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Renee Swope

Encouraging and equipping moms to parent with God's grace and confidence.

When You Need A New Script

 

If there’s one thing that throws me into a ditch of self-doubt and discouragement, it’s when I act ugly with the ones I love. 

Today, I’ve asked my amazing friend Lysa, who is also president of Proverbs 31 Ministries, to share how “losing it” with her loved ones effects her. It’s something she talks about in her New York Times Best-selling book, Unglued,

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I’m sad because of the way I acted today. Disappointed in my lack of self-control. And the more I relive my emotionally driven tirade, the more my brain refuses sleep.

I have to figure this out. What is my problem? Why can’t I seem to control my reactions?

I stuff. I explode. And I don’t know how to get a handle on this. But God help me if I don’t get a handle on this. I will destroy the relationships I value most and weave into my life permanent threads of short-temperedness, shame, fear, and frustration.

Is that what I really want? Do I want my headstone to read, “Well, on the days she was nice she was really nice. But on the days she wasn’t, rest assured, hell hath no fury like the woman who lies beneath the ground right here”?

No. That’s not what I want. Not at all. I don’t want the script of my life to be written that way.

So, at 2:08 a.m., I vow to do better tomorrow. But better proves illusive and my vows wear thin in the face of daily annoyances and other unpleasant realities. Tears slip, and I’m worn out from trying. Always trying.

I feel broken. Unglued, actually. I have vowed to do better at 2:08 a.m. and 8:14 a.m. and 3:37 p.m. and 9:49 p.m. and many other minutes in between. So why aren’t things getting better? Why aren’t my reactions tamer?

I know what it’s like to praise God one minute and in the next minute yell and scream at my child—and then to feel both the burden of my destructive behavior and the shame of my powerlessness to stop it.

The emotional demands keep on coming. Unrelenting insecurity. Wondering if anyone appreciates me. Feeling tired, stressed, and hormonal.

 Feeling unglued is really all I’ve ever known. And I’m starting to wonder if maybe it’s all I’ll ever be.

Those were the defeating thoughts I couldn’t escape. Maybe you can relate. If you relate to my hurt, I pray you will also relate to my hope.

While unglued is all I’ve really known, I believe that with God’s help, today my life can be different. That’s my personal revelation of hope.

Today, I’d like to invite you to take the you the “Unglued Challenge” for the next 5 days {you can find out more below and enter Renee’s giveaway}. In my 5-days To Better Reactions challenge, you’ll find encouragement and a safe place to talk about our tendencies to stuff, explode, or react somewhere in between.

I am both a stuffer and an exploder. And I’ve experienced God’s tender mercies and grace given so many times it almost seems scandalous. How can our God be so patient? I don’t know. But He is.

Today, He’s offering us the fresh start our souls desperately need. Isaiah 41:13 promises He will help us. We can be different. A slate wiped clean. A page crisp-white. A chance to start rewriting the old scripts of past failures.

For me. For you. Together. We can do this.

Prayer: God, thank You that this is a new twenty-four hours. Today, I want to believe I can start writing a new script for my life. Help me to overcome the disbelief I have from my past failures. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.

Thought for the Day: While feeling unglued is all I’ve really known, today my life can be different.

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Today’ post is from Day 1 of Lysa TerKeurst’s 5-day Unglued Challenge that includes FREE devotions from Unglued- Making Wise Choices in the Midst of Raw Emotions. If you want to learn how to respond with no regrets by managing your tendencies to stuff, explode, or react somewhere in between get Unglued, for 25% OFF through Proverbs31 Ministries today. 

 THE UNGLUED GIVEAWAY
Just do ONE or ALL of the following:

For EACH thing you do, leave a different comment. You’ll be entered to win each time!

Purchase the book for 25% off {or any Unglued resource}

Sign up for the 5-day Challenge {see right sidebar}.

Share this post via email, Facebook or Twitter {see buttons below}

Watch Lysa TerKeurst on The Today Show {Yes, The Today SHOW! We’re so excited!!} She’ll be on Monday (9am segment) and Tues (10am segment) Eastern Standard Time.

Click “Share Your Thoughts” to tell me which ones you did and why you want to win!


Grand Prize Winner  will receive 2 books
+ 1 DVD curriculum and participants guide.
And I’ll give away 3 more books to 3 more winners!

Discover more from Renee Swope

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Comments

  1. This book sounds like so many of us need it. We all have our days like Lisa but with Gods help we can all over come our weak spots. Fast, pray and believe without doubting.

  4. I signed up for the challenge – very excited. I NEED this book…just ask my husband and kids! : )

  6. I would really love to win your book! A few weeks ago I turned 50 years old and I had a long conversation with The Lord telling him how tired I was with not loving myself. My thoughts consisted of self doubt, and low self worth. Then a friend of mine sent me your 5 day challenge. I’ve been reading it faithfully and ask The Lord for his help to change my thoughts now that I’m starting the next half of my life. I want to help other ladies love themselves and with your book and Gods faithfulness I can do all things!!

  7. I have been this “Unglued” woman for most of my life. I am 59 years old and the mother of 7 children and 4 grandchildren. I have prayed and prayed so many times about this. I would love to win the book and the dvd and teaching series so that I can use it with the women of my church. (I am the pastors wife.)

  9. Oh no!! I missed her on the Today Show today. But I will try to watch her tomorrow 🙂

  10. I also got to watch Lysa on the Today Show this morning!! Definitely tuning in tomorrow morning too! 🙂

  14. I am already signed up for the challenge 🙂
    WOW, I always feel so awful when I come apart and show my “ugly” to my loved ones.
    So need God to step in when it starts to happen. I have gotten better, but still need work <3
    Thank you for the chance 🙂

  15. I would love to win! This really spoke to me because I have been in a slump all week. I am a wife, mother, grandmother, sIster, friend, employee, daughter, daughter-In-Law, you catch my drift! I am the sole caregiver to my 86 year old Mama (with dementia). It’s just difficult sometimes to be all to everyone! 🙂

  16. One thing that is not on my list is remembering what I signed up for and what I didn’t. I rest assured in the system that when I tried to sign up for the 5 day Challenge….I am already on the list. Too much going on in my life to become un-glued. Resting that God is in control and letting HIM be in control of my reactions too.

  17. I wasn’t finished reading this post when I saw Lisa on the Today show. Lol! I told my husband, “Look, I’m reading her post right now!” Ha ha! Good read. Both my husband and I are stuffers, but a lot of times I’m an exploder towards my children and I’ve had to work very hard everyday to control my emotions and outbursts towards them. I do apologize to them, which is huge. Parenting is daily, minute by minute, always full of grace and mercy. Thank you, Lord!

  19. I bought the book for my new Kindle, I’m going to sign up for the 5day challenge and I would love to win the books, dvd and guide so that I can do this study with a few friends… we so need this right now and my budget is very tight… which made the Kindle deal a couple weeks ago even sweeter for me!!!

  20. I shared this post on facebook. I alsoI signed up for the challenge and then got a double treat . I was able to then signed up for the No More Unglued Momma Challenge. Being that I homeschool and surround myself with 5 childen on my best and worst days, I could really use the Grand Prize. Alot of times it’s the ones closest to me that get the blunt of my frustrations when I become flustered with life situations. It like living an unbalanced life and you are a ticking time bomb. My family walks around on egg shells because they never know what might be the trigger to my next outburst. I don’t want my children to mimic my current reactions. So I am expecting the Favour of God to be in full manifestation for this giveaway.

    Be blessed,
    Tiffany