Imperfect Progress

So I have started a Women's Group with my church at the request of my husband and I'm glad I listened to him. He had been bugging me to join before but I felt like I would've been the youngest person there, I wouldn't relate, the lessons wouldn't apply to me, etc. However, I was almost 100% wrong. I am the youngest person there but based off of our first night and the book we were given to start reading, I am definitely in the right spot. 

The book is called "Unglued" by Lysa TerKeurst. The class is all about dealing with "raw emotions". We typically "stuff" our feelings deep down, we explode, or we react somewhere in between. Every situation is different though just as all of your interactions are different with each person. For example, with my husband, I explode. With my mother, I stuff it way, way, down and just let it eat away at me. At work, I'm a hot mess and I fall in every category possible. But none of these things help me in those situations, they only make things even more difficult. In this book she states that these changes we seek to make in ourselves as humans, our perspectives on situations, our interactions in situations, and our thought process will not change over night. (I feel like that's a statement used ALL the time "You can't expect change over night!") But she identifies this commitment to better yourself as "Imperfect Progress". I love that. You ARE making progress towards your ultimate goal, but no one is perfect. You are not perfect. Progress is not perfect. So you will make mistakes along the way. But you have to own those mistakes, reflect on those mistakes, forgive yourself for them, and continue on your journey of progress. 

This is such a relief to me because I am one who always feels like I make these goals for myself, I screw up once, twice, even three times, and then I give up on myself. So here is me, accepting my imperfect progress to becoming a better person! I am making goals for myself and I will accept my hiccups along the way, but I WILL make the progress to meet those goals. My ultimate goal is to be able to handle situations, high stress situations, or even just those tiny little annoyances, in the best way possible. This goes for my personal life, my work life, and just in general, my daily life. 

This applies to EVERY WOMAN I know! Moms, sisters, wives, friends, etc. Every woman has experienced at some point during their DAY where they are confronted by their emotions... This book gives you the tools to use every day to help you through those situations. To help you make the BEST of those situations. 

If you visit their website, you can take a test to see what type of reactor you are with different people in your life. Take the test, it's interesting to see how you react to different people... 

www.ungluedbook.com

Progressive sanctification is accomplished by the Holy Spirit as the believer is filled with the Holy Spirit as a result of having no unconfessed sin in his or her life. It is an act entirely of God so that the righteous man lives by faith and not by works. However, it involves a choice: “Be ye holy for I am holy” (1 Pet. 1:14-16).