2-Week Emotional Health Challenge

We chose a 'Nutritional Health Challenge' last month and ran with it, but an Emotional one?

Here's the secret - we all could use a little help with our emotions (no one's perfect), we just don't all show it in the same way.  I may hide my emotions and reserve it only for my close friends or husband, others may only expose it to God, while others can even try to hid it from Him. We can mask emotions faster than putting up wallpaper (although wallpaper can take a while - the hard part is taking it down - that's the pits!)  
A challenge titled like this won't get as many 'likes' because it's more personal with deep roots, deep hurts, and deep issues that can make anyone skirmish about admitting they have to fix, mend or repair them. 

I get it, it's easier to tell people you are in a 21 Day Nutrition Challenge, because nutrition doesn't hurt or control us like relationships and emotions do.  We know we could do a better job on mastering nutrition, but it's another  thing to say we are trying to improve our emotions...and tell people we are starting a 2 week 'Emotional Health' Challenge.  So, regardless if you are going to join me or not verbally, or socially by 'liking' the page, I for one am going to make emotions even better than yesterday (especially since I have 5 young daughters).  I'm not called to write for social 'likes' I'm called to write for the betterment of our eternal health and I know some topics won't be that popular internally as the deceitful whispers tell us we shouldn't let people know we are vulnerable or insecure...

We've all built a wall or two up in our hearts for many different reasons.  Maybe trust was severed or  forgiveness never given?  Emotions are fickle and they can make us do things we don't want to do and aren't proud of later.  From the list below, choose ONE that sticks out to you FIRST and the MOST from the list, or write in your own challenge at the end.  Then honestly pray about how you are to fulfill your 2-week challenge.  It's only 14-days long.  2-weeks is really short when you think about it - but it can change your life forever.   You can do this, if you are willing, open, and even somewhat ready to make changes. 

2-Week Emotional Health Challenge

1. Write, or spend time in, daily prayer to God about all your are thankful for. 

2. Write a prayer journal to God each of the 14-days about your feelings (past, present and future) on any insecurities, jealousies, depressed thoughts, and then ask Him to mend, heal, repair anything that is not right.

3. Tell someone sorry.

4. Write a love letter to your spouse.

5.  Make a list of anyone you've hurt in the past, then pray over each of them, ask God to forgive you and how to make things right with them. 

6. Share your faith with at least one other person these 14-days.

7. Plan a prayer time with close friends and make the focus about Godly-relationships.

8. Write love notes of encouragement to your kids (lunch box, mirrors, on their windows, leave on their desk, text, or social media so others can see, etc.)

9. Write a letter to someone you've been meaning to write for a while.

10. If jealousy is challenging you internally, set a prayer time everyday at the same time, pray and ask for blessings: the people you are jealous of, the people who hurt you, the actual root of your jealousy, for forgiveness in your heart.

11. If insecurity is challenging you internally, set a prayer time everyday at the same time, pray and ask for blessings: the people you are jealous of, the people who hurt you, the actual root of your jealousy, for forgiveness in your heart.

12. Choose one verse in the Bible, memorize it, and pray it over your situation every morning before you do anything else.

13. Choose a daily reading plan in the Bible App and read it daily for at least 
14-days - make it a habit to be in God's word.

14. Ask God to expose any unhealthy behaviors or emotions, to have holy behavior when no one else is looking, and to be filled with the Holy Spirit daily. 

15.  Encourage others; get a few friends together for coffee, lunch, or prayer or both and spend the time in deep sharing (none of this foo-foo fake sharing stuff). 

Ask God to show you one specifically for you: ________________________________________

Get ready, prepare your heart, we'll all start together this Monday!