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renew your mind and let your
light
shine liz powell, children?s minister at vineyard church of baton rouge as i sit staring out the window, a golden orange sunset blazes behind indigo clouds. just like the glow behind the dark clouds, there is
light
that makes even the darkest areas of our lives shine. entering motherhood was one of the most joyous experiences of my life.
light
entered my life through my daughter. even after she was asleep, i would lay awake in bed scrolling through photos. i would soak in her beauty. i remember thinking, ?how could this get any
better
?? she was pure bliss. i knew darkness would eventually come. it comes as i battle to manage my anger with my strong-willed three-year-old girl. i like to feel in
control
. i convince myself that i am. i want to share a secret to life with you that i am working on right now: our thoughts create our feelings, and our feelings influence our actions. if i want to act different or feel
better
, i must change what i am thinking. when i am feeling angry, it?s easy to act on it. when an activating event, like a tantrum enters my life, i am tempted to respond with the same emotional immaturity, and i sense when i?m losing
control
. what exactly am i thinking in that moment? i am believing i am responsible to
control
my daughter?s behavior. how logical is that? we must constantly question the thought behind the feeling. we have to get good at observing our minds. once we find the thought, we can create a new one. since i cannot actually
control
my daughter?s behavior, i need to find a
better
thought that will help accomplish my goals. when i feel the tap of anger, i can remind myself to take action in my mind. i can think: i am responsible for my own emotions. i am responsible to teach my daughter
better
coping skills. when anger comes, it is a reminder against complacency. i am supposed to engage with my thoughts and feelings. i need to notice them before i take an action that doesn?t serve my family or me. we can let god renew our minds and let
light
shine in our lives. ? live / f a i t h 4 0 b r p a r e n t s . c o m | s e p t e m b e r 2 0 1 7
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