Tag Archives: making an emotional connection

Killing Despair

Posted on October 18, 2015 by expressyourself4him

If you have ever been caught singing the blues, you’ve experienced despair.  Initial symptoms trigger depression, gloom and resignation.  Breaking free from these doldrums isn’t easy.  However, there is a cure to eliminating despair.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest,” Matthew 11:28.

Jesus had a tendency to attract misfits, people whom the social elite would never give the time of day.  Beyond his unusual daily wardrobe, Jesus made an emotional connection with total strangers.  Thus, when He spoke about laying your burdens down, hurting souls began to lighten their loads of stress and worry.

Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls, Matthew 11:29.

In their song Kill Your Own Despair, Esterlyn references these biblical principles.  Belief in a higher power is the first step from breaking free from this invisible force.  However, belief is meaningless without faith in action.  Therefore, as soon as individuals make this leap, you can find rest for your souls.  If despair is currently sucking the joy from your life,  trust in the promises of the Bible to kill your own despair.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Dying of Thirst

Posted on July 25, 2014 by expressyourself4him

When a body does not possess as much water and fluids as it should, dehydration sets in.  Dehydration can be mild, moderate or severe, life threatening if not replenished with liquids.  According to Men’s Health, there are 6 stages of dehydration, traced by the color of one’s urine.  When exercising in the summer sun, dehydration can lead to symptoms of heat exhaustion or heat stroke.  In a worst  case scenario, death can occur like the tragedy of Korey Stringer, a former Minnesota Viking who passed away on August 1st, 2001 following an NFL training camp practice.

There are others who are dying of spiritual thirst, unable to find the living water Jesus promises in John 4.  I spent the first 15 years in isolation, using my stuttering as an excuse to avoid intimate relationships.  Whenever you can’t communicate, express your feelings or make an emotional connection with someone, a part of you begins to die inside.  Spiritual dehydration commences once an individual is cut off from meaningful conversation which enriches one’s life.  If this separation continues, souls become cold and numb, on the verge of dying of thirst.

This is where we find a Samaritan woman, who had become a social outcast even among her own people.  After 4 broken relationships, the word on the street wasn’t kind.  Terms such as adulterer, prostitute or whore were likely whispered behind her back.  John 4:7-26 records an interesting conversation between 2 polar opposites between a prophet and someone searching for meaning in life.  Hot and thirsty, Jesus breaks the ice, then changes the topic of conversation from the weather to eternity.  Before the day was over, this lost soul is introduced to living water which quenched her thirst.  May this story quench your spiritual thirst and give you assurance for eternity.

by Jay Mankus

 

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Making An Emotional Connection

Posted on January 5, 2014 by expressyourself4him

Whether its a person, place or thing, when you make an emotional connection, experience a breath taking view or recognize an unique talent, a special place opens up in your heart.  I can recall moments in life when I went to a conference, attended a retreat or met someone on vacation that I never knew, yet an instant connection occurred.  Like twins separated from birth, a long lost cousin you never met or divine intervention, there are certain types of people who click with your personality.  Despite a lack of history, some aspect, character or trait unites 2 souls together, making an emotional connection.

Last January, my wife and I returned to the place of our honeymoon for the first time, Palm Springs, California.  Yes, any day as a newly wed is special, but the landscape of the desert, mountains and vegetation of this region became etched into my mind.  Whether you’re visiting Hidden Canyon in the Joshua Tree National Forest, taking the Aerial Tram to the top of the mountains overlooking Palm Springs or hiking along the trails in Indian Canyons, there is so much to do in this section of California.  One week isn’t enough to see the sights with golf destinations, shopping and of course the Salton Sea to explore.

Finally, if you are teachable, every now and then God will reveal to you a gift you never knew you had.  Periodically I dabbled into forms of writing beginning with poetry.  From here I moved on to song writing and short stories as well as trying to write articles for various publications.  While serving as a journalist for Travel Golf Media for 2 and a half years, I began to ponder my connection with writing.  What I’ve learned is that when I take the time to be still, reflect and put into words what you’ve feeling and thinking, a sense of peace fills your soul.  Thus, this emotional connection with writing continues to stir my heart, inspiring me to be a faithful writer for Express Yourself 4 Him.  May you encounter several good emotional connections in 2014.  Have a blessed day!

by Jay Mankus

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