When God says, “Be angry, and do not sin” He’s telling us a couple of really important things: Be angry: He’s encouraging us to feel anger. Not merely allowing us to feel it, encouraging us to feel it. Too many try not to feel angry when they actually do. They try to act as if they don’t feel it. Suppress it. Or convince themselves it’s wrong. But it’s encouraged, by God Himself. The anger isn’t right or wrong, it’s a signal. What we do because of it is what decides that. …and do not sin… Another thing He’s saying is that feeling angry doesn’t have to decide how we act or how we treat people. We can still control ourselves no matter how much anger we feel. …and give no opportunity to the devil. Not only that, but when we get this, we discover how to prevent the enemy access into our lives. Could it be that trying to suppress anger opens a door to the enemy? Could acting like we don’t feel give him access? Or is allowing it to decide what we do the thing that actually grants him a foothold? Yes, yes, and yes. In other words, dishonesty about anger is an opening the enemy will take advantage of. Honesty shuts him out.

Over Christmas we typically spend time with family and often this can be a difficult and frustrating time. We see all the things that we struggle with, but I want to give you a practical way to truly honor your parents and turn relational frustrations into deep joy and gratitude. Because both honor and dishonor are like download buttons, and we only want to download into our lives the things God has put in our parents, and nothing else.

Praying your day is amazing!!! Have any of you seen “The Best Christmas Pageant Ever”? We watched it last night and it was super good!! Bless you all!! Seth

There are so many times we are performing instead of showing what’s really going on in us. One was to recognize it is when we say we’re “fine” when we aren’t. Here’s an acronym for fine: F-eelings I-nside N-ot E-xpressed Whenever we say we’re fine, it can be helpful to check on ourselves, or our spouse, or our kids, if there are some feelings that need to be expressed.

I'm really trying my best to stay calm... But I seriously am juggling so much right now. Marriage. Mom to a toddler. Teacher Part-Time. Household chores. Time with Jesus. Church. It sometimes feels impossible.