"Relationships"

Hey hey! I hope everything is going really well for you! Summer is going great, and the heat is on! Although, it has been a lot of rain lately, it still doesn't take away that summer heat! Anyway, I hope you're enjoying your summer! Let's talk about relationships today. This is an interesting subject because it includes the good, the bad, and the ugly. From family to friends, to coworkers, to neighbors. There are all types of relationships and we need to know how to navigate through each and everyone of them. They can be tricky at times, so maintaining is super important. It's called survival my friend! 😊

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As I said, there are all kinds of relationships. We all start with our parents, our family, then our friends, our colleagues, and our soul mates. But - the most important one is our relationship with God. Yes, a real relationship. I'm not talking about a God that's too far off and can't relate to us or what we're going through. I'm talking about a God who desires to have a genuine relationship with us. So much so that He created us just for that purpose. Spending time with God is about inviting Him into every aspect of your life through regular reading of His Word (The Bible), talking with Him in prayer, and choosing to believe His Word and that He loves you. The scripture Jeremiah 29:11 says, "For I know the plans I have for you," declares the Lord, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future". Hmm...how about that?

Family

In order for us to have healthy relationships we must be considerate of others. Just being kind really isn't that hard. People make a big deal out of it, but I think it's worth the effort (and I know it's not always easy). Everyone has different experiences that shapes their personalities and contributes to their attitudes and outlook on life. My advice is to try not to take it personally. Especially from people at work, and out in public. Because we may not know them personally it could be a little easier to dismiss it. I know people can make us angry, but take a deep breath and just walk away. Seriously, I'll leave someone by themselves in a minute! I'm like ok, obviously you're working through something that has nothing to do with me - and I leave before it escalates. Even when there's confrontations, which can be a good thing if it's done the right way. For example, being disrespectful during confrontations is never acceptable in any relationship, and it doesn't help get the point across in a positive way. It'll only produce hurt and anger which can lead to unresolved issues within that relationship. It can also cause unforgiveness in a persons heart. Confrontations done the right way can cause growth and healing. It allows each person to express how they feel about something without being judged or ridiculed. It's also really important to listen (pay attention) and try to see it from the other persons perspective. On a personal note - I recently learned that I've been making someone I love without measure feel bad with my tone/delivery when speaking to them. I honestly didn't know that. I mean we've had conversations about it, but I didn't understand the depth of it until now. I didn't get any sleep last night, just knowing that I made them feel that way. It was definitely not intentional. I would give my life for them without thought and to think that I've caused any type of hurt or discomfort for them literally sickens me. I NEED God's help with this one. I can only pray and trust that the relationship will be restored and we can move past this. I know I need God's divine wisdom so healing can take place because I can't imagine it any other way. So, in the end, we still need a relationship with God as a foundation to all other relationships, and to help us manage our lives, careers, and everything in between. We need that closeness with God more than we need anything else in this world. After all, relationships are the heartbeat of life. 🙏🏽

Please let me know if this helped you in some way. As always, you can email me at chatswithjae@gmail.com I look forward to hearing from you!

Until next time,

Jae ❤️