As always it was a good one! I don’t think I’ve ever heard Pastor Doug preach a sermon that I didn’t get something really good from. Applying it our lives is the hard part.

We’re still in James, this is the 6th week, and not that James, the half brother of Jesus, James. He’s very in your face and almost mean, but you get the feeling he just has no patience for people. He drives home the importance of enjoying the simple things about life and living in authenticity so you’re able to live as stress free as possible. He has an attitude of “Who cares what they think?? Who are they, anyway??”

Your relationship with Christ and what Christ thinks of us is most important. He knows our intentions, our hearts and the meaning behind everything we do. We hide nothing from him.

If people could hear and see some people’s thoughts they probably wouldn’t have any friends at all. But those people aren’t really a threat to you if you have common sense and are able to use discernment. God reveals those things to us.

Our job is to check ourselves, and stop living our lives according to how we feel about things. A certain way to live a miserable life is to make decisions based on how we feel all the time. Our feelings change, and our feelings are based on a multitude of factors.. if we live in accordance to God’s law, then life is so much more fulfilling and we find that we ARE just truly happy, and not so driven by emotions. Genuine laughter in our home is one of the biggest things I notice more, when we are living more Christ focused and centered.

Living authentically is to stop acting like everything is ok with us all the time or pretending that we like everyone all the time or that we’re comfortable with things that we’re just not. God never, ever says you have to like everyone. He does say love and forgive people, but he also warns us to choose our company wisely and stay equally yoked in marriage and even friendships. We’re obviously probably not going to be deep close friends with people who have a different moral compass or idea of faith, but we can still love them and find forgiveness for any ways that we find offense with them.

It was a great sermon as always. We’re all such a mess in our own ways, but that’s what life is all about- constantly learning and evolving. I struggle a lot with being led by my emotions, and it’s something I need to pay more attention to.

I recently had someone over on a playdate with one of my kids and I’m gonna tell you, I did not like that kid’s Mom. A few years ago I would have just faked it and sucked it up and tried to make myself fit into that situation somehow. No thank you, it’s just the way it is. We’re not going to be having them over again and that’s that.. she made Gary and I both feel very uncomfortable and there were too many red flags. 🚩 I don’t want to encourage problematic situations in my life. My child will not be allowed at their home either. That’s just that.

I’m learning to be authentic and assertive, as my confidence in myself, my faith and my decisions grow. That’s a muscle you have to learn to use sometimes. I’m a people pleaser and I can really create havoc in my own life by putting up with people’s nonsense to save their feelings.

I need to keep working at it. 👍🏼