Wednesday, February 23, 2005

John 15 What?

For anyone who doesn't know, I chose the Bible verse John 15:5 as my Verse for the Year, you know, my New Year's Resolution. It says, "I am the vine, you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit. Without me you can do nothing."

You know what I've learned? I've learned that it's not easy to remain in God, cuz for one, I'm not sure what that means, and for two, sometimes I'm in a bad mood.

You know how it is. There are times in life when you feel crappy, you feel grumpy, and doing the right thing or acting maturely doesn't seem to be part of your vocabulary. THAT PART IS HARD!!! I've been failing at that lately. What is the difference between being true to your feelings and doing the right thing? I think sometimes there IS a difference but then there are situations where it is possible to do both.

In DBT there is a skill called Opposite to Emotion, or O2E, which is part of emotion regulation and the concept behind it is basically what I just talked about: Not doing what you feel like doing when you know it is unproductive. For example, choosing not to join in when the people around you are slamming someone you know. Or here's a big one: when you feel like jumping into the quicksand of Self-Condemnation, choosing instead to surround yourself with Truth about who you are and what God says about you. There should be an Olympic medal for people who master that one.

Maybe I'll learn that one someday. Until I reach perfection however, God's grace will have to make up the difference.

4 comments:

Anonymous said...

Jenni, I hearby award you the Olympic Gold Medal in the Choosing Truth Over Condemnation Event!!!
Congratulations!!

You know you only have to do it once to earn a medal.
Making it a life-long practice is what brings health and happiness.
You don't have to do it perfectly, just consistently.
We love you and know you can do it.

Anonymous said...

Tell God about your bad mood. He's a good listener.

Anonymous said...

You have learned so much, not just in your head, but in your heart as well. You are truly Mazenly graceful.

Anonymous said...

I say....emotions who needs them!

shoes-on