The Living Room with Joanna Weaver

The Living Room with Joanna Weaver


TLR 146: Navigating Complicated Emotions with Anjuli Paschall

December 11, 2024
Feelings are important, but navigating difficult ones is hard.

What do we do with the complicated emotions that often arise in life? Feelings that we’ve been taught we shouldn’t feel as Christians? A lot of us push them down and pretend they don’t matter. Others of us get stuck in the pain. But the Bible suggest a better way: “Pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge” (Psalm 62:8).


How do we do that? I’m so glad you asked!


Anjuli’s Paschall’s book, Feel: A Collection of Liturgies Offering Hope for Every Complicated Emotion, has been such a gift to me. And I absolutely LOVE our tender and raw conversation. We were both in tears as we talked about the disappointments and hurts that we’ve faced. Anjuli assures us that rather than tidying up our emotions, we can be real and raw with God as well. Her book helps us


Key Takeaways:



  • Emotions aren’t good or bad – they’re simply part of being human. Rather than denying our emotions, they can be an indicator light for the places God wants to heal.
  • God gives us permission to feel – for we serve an emotional God! We have a Savior who not only understands our feelings, He invites us to bring them to Him.
  • We can be honest with God and ourselves – rather than being overwhelmed by emotions, we can curious as we process them with Jesus. For they often reveal what God wants to heal.

This is such an important conversation, you guys. And this book could literally change your life.


Stuffing and denying our emotions only makes them come out sideways in anxiety, depression and issues with our health. How much better to bring them all to Jesus. Anjuli’s book helps us do just that!


Links from Show

Anjuli’s Book: Feel: A Collection of Liturgies Offering Hope for Every Complicated Emotion


Anjuli’s Other Books:


Awake: Paying Attention to What Matters Most in a World That’s Pulling You Apart


Stay: Discovering Grace, Freedom, and Wholeness Where You Never Imagined Looking


Joanna’s Latest Book: Embracing Trust: The Art of Letting Go and Holding On to a Forever-Faithful God


Joanna’s YouTube Channel


[Disclosure: I make a small commission from affiliate links used in this post.]


 


Connect with Anjuli
Website | Instagram