book #1

sooooo i just finished the first book on my book list:

aaaaand it was fantastic!! i am considering reading it a second time to reinforce what i learned reading it. basically, i want to be better at relationships. i want to be a safe person for people. i also want to recognize toxic relationships and let go of relationships from my past that just... aren't there anymore or are unsafe for me to be in.

here's a section i really liked:

"Emotional healing has many aspects to it, but one of the major pieces to healing any emotional disorder is grief. We need to grieve painful events, painful losses, love that will never be realized, dreams that have been crushed, and many other hurts that life inflicts upon us. All of these ultimately are healed through a grief process. This is why Jesus said, "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted" (Matt 5:4). He also said that in order to grow, we have to be able to let go, to "lose" our old lives, and this is a grieving process of severe loss (Matt 16:25).

We cannot lose and grieve what we need to grieve without something new to attach to.

Grieving takes a new relationship. We must have God and others to connect to in order to let go of what we have lost. As Paul told the Corinthians, if they would connect to him, they could let go of their other "affections," or emotional ties that were "Restraining them": "¹¹ Oh, dear Corinthian friends! We have spoken honestly with you, and our hearts are open to you. ¹² There is no lack of love on our part, but you have withheld your love from us. ¹³ I am asking you to respond as if you were my own children. Open your hearts to us!" (2 Cor 6:11-13). Many people do not get healed because they never "open wide" to others in the body of Christ, thus gaining the support and new ground needed to stand on to grieve what they need to let go of. Healing without grief does not happen, and grief without support and new love does not happen either."


there are some things i need to bury, say goodbye to, and move on from. i'm new at this, but i'm excited. it means there's something fresh waiting.