Where do our feelings fit into our faith? Elizabeth Laing Thompson, in all her sweet, spiritual brilliance, stops by to discuss her new book and help us make sense of this age-old question! Elizabeth drops some major truth bombs on the importance of acknowledging, appreciating, and processing our feelings in a way that honors our big-feeling God. As we switch off the "airplane mode" on our feelings, we can create healthy boundaries while simultaneously embracing the God-given depths of our emotional makeups. If you are in need of some soul-validation or direction, you DO NOT want to miss this episode! About the Speaker: Elizabeth Laing Thompson is the author of When God Says, "Wait" and When God Says, "Go." She writes at elizabethlaingthompson.com about clinging to Christ through the chaos of daily life. As a speaker and novelist, she loves finding humor in holiness and hope in heartache. Elizabeth lives in North Carolina with her preacher husband and four spunky kids, and they make her feel humbled but happy, exhausted but exhilarated, sometimes stressed but often silly well, you know . . . all the feels. Episode Notes:Where do feelings/emotions fit into our faith?How does God feel about our emotions and why did he create us with them?How does the scripture help us to use our feelings as a way to honor God   Big Feelers:Feel it and feel it big.Gifts: Empathy, intuition, etc. Sometimes hard to make space for other's feelings and hard to pull out of the dark places.Steady Feelers:Can feel things deeply, but not as often. Don't LIVE in the big feels.Gifts: Can plan & feel simultaneously : Forward moving & can compartmentalize Can find it confusing when they are spinning from big feelings- Have a hard time processing their feelings. Reluctant Feelers: Can see feelings as being illogical, unproductive and distracting Gifts: Clear thinkers, logical, fair-minded, focused on facts & truth They DO have feelings, just usually don't LIKE it. Can shove things down and then it can explode in unhealthy ways. Can be invalidating or condescending of others' feelings. If it matters to you, it matters to God. That sets you free to feel what you feel and take that to God. The more we go to God with all of our emotions & pain, the more pressure it takes off of our human relationships.   Many Christians think we should put our feelings in airplane mode when it comes to our faith. Telling yourself you shouldn't feel it doesn't make the feeling go away.   Even if you don't want to feel a certain way, you can still work through it, instead of around it, through the scriptures and Godly processes.  What does God want us to do with our feelings? Even the ones that feel or seem "unacceptable"? He wants us to bring it Him and ask for His help, intervention, and direction.  Thoughts & feelings are extremely connected. We may need to reframe and inject more faith into our thoughts, but we can work through our thoughts in the presence of God.Psalm 139- God Himself is EmotionalHe made you the way you are- you are wired that way for a reason.Your feelings are a way to connect with God and reflect His heart.Buy the book by clicking here!Support the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!

In this interview, we glean some wisdom from Michele Carrillo who shares the convictions that have carried her through many uncertain times in her life: 9/11, Dengue Fever, a broken back, Hurricane Andrew, and more. Listen as we learn where to steer our anxious hearts in these uncertain times.About the GuestMichele Carrillo has served 30 years in the full-time ministry planting and leading churches in Mexico, Jamaica, Puerto Rico and across the US including New York, Florida, and California. Along with her husband Robert, she has raised three kids and loves oil and glass painting. She and Robert currently serve the Los Angeles Church of Christ. Episode NotesThis time in life is so revealing of how easy it is to put our hope in things other than God… in infrastructure, in our plans, etc. Consider: What are you letting linger in your heart? Be informed and wise, but don’t let it dominate your heart and mind. Fill your mind with things above: Don’t forget to focus your mind on GodHave deep and intentional quiet timesHebrews 10:22- Draw near to God with a sincere heart and with full assurance of what faith brings…What we set our hearts on TAKES EFFORTClinging to God, Meditating on Specific scriptures that minister to your current feelings and circumstance. Hebrews 10: 22-23 “Let us draw near to God with a sincere heart and with the full assurance that faith brings, having our hearts sprinkled to cleanse us from a guilty conscience and having our bodies washed with pure water. Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for he who promised is faithful…”These are the times, these are the experiences, that really build our faith. Where do we start? Sit silently. Ask God to show you what you need. Try to figure out what is in your heart- if you feel anxious, take some time to really identify what it is that you’re most afraid of. Look up scriptures that address the fears or feelings you have and then meditate on those. Deuteronomy 4:7 & Matthew 1:23Jesus is Immanuel- God WITH us.We don’t need to “find God” right now— he IS with us! God is NEAR. He is already HERE for us in these times of uncertainty. An easy way to battle worry is with gratitude.“Worry refuses to share the heart with gratitude. One heartfelt “thank you” will suck the oxygen out of worry’s world.” - Max Lucado, Anxious For Nothing BookColossians 2:6-7 “So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live your lives in him, rooted and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with thankfulness.”“We do not know what the future holds, but we do know Who holds the future.” -Linda Brumley Isolation can magnify your fears, so please be intentional about staying connected with spiritual and encouraging influences. PLEASE CHECK ON YOUR FRIENDS- we need each other! MICHELE’S MESSAGE TO THE MAMAS- If you are okay, then your kids are going to be okay. Take care of yourselves emotionally. We’ve got to stay rooted in God in these times. When the winds come, we won’t fall if we have deep roots! The pod squad is going to keep providing content for you all in these times, let us know what’s been helping you! Link to Robert Carrillo’s Videos: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7GClVSEV_NGmu56a81ie5ASupport the showThank you so much for supporting the show. Check out our website or follow us Instagram!