Category Archives: Eclectic Mix

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GOD, US, AND LIFE CHANGING CHOICES (Introduction)

INTRODUCTORY COMMENT: 

“God’s Pain Pill: A Holy Intervention: Connecting with God in Real Life” was originally written for a women’s group I was leading in my church. My desire was for my ladies to go below the surface of mediocre Christian living to awaken a desire in them for more authentic, real living, lively, energized faith.  I wanted the ladies to experience what I had come to love in my relationship with God. So I wrote up what I had learned, printed and stapled the sheets into a set, taught it for several sessions over the length of a summer. A couple years later I reworked it to post it here.

The world is screaming for authenticity.

To become authentic in our Christian lives takes a honest look at the hidden self with the mirror of God exposing what is in us. This comes first, the other naturally evolves as intimacy develops in your spiritual relationship with God.

 Interventions have a purpose as does this writing. May the concepts in this series be of use to you. May they open up new areas of insight that cause greater understanding and deeper spiritual growth. Introspection with the aid of the Holy Spirit can be a very good thing.

This series of blog posts offer a practical look into specific ways we can access God. We step up to the plate through a careful inward look that reflects the mirror of God into our soul and opens us up to His power of transformation. It has practical application steps to help facilitate meaningful spiritual change for the inner person.

I’m excited about this series’ potential to help free people who are stuck in their (hidden) pain. This series contains the steps God used to free me. I have used these concepts as a spiritual guide with the women in my church.

Engagement with God that is genuine initiates a process through which people change in their perceptions. This also causes structural change deep within, in those places that have become repositories for soul wounding and soul hiding inside of believing Christians. If this happens, when spiritual awakenings come true in Christian lives, those spiritual sounding clichés no longer will ring a false note. They ring true in our experiences and in our beliefs straight across the board.

We become secure, content, and able to function even during the hard times. People begin taking notice. What is happening within us becomes utterly life-changing real. This is one of those things that you realize once the thing has already transpired. You know you are free once you have experienced true freedom. We may not even have known we weren’t free before God set us free and on a new path.

I hope this series of writings produces a work of God in your life. That is a bold statement, but I mean it. Most of what I share in this series was born out of personal experience as I devoted myself to growing in my Christian faith, seeking God for change in my inner self, and accepting the lessons that God taught me as they came. It was such an exceptionally rich time.

May God bless each one who reads the words found in this series.

Next post:  Is it ignorance or denial? Post 1

HOME PAGE: Log of Spiritual Intervention posts

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United vs Divided

WITH LIBERTY AND JUSTICE FOR ALL: United we stand, divided we fall. We are divided. Will we fall? What is our current reality and how will we approach this diversity of opinion?

We as a nation have entered a new era. First, there must be an acknowledgement of our differences and why the recent decision of our nation’s Supreme Court has repercussions for us all. There is a major shift in public opinion which is shaping a whole new generation of people. The court’s decision impacts everyone in this country. Will there be an allowance for people to conduct business according to their conscience? How will this play out for those who support gay marriage and also for those who don’t support gay marriage?

My thoughts on the changing scene:

This past week the people of the USA found themselves positioning themselves in one of two groups. When the Supreme Court decision came down, legalizing gay marriage, on one side there was great celebration. Our president was in this group. This group saw the the decision as a progressive movement toward freedom for all of its people. Those in this group were elated because of what this represents to them and their beliefs toward what they perceive as for the better good of society. What they had worked for long and hard was now a reality they could celebrate and enjoy.

On the opposite side is the other group, those who believe in marriage as only between a man and a woman, people who saw the decision as a repressive movement with moral consequences leading to confusion and the compromise of spiritual principals, which promotes something they see as detrimental to its people. In this group there was a pervasive sadness that was deeply felt while they were watching America’s icons being lit up in rainbow color in support of something that went down like an in-the-face affront and shocking to their sensibilities. It was hard for them to see those in leadership, who represent everyone in our nation, choose to represent one segment of the populace in American’s landscape in a way they’ve never seen before.

The way I see it, it seems to me that America is divided on some things which relate back to its people’s beliefs. Five people decided and changed the direction of our future as a nation and through this action they have changed the way we will live out our freedoms. You are either celebrating this or you are grieving this. These judges will be responsible for their decision and their interpretation of the law of our land.

I remember the Roe vs. Wade decision. That was and is a divide that separates us as citizens, which also comes down to our personal belief systems and our views concerning the rights of the unborn. We are what we believe, and our beliefs differ…sometimes greatly differ. But we are also a civil society. We must think of our people and our future. Somehow we must not lose our ability to be true to our own consciences.

We are a country that has prided itself on its liberties and its independence. But these same rights and liberties can be abused and used for the bad. Yes, I have an opinion, and it relates to my spiritual beliefs. I will not compromise what I believe because it goes deeper than just an opinion. My belief in God comes first as it should. I follow His ways and desire to walk as Christ walked. This frames my belief system. We are three dimensional beings. Our beliefs define us. Everyone has a belief system. We act from out of our beliefs.

I will be kind. I choose to be kind. I only ask that you be kind in return. I ask that people on both sides be gracious. Don’t call each other names. That is counter productive. Don’t put someone down because you feel superior to them; that speaks of arrogance. None of us are superior people.

This is not about winning, how can you win or lose if something is a belief system? We don’t need the anger. Please refrain from commenting on this post unless your comment is one that is graciously presented. I desire to make my own statement and not hear the venting.

My motto: Stand up for what you believe is right even if you have to stand alone.