And God is sovereign and he's good.

364

And I come back to that passage so

often and it just brings me like instant

365

peace to trust him with those things.

366

Jen: There's a book called God Smuggler.

367

This is one of our favorite

books as in our homeschool.

368

And one of the things that I loved a

quote in there said, Help me learn to

369

talk more about the goodness of you.

370

Then the problems in my heart,

and I thought that was so great.

371

Like just reminding us to constantly

be talking about the goodness of God.

372

And that doesn't mean that we

ignore all the problems that go

373

on by any means, but you know what

I'm talking about when you are.

374

in your mind, just all the

problems that you have and how

375

hard your life is at this moment.

376

We've all been there.

377

We're all where we throw a pity

party in our minds for ourselves.

378

I've done that.

379

I've definitely been like, God, why are

you making this so hard on me right now?

380

Can you just ease up and let a few things

go well, but in those moments, just to

381

remind myself I want to talk about the

goodness of God more than my problems.

382

I just want to, I want to focus on him.

383

Because I do know and I do believe

and I do trust in the depths of

384

my heart that he is working all

things together for my good.

385

Even when I don't feel it, even

when I don't see it, it's easy to

386

focus sometimes on our problems.

387

Emily: I love Ephesians 4, 2.

388

And it, it says, be completely

humble and gentle, be patient,

389

bearing one another in love.

390

And I, I love it because anytime it speaks

to, first of all, being humble and gentle,

391

I just find that so endearing in the word.

392

I think because it's so Anti Where

we're at in culture right now.

393

And so I love be humble and gentle,

but but in right in the middle, , it

394

speaks to being patient and and it's

sometimes very hard to be patient.

395

We want to get places faster.

396

We want to heal quicker.

397

We want the trial to go away.

398

But God brings us to these places

of sometimes, honestly, desperation.

399

So he can teach us how

to be patient in him.

400

And so I love that middle part

that speaks to being patient.

401

And then it ends with bearing

with one another in love.

402

And I, I just, when I read that, I often

picture like someone coming alongside

403

you and just saying, picking up your,

your anxiety with you or your hurt or

404

your pain and, and bearing it with you.

405

And I love that picture.

406

Steph: Yeah.

407

There's a lot of laying down of emotions

to be able to get to that point.

408

If probably consistently.

409

Hebrews 13, five and six.

410

It says, I will never

leave you nor forsake you.

411

So we can confidently say the

Lord is my helper, I will not

412

fear what can man do to me.

413

Emily: hmm.

414

That's so comforting.

415

Steph: I was even thinking about the

introduction of so many of the letters

416

when they say grace and peace to you.

417

And.

418

That was just today.

419

I was like, wow, how often it's like they

know we need peace on this earth We know

420

just living on this earth it we have to

meditate on the Lord to maintain peace

421

Emily: hmm.

422

Yeah, in every, in every age that

man has lived and in every stage.

423

It doesn't matter maintaining peace

within our mind and heart has never come

424

naturally to us because we have this

inner conflict of, of our sin nature

425

and on this side of heaven, we will

always be asking the Lord for help.

426

Jen: Yeah.

427

There's so much more to come.

428

We'll see you next week.

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But before you go, I just like to ask

you to leave a review for the podcast.

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We want to help as many moms

as possible who are looking for

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biblical encouragement to find it.

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And your review will help that happen.

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Steph: We know you're busy, Mama,

so we are truly grateful you joined

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us for this episode of Again.

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If you're looking for more information

about building your home on the

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foundation of Jesus Christ, head to www.

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EntrustedMinistries.

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com to learn more about our study for

moms, Entrusted with a Child's Heart.

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This scripture saturated study

has blessed families around the

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world, and we want it for you, too.

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Before you go, I want to pray

this benediction over you

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from 2 Thessalonians 1, 11 12.

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We're rooting for you.

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To this end, we always pray for you,

that our God may make you worthy of His

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calling, and may fulfill every resolve

for good, and every work of faith by

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His power, so that the name of our Lord

Jesus may be glorified in you, and you in

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Him, according to the grace of our God.

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And the Lord Jesus Christ.

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Amen.

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Until we meet again.