Exploring Feelings
Faith Reflections on emotions we experience
“You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance!”
--A line from an ancient Hebrew hymn (30:11)
I just love this line. It tells me that sad and glad are never far apart. We tend to think that a person cannot experience them at the same time. I think you can! Often I spend some very precious moments with families who experience their last moments with another family member. Let me tell you about one of those family experiences that helped me understand that sad and glad are like “heads and tails on a coin.”
Gathered in a room they stood. A woman who had graced this world with her presence for 80 plus years was no longer breathing.
There was sadness. A woman who had graced this world with her presence for 80 plus years was no longer breathing. We cried and told a story or two.
There was gladness. A woman who had graced this world with her presence for 80 plus years was no longer breathing. We smiled and told a story or two.
Both feelings were dancing inside of the family members and they kept “flipping the coin” between sad and glad.
We paused in silence, we prayed, we expressed sad and glad. So, I’d like to submit today that whenever you are glad, make sure you explore the sad side of the coin. AND, whenever you are sad, make sure you look on the glad side. Seems to me it is a pretty good way to journey through life. Have a great week.
--Ben Keckler
02.13.12
Showing posts with label Emotions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emotions. Show all posts
Monday, February 13, 2012
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
Daily Devotion - Wednesday, February 9
Exploring Feelings
Faith Reflections on emotions we experience
“You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance!”
--A line from an ancient Hebrew hymn (30:11)
I just love this line. It tells me that sad and glad are never far apart. We tend to think that a person cannot experience them at the same time. I think you can! I still recall spending some very precious moments with a family who experienced their last moments with another family member. Yes, death had come to visit this family. What I experienced tells me that sad and glad are like “heads and tails on a coin.”
There was sadness. A woman who had graced this world with her presence for 80 plus years was no longer breathing. We cried and told a story or two.
There was gladness. A woman who had graced this world with her presence for 80 plus years was no longer breathing. We saw her peaceful look, smiled and told a story or two.
Both feelings were dancing inside of the family members and they kept “flipping the coin” between sad and glad.
We paused in silence, we prayed, we expressed sad and glad. I’d like to submit today that whenever you are glad, make sure you explore the sad side of the coin. AND, whenever you are sad, make sure you look on the glad side. Seems to me it is a pretty good way to journey through life. Have a great week.
--Ben Keckler
02.09.11
Faith Reflections on emotions we experience
“You have changed my sadness into a joyful dance!”
--A line from an ancient Hebrew hymn (30:11)
I just love this line. It tells me that sad and glad are never far apart. We tend to think that a person cannot experience them at the same time. I think you can! I still recall spending some very precious moments with a family who experienced their last moments with another family member. Yes, death had come to visit this family. What I experienced tells me that sad and glad are like “heads and tails on a coin.”
There was sadness. A woman who had graced this world with her presence for 80 plus years was no longer breathing. We cried and told a story or two.
There was gladness. A woman who had graced this world with her presence for 80 plus years was no longer breathing. We saw her peaceful look, smiled and told a story or two.
Both feelings were dancing inside of the family members and they kept “flipping the coin” between sad and glad.
We paused in silence, we prayed, we expressed sad and glad. I’d like to submit today that whenever you are glad, make sure you explore the sad side of the coin. AND, whenever you are sad, make sure you look on the glad side. Seems to me it is a pretty good way to journey through life. Have a great week.
--Ben Keckler
02.09.11
Wednesday, March 18, 2009
Daily Devotion - Friday, March 20
Expressing Our Feelings
“Out of the depths I call to you.
O God, hear my voice!
I wait for the Holy One.
My soul waits, and in God’s word I hope.”
--A song from a hurting heart
The songwriter was not afraid to express the feelings that were written on the heart. The same should be said for us. There are many reasons to wonder if God hears our voices. Life is so delicate that sometimes we find ways to insulate/protect ourselves from the fragile. However, there are times we find we can’t do that! We find that we are brought to our knees, that we are crying tears that won’t quit, that we are aching deep in our souls.
Staying in touch with our feelings and acknowledging them to one another and to the Almighty One is the best that we can do. Sing your heartsong today and know that your hurting soul is heard.
God of compassion,
Watch over the ways of all of us
And weave out of terrible happenings
A blanket of love that will sustain us as we experience
The chilling realities of living in these times. Amen.
--Ben Keckler
03.20.09
“Out of the depths I call to you.
O God, hear my voice!
I wait for the Holy One.
My soul waits, and in God’s word I hope.”
--A song from a hurting heart
The songwriter was not afraid to express the feelings that were written on the heart. The same should be said for us. There are many reasons to wonder if God hears our voices. Life is so delicate that sometimes we find ways to insulate/protect ourselves from the fragile. However, there are times we find we can’t do that! We find that we are brought to our knees, that we are crying tears that won’t quit, that we are aching deep in our souls.
Staying in touch with our feelings and acknowledging them to one another and to the Almighty One is the best that we can do. Sing your heartsong today and know that your hurting soul is heard.
God of compassion,
Watch over the ways of all of us
And weave out of terrible happenings
A blanket of love that will sustain us as we experience
The chilling realities of living in these times. Amen.
--Ben Keckler
03.20.09
Tuesday, February 24, 2009
Daily Devotion - Tuesday, February 24
Emotions with Morrie
I like to refer to the book Tuesdays with Morrie from time to time in these devotions. It is an engaging book which details Mitch Albom’s stories of his weekly (Tuesday) visits with a college professor who was dying. Morrie’s disease was ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, sometimes we call it Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The sixth Tuesday that Mitch and Morrie spent together they dealt with the subject of emotions. Since one of the themes we encounter in the month of February focuses on love, here are some of Morrie’s insights about a way of dealing with all of our emotions. Think about these quotes today:
• “Take any emotion,” he says, and “allow yourself to go all the way through it.”
• “By throwing yourself into your emotions, by allowing yourself to dive in, all the way, over your head even, you experience your emotions fully and completely.”
• “Only when you jump in all the way can you say, ‘All right. I have experienced that emotion. I recognize that emotion. I can name my emotions and experience them as well.’”
We are thinking about love this month. Enjoy this emotion. Dive in and enjoy the experience of living love today.
Ben Keckler
02.24.09
I like to refer to the book Tuesdays with Morrie from time to time in these devotions. It is an engaging book which details Mitch Albom’s stories of his weekly (Tuesday) visits with a college professor who was dying. Morrie’s disease was ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, sometimes we call it Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The sixth Tuesday that Mitch and Morrie spent together they dealt with the subject of emotions. Since one of the themes we encounter in the month of February focuses on love, here are some of Morrie’s insights about a way of dealing with all of our emotions. Think about these quotes today:
• “Take any emotion,” he says, and “allow yourself to go all the way through it.”
• “By throwing yourself into your emotions, by allowing yourself to dive in, all the way, over your head even, you experience your emotions fully and completely.”
• “Only when you jump in all the way can you say, ‘All right. I have experienced that emotion. I recognize that emotion. I can name my emotions and experience them as well.’”
We are thinking about love this month. Enjoy this emotion. Dive in and enjoy the experience of living love today.
Ben Keckler
02.24.09
Tuesday, February 26, 2008
Daily Devotions - Tuesday, February 26
Insights From Morrie
Tuesdays with Morrie is an engaging book which details Mitch Albom’s stories of his weekly (Tuesday) visits with a college professor who was dying. Morrie’s disease was ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, sometimes we call it Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The sixth Tuesday that Mitch and Morrie spent together they dealt with the subject of emotions. Since we are talking about the emotion of love this month, here are some of Morrie’s insights about a way of dealing with all of our emotions. Think about these quotes today:
• “Take any emotion,” he says, and “allow yourself to go all the way through it.”
• “By throwing yourself into these emotions, by allowing yourself to dive in, all the way, over your head even, you experience your emotions fully and completely.”
• “Only then can you say, ‘All right. I have experienced that emotion. I recognize that emotion. I can name my emotions and experience them as well.’”
We are thinking about love this month. Enjoy this emotion. Dive in and enjoy the experience of living love today.
Ben Keckler
02.26.08
Tuesdays with Morrie is an engaging book which details Mitch Albom’s stories of his weekly (Tuesday) visits with a college professor who was dying. Morrie’s disease was ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, sometimes we call it Lou Gehrig’s disease.
The sixth Tuesday that Mitch and Morrie spent together they dealt with the subject of emotions. Since we are talking about the emotion of love this month, here are some of Morrie’s insights about a way of dealing with all of our emotions. Think about these quotes today:
• “Take any emotion,” he says, and “allow yourself to go all the way through it.”
• “By throwing yourself into these emotions, by allowing yourself to dive in, all the way, over your head even, you experience your emotions fully and completely.”
• “Only then can you say, ‘All right. I have experienced that emotion. I recognize that emotion. I can name my emotions and experience them as well.’”
We are thinking about love this month. Enjoy this emotion. Dive in and enjoy the experience of living love today.
Ben Keckler
02.26.08
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