Overwhelm is no respecter of persons. We can be living in a season of blessings or hardship, and still fight a spirit of overwhelm, feeling like a slave to our emotions. Our emotions are great servants, but they're terrible rulers. That's why God commands us to be controlled by the Spirit instead. Emotions allow us to feel deeply-unrestrained joy and happiness, laughter, tears of compassion for others, or grief over loss. But emotions don't determine our feelings; they simply indicate them. As believers, we must be submitted to the power and control of the Holy Spirit. We are commanded to "walk in the Spirit," not to follow the waves of our feelings.

Over the next few chapters, we'll explore passages of Scripture that help us live our lives under the authority of the Spirit. By doing so, we can maintain a calm that isn't shaken by changing circumstances.

Natalie is a wife to the most wonderful man, Josh, a mom of two happy toddlers, Raylen and Asher, a musician and song-writer, and now an author. She lives in the beautiful Upstate of South Carolina, where she and her husband raise kids and chickens. Natalie has a vibrant online music ministry, where she is privileged to help train and encourage church musicians around the world. She also enjoys mentoring other women, helping them joyfully embrace their roles as homemakers, bless their families through additional streams of income, and live their lives with purpose and contentment.

You can find more about Natalie and her family's ministries online at www.natalieraynesmusic.com.