Issuu

ZONDERVAN

Change Your Morning, Change Your Life

Published by Zondervan, 3950 Sparks Drive SE, Suite 101, Grand Rapids, MI 49546, USA. Zondervan is a registered trademark of The Zondervan Corporation, L.L.C., a wholly owned subsidiary of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, Inc. Requests for information should be addressed to customercare@harpercollins.com.

ISBN 978-0-310-46736-6 (audiobook)

ISBN 978-0-310-46726-7 (ePub)

ISBN 978-0-310-46733-5 (HC)

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, niv® . Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide. www.zondervan.com. The “niv” and “New International Version” are trademarks registered in the United States Patent and Trademark Office by Biblica, Inc.®

Scripture quotations marked csb are taken from the Christian Standard Bible®. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible® and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers.

Scripture quotations marked esv are taken from the esv® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®). Copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked kjv are taken from the King James Version. Public domain.

Scripture quotations marked nlt are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation. Copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

Scripture quotations marked msg are taken from The Message. Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. Used by permission of NavPress. All rights reserved. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc.

Scripture quotations marked tpt are taken from The Passion Translation®. Copyright © 2017, 2018, 2020 by Passion & Fire Ministries, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. ThePassionTranslation.com.

Italics added to direct Scripture quotations reflect the author’s emphasis.

Note: The information in this book is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as medical advice. The author and publisher are not providing healthcare, medical, or nutrition therapy services. Always seek the advice of a physician or other qualified health provider regarding any medical condition or before undertaking a new diet, exercise program, or health regimen. While every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information herein, the author and publisher disclaim any liability for any adverse effects resulting from the use or application of the information contained in this book.

Any internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

Without limiting the exclusive rights of any author, contributor, or the publisher of this publication, any unauthorized use of this publication to train generative artificial intelligence (AI) technologies is expressly prohibited. HarperCollins also exercise their rights under Article 4(3) of the Digital Single Market Directive 2019/790 and expressly reserve this publication from the text and data mining exception. HarperCollins Publishers, Macken House, 39/40 Mayor Street Upper, Dublin 1, D01 C9W8, Ireland (https://www.harpercollins.com)

Published in association with the Gardner Literary Agency. Cover and interior design: Andrea Duarte

Printed in Malaysia 26 27 28 29 30 RPM 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

PART 1 HOW AM I FEELING TODAY?

Happiness is a feeling; joy is a choice.

WHEN YOU’RE LYING ABOUT YOUR FEELINGS

One of the questions we all ask one another most is “How are you?” The most common response is usually “Fine,” followed by “Good.” The go-to answer in my friend group is “Busy, but everything’s fine.”

But if you were sitting next to me right now, I’d squeeze you close and ask a little more gently, “How are you really doing?”

We can—and should—be honest with one another, and “fine” is often covering up a heart full of hurts that aren’t fine at all. Let’s replace “How are you?” with a more vulnerable request: “Tell me something real about you right now.”

That request gives us pause.

It stretches our level of comfort.

It invites us to open up and become more intimate with one another.

And that’s exactly what we’re looking for with God each day.

I want you to start getting honest with yourself. I want you to ask yourself each morning, How am I feeling today? And don’t just blow through the question. This is a chance to discover where you are and to let God bless who you’re becoming.

There will be days—many days—where all

Ask yourself each morning, How am I feeling today?

you want to write in response to this “feelings” question are short answers like okay, fine, good, tired, sad. But let’s work on expanding our answers. Imagine Jesus is sitting right next to you, and you have this once-in-an-earthly-lifetime chance to tell Him, in person, what’s really going on with you. I bet you’d never just tell Him you’re “fine.” And if you did, it’s likely because you believe your discomforts aren’t worthy to bring to the Lord.

Let’s get something straight right now, on day 1 of our time together: God wants to know about all the issues you’re wrapped up in. He cares about every tiny thing that pinpricks your heart, along with the bigger things that cut you wide open. And you know what else? He cares about your joy as well. You’d celebrate a loved one’s milestone achievement or victory, right? That’s how your heavenly Father feels about you! He wants to hear what’s got you grinning from ear to ear. You might think you can fake it until you make it by saying everything is fine. But if you’re like me, those years of putting on a happy face and stuffing your true feelings has led to a body full of emotional and mental, if not physical, disease. You can’t move on unless you know where you’re coming from.

So be honest in your responses. This is a new beginning, so from the get-go, let’s do it right.

A PEACEFUL MOMENT

READ: In the morning, lord, you hear my voice; in the morning I lay my requests before you and wait expectantly (Psalm 5:3).

WRITE: What are you really feeling in this moment? Describe your current emotional state with a word or phrase.

TheFirstTen

Let these questions lead you to more of God’s peace, presence, and participation in your life.

DATE: LOCATION:

1. How am I feeling today?

2. How do I need to humble myself today?

3. What am I grateful for today?

4. What am I asking God for today?

5. What am I excited about today?

6. What is going to stress me out today?

7. How can I respond to that stress today?

8. What am I making more important than the Lord today?

9. How can I serve someone today?

10. Lord, what do you want me to know and do today?