Thoughts
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Why do I Write?
Why do I send out a daily text? Here are ten insights about why I write. My Goal is to live a life overflowing with peace, rest, and joy. Learn and grow in God and self-awareness. It’s in taking wise, small steps that you arrive at peace, rest, and joy. Prayer To God be all…
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Why is it Hard to Express Myself?
Recently, I’ve been asking, why is it so hard to express myself? MY GROWING UP YEARS Growing up, we were not an emotional family. As children we knew to never express emotions. Emotional words were only used to call you names. And, after the name calling, family members were encouraged to laugh at you. There…
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There can’t be a God!
I have a friend. He’s a Christian, medical professional, and a senior adult. Recently, he shared a long-time inner-conflict. It goes like this. “There can’t be a God! And, there must be a God!” (Here are my two sides of that debate.) THERE CAN’T BE A GOD! God makes no sense. You can’t see or…
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Handling major, negative life events
When major, negative, life events occur, two outcomes are possible. 1. You experience damage to your soul. Next, you shape your life from that emotional damage. Finally, you begin to demonstrate unhealthy, emotional actions and behaviors (Anger, control, defensiveness, etc.). 2. You experience emotional damage. Afterwards, you dig in deeply and do emotional-spiritual recovery work.…
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Sex is not Love.
A 38 year old husband made this comment. “I gained a new insight today. Sex is not love.” (Don’t you love it when a man has an “aha” moment.) This is both a wonderful moment of awakening and a terribly, sad moment. Wonderful. Because it opens up his thinking to a new, much larger definition…
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These are still True.
I experienced a huge life change once. It involved deep sadness, feelings of being lost, and lots of confusion. Everything had become disordered. How could I go forward? And, if forward, on what foundation? In a dark moment, the Holy Spirit whispered. These are still true. -God is God. -Truth is truth. -Right is right.…
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God View vs. Self View
What is your God view? And, what is your Self view? Many older Christians were taught this view: So, for a long time I loved God. And, was confused and just tolerated myself. I saw me as an inadequate, struggling Self. And, I thought God saw me as his sad, inadequate, struggling, under functioning follower.…
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Growth at 9 to 12 Months
Nine months into an emotional growth journey a man starts sharing these kinds of thoughts: …that, in reference to your former way of life, you are to rid yourselves of the old self, which is being corrupted in accordance with the lusts of deceit, and that you are to be renewed in the spirit of your minds, and to put on…
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Failure and Panic
Why do thoughts of failure cause panic? Here are some ideas on failure. Failure can be a small mistake that only you know about, or it can be a traumatic public event with devastating consequences. What if you have failed a thousand times before you turned 18? (Small failures and large ones.) And, as a…
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Fear Failure
A friend asked, “Why do I fear failure so much?” What a wonderful question. Here are three thoughts. 1 . The language of failure is painful and cuts deeply. “You are such a screw up!” “Loser!” “What’s wrong with you?” “Are you stupid?” 2 . In life you must answer a few, very basic questions.…
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Vulnerability builds Trust
Patrick Lencioni, best-selling author and speaker, made this statement. “Vulnerability builds trust.” I’d like to expand on his statement. In marriage, if a husband opens up and is vulnerable. (by expressing a flaw.) And, if his wife responds with kindness, mercy and acceptance. Then, a foundation of trust starts to develop. (The opposite is also…
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Three areas of Life
Chad Warner, addiction counselor, was speaking recently. He said, “You must work on three areas of your life. The three areas include; Spiritual Care, Self Care, and Marital Care.” Here’s my take on those three areas. Spiritual Care We are spiritual beings. We need a spiritual program. That program must explain life, death, purpose and…