tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-42110345002911027872024-02-06T21:15:51.403-08:00Sparrow MinistriesSondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-90201339546450569852020-11-16T07:55:00.000-08:002020-11-16T07:55:06.733-08:00Building Your New Life <p> <a href="https://link.medium.com/4vIrFKyPsbb">https://link.medium.com/4vIrFKyPsbb</a></p>Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-18787346253874328862018-08-19T11:28:00.001-07:002018-08-19T18:09:32.701-07:00Deinstitutionalization? Think Again!A young, homeless, disabled man is hungry. He goes in to a store and takes a small pack of candy. He is confronted by the store employees. Frightened, he pulls out a weapon he keeps on his person for protection.<br />
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Another young, homeless man with a disability is hungry. He goes into a store and helps himself to a snack and a drink. When confronted by the store employee, pulls out a child’s toy weapon and backs out of the store.<br />
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I admit that if I were in the place of those store employees I would have been frightened, too.<br />
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I suppose I would have called the police. If I were an officer responding in either of these scenarios, I suppose I would have made the arrests.<br />
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But at what point during our judicial process do we stop and look at these young men and see them as frightened, confused individuals that have disabilities and need our care and compassion?<br />
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Where are these young men now? A place where they have a roof over their heads and three meals a day. They are provided with food, medical care, clothing, water, and some basic necessities such as toothpaste and soap.<br />
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I wonder if the judge put them in prison because there is no other facility where their needs could be met.<br />
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Do you think mentally ill people should be locked up against their will? No? Then why is there no public outcry when they are locked up in prison?<br />
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And what of combat veterans with traumatic brain injuries and post traumatic stress syndrome? Should they be imprisoned? Many of them are.<br />
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And then there are those disgusting drug addicts. It’s their own fault, right? It’s their choice. They deserve to be locked up, right? Except that most of them only do about a year and few of them get any treatment for their addiction. And I have yet to hear a five year old say, “When I grow up, I want to be a drug addict.” There is something else going on here!<br />
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The addicts we lock up just go back to the streets in worse shape than when they went into the prison. Now they have lost jobs, homes, and relationships. If they weren’t dangerous before, there’s a good chance they are now. Still addicted, nothing much to lose, and they probably learned a few tricks of the trade from other prisoners during their time inside.<br />
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And many of these addicts are also self medicating mental illness and brain injury. We need an alternative to prison for the mentally ill, disabled, and substance addicted individuals where they can learn actual life skills such as emotion regulation, assertiveness, and other alternative behaviors to counter the addictive or impulsive behaviors.<br />
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We need rehabilitative treatment for those with true deviant behavior as well. Why should tax payers be saddled with the cost of caring for all these prisoners, most of whom will just be released back into our communities to continue their criminal acts against the very citizens who paid for their Incarceration.<br />
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And while we’re on the subject, would you be willing to see your tax dollars pay for community gardens and greenhouses so inmates can grow their own food instead of sitting around doing nothing and having their food shipped in? Besides the fact that much of the food is poor quality, lots of starchy bread and processed meat that contributes to health problems for which we taxpayers also foot the bill.<br />
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These are just some of the thoughts that roll around my head and I decided to get them out. The way we do prison is antiquated and ignores all the new research on what facilitates behavior change. We just have an extremely expensive revolving door system. It might be more expensive up front to make the necessary changes, but we would save millions in the long run if we actually rehabilitated prisoners.Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-87243276265577000982017-12-08T09:32:00.002-08:002017-12-08T09:34:12.590-08:00Status Quo is a MythStatus Quo is a myth. No one can coast forever. Yes, everyone needs to coast for a little bit after a period of hard pedaling. But anyone who continues to coast eventually slows down and comes to a stop. Stop equals death. It could be physical death, mental or emotional death, or even financial death. Water that stops moving becomes stagnant and eventually everything in it dies. Everyone on this planet needs a goal, a vision, a hope, and a purpose to strive for-something that is currently just out of reach. We are not being kind when we don’t challenge ourselves and others to come up a little higher. If you support the status quo, you are contributing to death- death of a dream, death of a company or business, death of a church, death of a person or people group. It seems it is part of human nature to resist change and growth and expansion, but it is part of the divine nature to open, expand, create, and grow. Thank God that light and life overpowers darkness and death. I choose life! I wonder who else is willing to choose life, too. Please leave a comment.Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-5626079331808637682017-11-29T21:39:00.001-08:002017-11-29T21:43:42.501-08:00Mastering Your CraftJon Acuff talked about honing his skill as a speaker by volunteering at a small treatment center for recovering drug addicts. He spoke to 12 people with the same gusto that he would have in a packed out stadium. That is awesome.<br />
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I thought about my work with inmates. For a long time I had been wanting to volunteer in a prison, but time, money, or opportunity never seemed to meet up at the same time so I could do it. But now I am “volunteering” at a prison making a salary and benefits!<br />
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I have a “captive audience” to practice on! Thankfully they actually enjoy and appreciate what I teach them. And that builds my confidence. When prisoners thank you for sharing your thoughts and ideas with them, they mean it. And if I can teach them that their thoughts can change their experience no matter the circumstances, there is proof that these concepts are valid.<br />
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So look for that opportunity to develop your craft. It might be right under your nose!Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-34861288313231523672017-11-28T21:23:00.001-08:002019-03-21T06:42:51.007-07:00Forfeiting Good to Get to GreatI’m still reading through the book Start, by Jon Acuff. He talks about stepping into the observatory to get a look at all your possible futures. We may have many interests, many talents, many dreams and passions. But if we take each one to it’s full conclusion, we may see many possibilities The would be nice, but not necessarily awesome.<br />
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I’m great at dreaming of doing things I have no idea how to accomplish. It’s easy, therefore, to leave those dreams on a very nice shelf, looking as if I will start them one day soon. But those dreams will die with my broken old body because I don’t know where to start. So I need to pick something I can do right now, and start doing it.<br />
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My book has been written. Publish it already. Teaching is next. True, I want to teach it in the context of a transitional living environment, but for that I don’t have the means. So sit around doing nothing? Or do what I can? This thought process can be painful.<br />
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If you’re following along with me, you may be sorting through s pile of dreams, and sorting them into piles of must do, might do, and probably won’t do. Giving up that last pile and possibly the second one, can greatly increase the likelihood the first must do will happen.<br />
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This process is what Jon calls editing. The next chapter is Mastering.Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-41403166028635221352017-11-27T22:03:00.001-08:002017-11-28T05:17:59.162-08:00What brings you the most joy?In his book Start, Jon Acuff says that when people do what brings them joy, it makes them more selfless, not selfish. When trying to narrow down what is most important to us, we have to look at our calendar. What did we spend most of our time doing? We need to be honest and intentional about what we value most. <br />
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Nothing gives me joy like seeing people feel and think better because of time spent with me. I showed them how to think and how to live so they can be free. That is what I call awesome. It doesn’t matter if I get rich or famous. It matters that I gave a second chance to someone who may have thought they were on the last leg of their journey and there are as no hope. <br />
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What gives you joy? I challenge you to think about that for the next day or several days. Peace to you. Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-70026210414345171442017-11-26T22:05:00.003-08:002017-11-26T22:05:43.637-08:00What Can I Not Stop Doing?<span style="color: #454545; font-family: UICTFontTextStyleBody; font-size: 21px; text-decoration: -webkit-letterpress;">Jon Acuff uses the plane crash fantasy to get people to figure out what they want most in life. If that doesn’t work, he asks them to ask another question. </span><br />
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What can I not stop doing? For me, it’s walking and hiking. Looking for better ways to eat. Looking for ways to explain things so that I and other people can be encouraged and dramatically change our lives. Searching for that one thing that will give me an edge. That one thing that will cut to the heart of any issue and overcome it. I can’t stop looking for the fastest, easiest way to profoundly and permanently change the trajectory of my life and the lives of others.</div>
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I know it takes time to heal. (Boy, do I know it!) I know it takes chutzpah to fight through the denial, the excuses, the old mindsets, and all the self sabotaging things we do when we sense a change is necessary in order to move forward in life. </div>
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Notwithstanding, I want to be able to say, do these steps, and you will succeed. <div>
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So I read blogs and articles. Then I subscribe to their newsletters and podcasts and free webinars that turn out not to be free. Then I get overwhelmed with all the stuff in my inbox and I don’t read any of it. Eventually most of them get unsubscribed after a few months of me breaking my promise to read it later. </div>
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But some things do stick. A study that showed that a husband and wife whose brains were being monitored by a team of scientists. It showed parts of their brains lighting up when they prayed together. Later, when they were in separate parts of the house, the husband began praying for his wife. The equipment showed that at that exact moment, the same “prayer center” that lit up when they prayed together was lighting up in the wife’s brain when her husband was praying for her. Powerful! Our thoughts are real things, as Caroline Leaf says. </div>
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So part of my passion must be in learning how and teaching others how to harness the power of our thoughts to change our lives dramatically and irreversibly for the better. </div>
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I know it to be true. I believe it with all my heart. I work on it all the time. The more I learn, the more I know that there is so much more that I don’t know. So I try to narrow it down. I try to find that narrow lane that I can travel in and learn everything there is to know in that one thing. And when I do, I can change lives. </div>
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Dave Ramsey does one thing. Money. But what happens when people follow his plan? They lose weight. They get healthy. Their relationships are healed and strengthened. Their lives are changed!</div>
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I want my message to be that powerful! Will it ever be? I don’t know. Pray for me!</div>
Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-31511959922282714292017-11-25T10:59:00.000-08:002017-11-25T11:00:03.129-08:00New Dreams Old Visions I’m reading a book called Start by Jon Acuff. I’m learning again how to narrow my focus and follow my dreams. What is most important? If you were in an airplane about to crash, what would you most regret not doing with your life? And how much time are you spending on those things now? There are some things I can’t change. Regrets. But should I let that keep me from all the things I still could accomplish?<br />
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It’s a new old way of looking at things. It’s a way to really uncover the honesty of the heart. Can I go back and re-raise my kids? Oh, how I wish I could. Could I undo all the destructive choices that stole my life from me? Wouldn’t that be awesome? But the truth is regrets only keep on stealing whatever is left after the mayhem of wrong choices. I am so good at speaking a message of redemption to others but somehow want to exclude myself. No more! I have to lead by example if I really want to make an impact.<br />
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If you want your life to be more than average; if you want your life to be awesome, not just for yourself, but for those around you, Start.<br />
<i><br /></i>Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-62567392565722467172016-06-03T17:36:00.000-07:002016-06-03T21:00:51.599-07:00You Survived. Now It's Time To Thrive!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Isaiah 54 is the Lord's
Sonnet to Israel, but as with most Old Testament writings, there are
applications for God's modern Lady, the Church, and personal applications for
individual believers.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Isaiah 54:14<o:p></o:p></div>
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In
righteousness you will be established: <o:p></o:p></div>
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Tyranny will be
far from you; <o:p></o:p></div>
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you will have
nothing to fear. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Terror will be
far removed; <o:p></o:p></div>
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it will not
come near you. <o:p></o:p></div>
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For decades I felt like a piece of driftwood, floating aimlessly through
life, just letting circumstances dictate what I did from day to day. The very
thought of plotting a course and setting out in a specific direction incited
fear and a sense of impending defeat. When I first saw this verse, the very
thought of “being established” brought with it the idea of stability, which
sounded nice and safe, but also the idea of responsibility, which sounded
scary. Established in Righteousness. It sounded so grown up. So powerful.
So…not me. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Established means secure, stable, enduring, steadfast, arranged,
prepared, and settled. I truly hadn’t felt like I was established in anything
ever. As I thought about the meaning of this word “established,” I thought of
people who seem securely established in this world. There are those who are
well established financially, emotionally, and relationally in a solid marriage
with great kids. There are those that have stable jobs or businesses, own their
own homes, and are pillars in the church. They are established.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then there’s me with a hodgepodge of vocational experiences and a life
lived in more than fifty different houses, trailers, apartments, and hotel/motel
rooms in two different countries, five different states, and twenty-one cities.
And now God was telling me He wanted me to be established in something. What?<o:p></o:p></div>
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I meditated on this verse periodically over months and even years, trying
to understand how God was going to establish a drifter like me. And finally,
after years, the rest of the phrase penetrated my thick skull. He wants me to
be established <i>in righteousness</i>. When
I realized that God wants to establish me in righteousness, not so much in
worldly things, I was a little disappointed. I was actually hoping for that
picture of stability to come rescue me from my crazy life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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As I contemplated further on the meaning of this phrase, established in
righteousness, I remember that I stand in His righteousness, not my own. Good
thing. Oh, how I need Him to establish me in that righteousness. His
righteousness. 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “God made him who had no sin to be sin
for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” Now it makes
sense. Before this I had a bad habit of worrying if I deserve all the blessings
God promises me. Maybe I am just daydreaming like I did when I was a little
kid. I’ve been an absolute mess. Why would God do for me what he does for those
nice church people? Now, finally, I get it. This verse reminds me that I am
firmly established in His righteousness and therefore I deserve it in Him. I
think it’s time to celebrate!<o:p></o:p></div>
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It doesn’t depend on what I do or don’t do day to day. Of course I fail,
and you will too. But every one of the promises of God for the righteous are
still ours if we are in Christ. We are established!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tyranny will be far from you; <o:p></o:p></div>
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you will have nothing to fear. <o:p></o:p></div>
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Terror will be far removed; <o:p></o:p></div>
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it will not come near you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This was written to the Israelites who were dealing with oppression from other nations. God was
promising them a time when they will be free from all that, when Jesus
establishes them on the earth. The word <i>tyranny</i>
is generally used to describe a governmental leadership style in which the
subjects of that government have no say in what happens to them. Certainly that
was the case for the Israelites at the time God spoke this to them through
the prophet Isaiah. Yet I believe this has application for the lives of
believers in a metaphorical sense beyond the traditional meaning of the word. I
know it carried powerful meaning for me when I was suffering so much oppression
from some unlikely places.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Tyranny is an oppressive power or rigorous condition that limits our
freedom. Some of the ways I suffered tyranny was through abusive relationships
where I was bound, not physically, but by my own belief that I was powerless to
stand up for myself. I was like the grown elephant who remains standing quietly while
tethered to a tiny stake in the ground. As a baby, it was tethered with a heavy
chain to a metal stake, and trying to free itself was futile and painful! As a
mighty adult, it still believes that the chain and stake can hold it and fears
the pain of the struggle, so it doesn’t even try to free itself. This was a
pitifully accurate description of how I was living my life.<span style="line-height: 200%;"> </span></div>
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<br /></div>
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Tyranny can come from our own belief systems, addictions, habits,
destructive relationships, illness, or difficult situations. I believe God
promises that as we allow Him to establish us in His righteousness he will free
us from the tyranny of our problems. I was entangled in a very destructive
relationship with an emotionally and spiritually abusive partner. On one level
I knew that I needed to get away, but every time I tried, I experienced the
terror of trying to face life alone. I had a deeply held belief that I wasn’t
enough. I had not yet embraced the truth that I was righteous in Christ. I knew
it in my head, but my emotional belief system was stuck in the belief that I
was worthless and powerless, and that is how I behaved every day of my life.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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While I was in this confusing place, I read and reread this passage, and
I could hear the still small voice of the Spirit telling me that one day I
would be free. He told me that the
terror of my present experience would be removed, once and for all. I didn’t
know when or how, but I clung to the promise. I had left many times, but wasn’t
strong enough to see it through. Each time I returned to a deeper level of
bondage and deception than before.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Then one day, quite suddenly, the deception was broken once and for all,
and I was free. By that time I had lost nearly everything of worldly value, but
managed to keep my vehicle, some of my clothes, and my laptop. I had everything
I needed to start my life over, and I did. My body was weak and sick, and my
mind was plagued with fear and defeat. It took me a couple of years to drain
the poison from my life caused by that toxic relationship, to get into a stable
job, and start moving forward with my life again. Eventually, the tyranny that
had controlled my life and the terror that stopped me dead in my tracks was
finally far removed from me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Now I know that:<o:p></o:p></div>
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Isaiah 54:15<o:p></o:p></div>
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If anyone does attack you, it will not be my doing; <o:p></o:p></div>
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whoever attacks you will surrender to you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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I know that if I am attacked verbally, emotionally, physically,
spiritually, psychologically, or sexually, it is not God trying to teach me a
lesson or build my character. It is the enemy using someone to cause me harm.
As a child of God, I can take a stand against the schemes of the Devil, resist
him, and he will flee (James 4:7). I do this through prayer and spiritual
warfare (Ephesians 6:11-12), not by attacking the person, because God says in
Matthew 5:44 to love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you. And
when I do, I can trust that God will not allow that person or that situation to
overpower me.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Isaiah 54:16<o:p></o:p></div>
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“See, it is I who created the blacksmith <o:p></o:p></div>
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who fans the coals into flame <o:p></o:p></div>
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and forges a weapon fit for its work. <o:p></o:p></div>
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And it is I who have created the destroyer to wreak havoc; <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Sometimes I think, Oh no! This devil, this attack, this catastrophe, is
going to get the best of me! I’m just a small little Christian and no match for
these demons! I really feel overpowered and overwhelmed. But God just laughs.
That demon? I created him. You’ve got nothing to fear. These things that look
so big to you are tiny in my sight.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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And then God says,<o:p></o:p></div>
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Isaiah 54:17<o:p></o:p></div>
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no weapon forged against you will prevail, <o:p></o:p></div>
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and you will refute every tongue that accuses you.<o:p></o:p></div>
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This is the heritage of the servants of the Lord, <o:p></o:p></div>
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and this is their vindication from me,” <o:p></o:p></div>
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declares the Lord. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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You are God's servant and you have an inheritance. People and situations will come against us. People will tell lies about
us. People will do wrong things and blame it on us. Stuff will happen. But we
have a sure promise as servants of the Lord. As we live humbly and righteously
with our God, He will show everyone that the lies that were told about us were
untrue, and we will be vindicated (supported, defended, and justified; cleared
of blame or suspicion) from every attack on our righteous character.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Our Dad is the Judge and our Brother (Jesus) is the Attorney. We will be
vindicated when brought to trial. <o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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Even if we break the law and are convicted in a human court, we will have
to serve a sentence for our crime, but God will not hold our sins against us in
the heavenly realms. If we have repented and made Jesus our Savior and Lord, we are righteous!<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
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<o:p> </o:p><b style="line-height: 200%;"><i>Questions for Reflection
or Group Discussion</i></b></div>
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What are
some tyrannies that have brought terror and fear into your life?<o:p></o:p></div>
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How have
you been able to overcome these by the power of the truth of God’s Word and
your secure position in Him?<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i>Prayer<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
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Father,
thank you for the victory you have purchased for me by the blood of your Son
Jesus! I have been attacked in so many ways. At times I have felt helpless and
powerless. But now I am established in righteousness and I know I am more than a
conqueror in Christ Jesus. Help me now to remain steadfast in the face of
adversity, knowing that you are my vindicator.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<b><i><br /></i></b></div>
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<b><i>Meditation</i></b><o:p></o:p></div>
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Sit in a
comfortable place with no distractions. Shift your body so it is well
supported. Gently close your eyes and focus on your breath, breathing in slowly
and deeply and allowing your muscles to relax as you exhale slowly and fully.
Take a few more deep breaths as you become more relaxed and focused.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Imagine
yourself in a courtroom. You are on trial. One by one the witnesses take the
stand and accuse you. There is a recorder standing there, writing everything
down. Every little thing. This list gets
longer and longer as pages upon pages fall to the floor and pile up around the
recorders feet. There is no way you can defend yourself against all these
charges. There aren’t enough years in your life to serve the sentence. The court
room fills with more and more accusers. The list gets longer and longer and pile higher and higher.Finally, the judge says, “Enough!” And there
is silence in the room for what seems like half an hour. Then Jesus walks in.
He wraps his arm around your shoulder and says, “Father, I paid for this one.”
The accusers are silenced and one by one slink out of the room, ashamed with
nothing more to say. The pages of accusations recorded on them turn to dust and
are swept away. You are righteous.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
<b><i>Action Steps<o:p></o:p></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%;">
Draw, paint, write poetry, dance,
sing, sculpt, play an instrument, clap your hands, wave a flag or scarf,
whistle, jump up and down, or otherwise rejoice with all your heart because you
and all your life is redeemed from the law of sin and death. By His stripes you
were healed!<o:p></o:p></div>
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Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-38452139972663107622016-04-23T20:08:00.000-07:002016-04-23T20:08:57.146-07:00Healing Emotions That Have Gone Underground<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUXtq8rAWqGXlPCFJKcZkEoYG5X9thXrBRvRHMCo86MVNFqlUEI8sSfDkZTY-z7ZClLe29kYy549nBYoi79WJXNw5V2i7dxloMq4Bb2IkOJ0ciAWviVv5_xm5cRCrMu8cSN8LHcwO068/s1600/peaceful-nature.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKUXtq8rAWqGXlPCFJKcZkEoYG5X9thXrBRvRHMCo86MVNFqlUEI8sSfDkZTY-z7ZClLe29kYy549nBYoi79WJXNw5V2i7dxloMq4Bb2IkOJ0ciAWviVv5_xm5cRCrMu8cSN8LHcwO068/s400/peaceful-nature.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><div>
Photo credit <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/57710963@N05/"</div>
<div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Isaiah 54 is the Lord's
Sonnet to Israel, but as with most Old Testament writings, there are applications
for God's modern Lady, the Church, and personal applications for individual
believers.</span></div>
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</div>
<h1 align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: "calibri light"; font-size: large;">Great Will Be Your
Children’s Peace</span></span></h1>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Isaiah 54:13</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">All your children will be taught by the Lord, </span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">and great will be their peace. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Children</span></b></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Every Christian parent wants to know that their children are following
the Lord and that they are walking in peace with Him.</span></div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Proverbs 20:7 (NIV)</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">The righteous lead blameless lives;</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;"> blessed are their children
after them.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">We have the promise as believers that God cares for our children and
makes them a priority. We also know that our children can choose to go a
different way. Nevertheless, we must stand on this promise that sooner or later
our children will be redeemed. Notice that it says our children will be taught
by the Lord. Parents who know the Lord when their children are little have the
opportunity to introduce them to the Lord and His word. But after they are
grown, we parents have to step back and allow our children to be taught by the
Lord, which may mean watching them struggle and deal with consequences as He
teaches them to walk in His ways. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Hebrews 12:11</span></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however,
it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been
trained by it.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Sometimes as parents we feel obligated to rescue our children from their
bad choices, especially when we know that as broken people, we contributed to
the brokenness of our children. But according to this verse, if we do that, we
are robbing our children of that harvest of righteousness and peace that will
be theirs after they have been trained by the discipline of the Lord. </span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">“Basement Children”</span></b></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">With that said, I would like to switch gears and approach this verse in
Isaiah 54 from a completely different perspective- the perspective of our own
inner life. I want to talk about how Jesus wants to heal the hurts from our childhood. I was hurt many times in many ways during my childhood. Most of us
were. To varying degrees we all have been ignored, undervalued, invalidated,
criticized, treated unfairly, falsely accused, bullied, and inappropriately
punished. Some of us were severely abused and tormented, sexually abused,
verbally abused, physically abused, or severely deprived of basic needs of
food, clothing, shelter, and safety. When these things happen, those wounded
parts of ourselves often “splinter off” and go into hiding for safety.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">There are parts of ourselves that have been hiding in the basement of our
psyche, stuck at whatever age we were when certain things happened. From this
hidden place, the basement of our inner life, these child parts of ourselves
cry out to be heard, noticed, validated, and loved. The angry child who was
never validated might be crying out in the form of uncontrollable angry
outbursts or depression. The creative child who was never praised might be
crying out in the form of a substance addiction. The ignored or unloved child
might be crying out in the form of a sex addiction, pornography addiction, promiscuity,
or prostitution. The controlled child might be crying out in the form of an
eating disorder. The rejected child might be crying out in the form of a series
of broken relationships. The criticized child might be crying out in form of perfectionism
or workaholism. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">If you were hurt as a child, it is time to bring those child parts of
yourself up from the basement so God can heal them and bring them peace. To do
this you might need the help of a therapist, accountability partner, or support
group such as </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Celebrate Recovery, </span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">a
Christian 12 Step program that offers groups for all your </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Hurts, Habits, Hang-ups, and Codependency</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">. Books can also help. There
are many books on the subject. A good one is </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Changes That Heal </span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">by Dr. Henry Cloud. But beware: you cannot heal
in isolation. There is a good chance that too much isolation is why your development
went haywire in the first place. It might have been the lack of a relationship
or the presence of a destructive relationship, which also brings emotional
isolation. Healthy development happens in a healthy community. If that gets
thwarted somehow, we need a healthy community to bring that development back
online. So make sure you find a support person or group to help you walk
through your healing journey.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">To heal your broken inner child, you will still need to have your alone
time with God in prayer, meditation, and Bible study. Ask Him to guide you to
the right place to find connection with others who will accept and love you
while you openly grapple with your issues. You have to feel safe to do this, so
if you go to a therapist or group that does not feel safe, keep looking and
praying until you find one that does. Over the years and decades people who
have unresolved childhood trauma seem to also manifest physical ailments such
as chronic pain, or find themselves getting diagnosed with multiple psychiatric
disorders. To learn more about this, read </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">The
Body Keeps Score</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;"> by Bessel van der Kolk, MD. If you are struggling with
physical or psychiatric issues, please try to find a doctor who understands the
ramifications of developmental trauma, and don’t underestimate the power of God
to heal you completely through prayer and the laying on of hands (James
5:14-16).</span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Questions for Reflection
or Group Discussion</span></i></b></div>
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</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Do you struggle with any habits
that might the result of a “basement child” crying out for attention?</span></div>
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</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">If yes, do you know where to
go to get help?</span></div>
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</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Can you, as your adult self,
offer love and guidance to those basement children?</span></div>
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</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Prayer</span></i></b></div>
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</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Father, there are parts of
me that have not been brought to You for healing. Please show me where these
parts are, how they are affecting my life, and what I need to do to bring them
to You for healing. I know you want every part of me to be healed and whole so
my life will bring you glory and so I can have joy in knowing You and loving You
with every part of me.</span></div>
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</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Meditation</span></i></b></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Sit in a
comfortable place with no distractions. Shift your body so it is well
supported. Gently close your eyes and focus on your breath, breathing in slowly
and deeply and allowing your muscles to relax as you exhale slowly and fully.
Take a few more deep breaths as you become more relaxed and focused.</span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Imagine
you are standing in the backyard of a house on a warm spring day. </span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">The sun is
shining brightly, and green leaves from the surrounding trees frame the deep
blue sky. It is one of those lazy, quiet afternoons where you can just relax
and let yourself drift. There is nowhere you have to be, nothing you have to
do. The grass is thick and tender under your feet and you feel like you could
lie down.</span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">But before
you do, you notice a door at the side of the house, leading to the basement or
cellar. You feel drawn to this now. As you walk up to this door, you sense that
someone is beside you. You sense overwhelming love, protection, and absolute
acceptance from this person, and you know that you are completely safe. You know
this person is here to do a healing work.</span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">And now
you realize it is time to open this door. When you do, small hands give you an
even smaller baby. The baby is crying. You hold this baby snugly in your arms and
rock it gently to soothe it. You realize this baby is you. Your Healer touches
the baby and finds out what is wrong. Your healer instructs you to look into
the baby’s eyes and tell the baby it is safe and loved. Then place the baby in
the healer’s arms. Next, a one year old child crawls out and reaches up to be
held by you. </span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">You pick up
this little one, too, snuggle and rock the baby, and tell the baby it is safe
and loved. Tell the baby anything else you think it needs to hear. Listen, and
see what else the Healer instructs you to say or do. You can now hand this baby
over to the Healer, too.</span></div>
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</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">As you
face the door once more, out comes a two year old. Notice how this one
responds. What does this little one need from you? What does your Healer
instruct you to say or do? Hold and snuggle this one, tell this one, you are
safe and loved. Follow the Healer’s instructions and hand this one over to the
Healer as well.</span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Once
again, you face the door, and here comes the three year old you. You gather
this child into your arms and say, you are safe and loved. You offer other
words of encouragement and acceptance to this one, too.</span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">You notice
the Healer has spread a large blanket on the grass and all the little you’s are
starting to gather around. You send your three year old self over to join the
Healer and welcome the four year old who comes out of the door.</span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">One by
one, year by year, your child selves emerge from underground and into the
sunlight. Listen carefully to what each one needs from you at this moment and
be sure to look each one in the eyes and affirm them with love and safety.</span></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">When
everyone has come out of the basement, sit down with them and your Healer for a
refreshing drink of healing, sparkling water. Notice the brightness and the
laughter of these children as they are in the presence of the Master. If anyone
is sad or troubled or sick, lay that one is the Healer’s lap for extra care.</span></div>
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</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Tell
everyone that this is the beginning of a new life. From now on you will listen
when they cry and acknowledge them when they are angry, and celebrate them for
being just who God made them to be, no more will they be rejected or ignored.</span></div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">You can
express and honor these child parts of you with art, dance, waving of flags or
tassels, playing games, or just resting. You might also help them express their
emotions through journaling.</span></div>
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</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">And now, leaving all the child parts of you safely
in the hands of the Master, knowing you can visit many times a day if you need
to, it is time to make your way back from this journey. And now, take a
couple of deep breaths, wriggle your hands and feet, let out a big, big, sigh,
and when you are ready you can open your eyes.</span></div>
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</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Action Steps</span></i></b></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Try doing a two way journal with your wounded child/children. Write down
a question such as, what do you need? Wait, listen, and then write down the
child’s response. Write affirmations to the child and write down the child’s
response.</span></div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">When you have a reaction or behavior that seems out of character for you,
check to see if a wounded child self is driving that reaction or behavior.</span></div>
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</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<div align="left">
</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Visit the meditation in this chapter several times to hear what your
wounded child/children need from you to get better.</span></div>
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</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
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</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Practice daily sending positive messages to your child selves as often as
you can. Bring them to Jesus every day. </span></div>
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</div>
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<br /></div>
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</div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Matthew 19:14</span></div>
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</div>
<div align="left" style="line-height: 115%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: small;">Jesus said, “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them,
for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”</span></div>
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</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
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<br />Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-10647666140787348342016-03-26T19:43:00.002-07:002019-06-10T10:42:40.674-07:00Boundaries and the Entrances and Exits to Your Life<b><span style="font-family: "calibri light"; font-size: large;"></span></b><b><span style="font-family: "calibri light"; font-size: large;"></span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Isaiah 54 is the Lord's
Sonnet to Israel, but as with most Old Testament writings, there are
applications for God's modern Lady, the Church, and personal applications for
individual believers.</span></div>
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: "calibri light"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: "calibri light"; font-size: large;">Entrances
and Exits to Your Life</span></span></b></h1>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Isaiah 54:12</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I will make your
battlements of rubies,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">your gates of
sparkling jewels, </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">and all your
walls of precious stones. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Imagine an entire
city made of diamonds, rubies, emeralds, sapphires, and turquoise. How
beautiful would that be? God wants to rebuild each one of us so we are that
beautiful. Can you see it? Strong.
Majestic. Magnificent even. This is not an outward beauty, but an inward beauty
that can be seen from the outside, the beauty of a gentle and quiet spirit. (1
Peter 3:3 – 5)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What makes a
gentle and quiet spirit? This is not the spirit of a victim in denial. This is
not a codependent who sweeps everything under the rug. This is not a subtle
manipulator living in a perceived world of lack who sees everyone as
competition for the last crumb of love, acceptance, or affirmation.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">No. A gentle and
quiet spirit comes from a place of power, protection, and provision. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We know God is
for us, so who can be against us? (Romans 8:31-32)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We know our God
is a strong tower, and the righteous run to it and are safe. (Proverbs 18:10) </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We know He will
meet all our needs according to the riches of his glory. (Philippians 4:19)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">So we don’t have
to clamor and clobber to get what we need, and we don’t have to suffer in
silence while others take what we have and use and abuse us. We are beautiful
because we are strong and there is no sense of lack in our inner being. This
inner beauty makes us very attractive to unbelievers who might be seeking answers
to their own emptiness.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Battlements of Rubies</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Battlements are
those notches around the top of a castle or city wall where soldiers can stand
protected while they fire their weapons to fend off intruders. Rubies are not
only beautiful but strong and very valuable. If our battlements that protect us
are that valuable, it only stands to reason the one they are protecting is much
more valuable. God is building us with outward protection because our inner
person is worth far more than rubies! (Proverbs 31:10-31)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Gates</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Gates have two
major functions. They allow things in and they let things out. The gates of a
city open in the morning to allow vendors to bring in supplies and food. They
carry on their trading and leave with the supplies and goods they traded for.
This is a good deal. Everybody wins. When you have healthy gates in your life,
you open yourself to interactions from others. You exchange ideas and stories,
validate one another’s experiences, laugh together, and cry together. This
healthy interchange makes both people richer.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As a normal by
product of the city’s daily business, trash, rubbish, and waste will accumulate
throughout the day. At the end of the day, the gates serve the function of
allowing the bad stuff to be carried out so that the city is not contaminated.
Even in healthy relationships, there will be misunderstandings and hurt
feelings. A healthy person is able to forgive and ask forgiveness quickly, so
things don’t build up and contaminate the relationship. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">At night, the
gates close to keep out robbers and enemies. Gates that do not function
properly may fail to allow good things in, and fail to allow the bad things
out. They may open at night, and close in the morning. People may offload their
damaged emotions on to you, and you may not have a way to drain them off,
because your gates do not function properly.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Jesus alone can
repair those gates. If you feel poisoned by a person or persons in your life,
you may need to separate yourself. Find safe people and stay close to them while
Jesus repairs your gates. A safe person manages their own emotions and doesn’t
try to manage yours. They will accept you as you are and give you space to
grow. They will model healthy boundaries for you.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Spend time in
prayer and meditation, asking God to reveal to you ways you have been
contaminated and kept empty by faulty gates, and journal about what you are
learning. Ask God to show you how to fill up with good things and “take out the
trash.” You may even feel physically ill. While you are working on this,
remember to eat well, rest, and exercise to get rid of all the toxins that have
been building up in your body.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Walls</span></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">He will make our
gates of sparkling jewels and our walls of precious stones. Walls are the
God-given boundaries that protect us. Some of us, many of us, have experienced
a breakdown of those walls through the storms we have endured in our lives. They
could have suffered sudden trauma that left gaping holes, or slow, steady
erosion from years of abuse or neglect. The family pretends to the world that
they are normal, healthy, and happy while unspeakable travesties await the
children behind closed doors. These secrets teach the children that the
family’s lie is more important and more valuable than the child’s heart, than
the child’s truth. The child learns that they are expendable. They believe they
have no value, and they do not learn to self-protect.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This inability to
protect oneself is equivalent to a broken wall or lack of boundaries. Broken
walls don’t just grow back. They don’t heal with time. They need the Lord to
rebuild them by re-parenting the child within. We need to be re-taught that we
are precious and valuable and worth protecting. We need to learn how and when
to say no, to set limits, and to recognize where we end and the other person
begins. When we cannot recognize and maintain healthy boundaries, we will be
victims of other people’s emotions, opinions, and selfish motives.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">When we don’t
have proper boundaries, other people don’t know when to back off. They may ask
you to run errands for them, babysit for free, listen to them complain for
hours, work overtime, pay for their lunch, put up with angry outbursts, and so
on. Spouses may expect you to tolerate abuse and infidelity. Your children may
expect you to be their ever available chauffer, money dispenser, and 24 hour
chef. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">You can say that
people should be more considerate and should know better than to take advantage
of you. However, if you look at it from their perspective, imagine that you
came across a beautiful park, with grass, trees, flowers, and a picnic table.
You decide to go sit at the table and eat your lunch and relax in the sun.
While you are sitting there eating, someone walks up to you and asks you why
you decided to make yourself at home in their yard. You are shocked and
embarrassed. There is no house in view, no gate, no fence, and no sign. You had
no idea this was someone’s private property because it looked like a public
park. Perhaps you are like that person’s yard. Perhaps this is how you look to
other people. They see no outward indication that any part of you is off limits
to them, so they make themselves at home in your personal, mental, emotional,
and spiritual space.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The task of
learning boundaries develops naturally during childhood when children are
raised in a healthy home, but boundaries are very difficult to understand for
those whose development was interrupted by abuse and trauma. When we first
begin to learn boundaries as adults, it may seem like hit and miss. We might
say no too often and alienate family and friends unnecessarily. Then, we might
over correct by saying yes too often. People with poor boundaries often have
trouble identifying their own wants, needs, and feelings as opposed to what
they think others want or need from them. This can make the world a confusing
place. Through prayer, meditation, journaling, and fellowship with healthy
people, we can begin to learn boundaries and gain confidence in where those
boundaries lie for us.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">How well do you
know yourself? Do you know what you really want? Do you know how to decide
between what is good and what is best? Do you know how much of your story to
tell and how much to hold back? Are you able to name your feelings and manage
them on your own, or do you feel the need to often seek support and validation?
Do you let other people’s problem emotions become your problem? Do you make
your problem emotions someone else’s problem by acting out?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">If you struggle
in any of these areas it is not your fault. Your brain did not develop the common
nerve pathways that would naturally place those boundaries in your everyday
behavior without you even having to think about it. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I explain it like
this: An adult trying to learn boundaries is like waking up one day and being
told that your body will no longer carry out its automatic functions like
breathing, your heart beating, pumping blood through your body, your food
digesting and being distributed, and all your organs and glands functioning.
You now have to use your own conscious effort to ensure all these functions
continue working every minute of every day. This is how overwhelming it is for
an adult to try to learn boundaries if they were not formed through natural
development during childhood.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Perhaps it is now
a little easier to see how a person whose boundaries were violated as a child
becomes an “afflicted city lashed by storms and not comforted.” But God says He
will rebuild us and make our walls of precious stones. Imagine how beautiful
that would be! Instead of us stomping our feet, clenching our fists, and
shouting “NO!” at the top of our lungs, He will teach us to graciously and
beautifully reflect our limits and expectations to others. They will see our
strength and dignity so that they admire and respect us too much to violate our
boundaries.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 115%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Questions
for Reflection or Group Discussion</span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Can you
think of some examples of times when others have crossed your boundaries?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Can you
think of some examples of times when you have crossed the boundaries of others?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Do you
sometimes feel responsible for the emotions or actions of others?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Do you
sometimes blame others for your emotions or choices?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><br /></span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Prayer</span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Dear Lord,</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My walls
and gates have been broken down. I know this is not my fault. I now surrender
these broken walls and faulty gates to you, for you alone are able to rebuild
them as they were intended to be. Teach me to know what belongs within my
borders, and what does not. Help me to recognize where my thoughts, feelings, and
actions begin and end, and help me connect to others from a place of safety and
protection. Help me to take responsibility only for what is mine and refrain
from trying to manage or control the thoughts, feelings, and actions of others.
Lord, I give you permission to restructure my inner life and my relationships
with others so that they look like the beautiful city surrounded by precious stones
and sparkling jewels.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Meditation</span></i></b></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sit in a
comfortable place with no distractions. Shift your body so it is well
supported. Gently close your eyes and focus on your breath, breathing in slowly
and deeply and allowing your muscles to relax as you exhale slowly and fully.
Take a few more deep breaths as you become more relaxed and focused.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Imagine
yourself as a strong, beautiful, perfectly built city. Take a walk through the
streets of this city. Notice the bustle of people in the market place, making
purchases and trading social pleasantries. Children play happily nearby as their
parents conduct their business. Everything is in order. Now as you continue
walking, you notice the streets becoming rough and narrow. There are ruts and holes
in the pavement and the buildings are worn and shoddy. You see some people
huddled on the sidewalk, cold and alone. Children are poorly dressed and searching
for food. As you come to the city’s edge, you see its walls are broken. Perhaps
some wild dogs come in and steal food from the people who are unprotected. Just
stand her for a few moments and notice how it feels to be here in this broken
place. See if it reminds you of any part of your life. Know that this is the
area of your life Jesus came to redeem. As you stand here gazing toward the
break in the wall, see your Redeemer coming, just like Nehemiah did to rebuild
Jerusalem. He calls the people to attention. Even the children can help. He
gives everyone a job to do, but he is the leader, and he takes responsibility
for every part of the job and for the finished product. Watch, as all the
people take heart. They stand up straight, with strength and dignity they smile
as they pick up whatever tool they are given and march forward with courage.
The walls are rebuilt, the gates are set in place, and the buildings are
restored. Just allow this process to unfold and come back her often as a symbol
of presenting your life to the Lord and allowing him to restore every part of
you.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">And now, take a couple of deep
breaths, wriggle your hands and feet, let out a big, big, sigh, and when you
are ready you can open your eyes.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Action Steps</span></i></b><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Read the book </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Safe People</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> by Dr. Henry Cloud and Dr. John Townsend</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Read the book </span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Boundaries</span></i><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> by Cloud and Townsend.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-44126819201743283382016-01-17T20:07:00.001-08:002016-01-18T06:33:17.141-08:00Your Life - God's Masterpiece<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXQu97wC9sgx_5_SPspXVQbIX9PJd60RMDXBMS2T19vzPrqwUi2BJAhomvHgI7ZnkskxMHZ0CvLePR0hXZoL-tFwFNFgsAzrjRf4XhsYGYEDV2uoS0T4sdE02teFjTBC2WxI7NBbLBcc/s1600/Ocean+on+the+rocks+By+Scott+Boomer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="295" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjiXQu97wC9sgx_5_SPspXVQbIX9PJd60RMDXBMS2T19vzPrqwUi2BJAhomvHgI7ZnkskxMHZ0CvLePR0hXZoL-tFwFNFgsAzrjRf4XhsYGYEDV2uoS0T4sdE02teFjTBC2WxI7NBbLBcc/s400/Ocean+on+the+rocks+By+Scott+Boomer.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Scott Boomer</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">CHAPTER 9</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Isaiah 54 is the Lord's
Sonnet to Israel, but as with most Old Testament writings, there are
applications for God's modern Lady, the Church, and personal applications for
individual believers.</span><br />
<br />
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #2e74b5; font-family: "calibri light"; font-size: large;"><br /></span></h1>
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #2e74b5; font-family: "calibri light"; font-size: large;">Your Life-God’s
Masterpiece</span></h1>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Isaiah 54:11</span></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Afflicted
city, lashed by storms and not comforted, </span><br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I will rebuild
you with stones of turquoise,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">your foundations
with lapis lazuli. </span></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Afflicted. Do you
ever feel like that word describes you? I sure did. Sexually abused as early as
age three, and on up till age 12. Then years of depression, social awkwardness,
poverty, self-harm, isolation, abusive boyfriends, teen pregnancy, and a lonely
marriage that ended in divorce. Somewhere in there I had become a Christian,
but my life didn’t change very much. Then I came across this scripture and in
that moment I felt that God really knew what my life had been like. Before
that, I thought of God as distant and unavailable. His strong arms crossed with
a stern look on His face, waiting for me to figure it out and finally get it
right. He could help me but He wasn’t willing. And I wasn’t able to help myself.
I would cry out and beg for His help, telling Him I loved Him. My intellectual theology
was correct. Consciously, I knew the Bible says He loves us unconditionally,
but below the surface, my emotional image of God was a combination of a
self-serving user and an absent abandoner. In the deepest recesses of my heart,
I believed my desperate pleas fell on deaf ears.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Please realize
that if anyone had asked me, I would never have said these things about my Lord
and Savior. I read my bible faithfully and believed in my intellect that God
was good, kind, caring, merciful, and loving. I am sure that in my spirit I also knew this
to be true. But where I lived day to day, the way I interacted with the world
around me, was based on a foundational belief hiding far below the surface,
that I was completely on my own to deal with my struggles, my needs, my
desires, my hopes, and my fears. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">After I
discovered this verse, my attitude slowly began to change. I started to look
for God to show up in real ways in my life, and He did. Sadly, I was still too
immature to really apply this in very meaningful ways. Once again I sought
comfort in a marriage that was doomed from the start. It took me ten years to
finally escape and another two years to finally nail the whole thing to the
cross and let it go.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Now, my
foundation is laid bare and He can actually do what needs to be done. Jesus
said in Matthew 7:24 “Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts
them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock.” Because
of my faulty foundation, my house was not built upon the Rock of Jesus Christ,
but on my own fears and doubts stemming from the belief that I was alone and
unloved. It was not enough to read the scripture, underline the scripture,
memorize the scripture, and post the scripture on the wall. I had to stop
acting like an orphan, sneaking under the table in hopes of catching a few
crumbs. It was time to walk in and take my seat next to Jesus at my Father’s table.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I no longer look
for my worth and value in what I own, in where I work, in who likes me or loves
me, in marriages or relationships, or in any other earthly thing. I have worth
and value because He says so. Jesus suffered and died so He could have fellowship
with me. No longer frantically searching, I rest in that. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Before this
revelation, because of my history of poverty, I was always looking for a higher
paying job. When I got a higher paying job, I wasn’t happy, so I went back to
school. Then, I had to start over in a new career and I had a lower paying job
again. Now, I am in the job that God gave me. It is not perfect, and it doesn’t
pay that much, but it's not my end all. Jesus is. I’ll stay until He tells me otherwise because I have learned to be
content knowing He is the One taking care of me.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I used to comfort
myself about all my perceived flaws and imperfections by criticizing and
judging others. We can always find someone who is worse than we are in each
area we feel insecure about. There is always someone with worse kids, worse hair,
a worse car, a worse addiction, a worse potty mouth, a smaller house, more
weeds, a fatter stomach or a bigger nose, and on and on. When we start with the
foundation that God loves us and really believe it, we can accept ourselves and
love others. When we feel safe and accepted, we are able to admit our faults
and ask for help to overcome them. When I was hiding my insecurities behind a
wall of judgment, I couldn’t confess or repent. I was too busy hiding and
criticizing. Now that I am free from that, I not only can be free from
besetting sins, I can help others get free too. </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">We have to let
God touch us deeply if we really want to be free. We have to give Him access to
our foundation. We cannot just modify our outward behavior and call it good. We
can read our Bibles for an hour every day, pray for an hour every day, go to
church every time the doors are open, follow all the rules, don't drink, cuss,
smoke, or chew, or go around with those that do, and say we are doing fine,
better than most. But I have seen people carry on this way, using it as a wall
to keep God at arm’s length. “I’m fine, see? I’m good. I don’t need God to go
poking around my foundation.”</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Of course, they
don’t actually say this out loud. But when it’s time for group discussion and
prayer, someone in the group inevitably applies the personal growth topics to
someone else, to public schools, the government, homeless people, Hollywood,
public figures, politics, or the man in the moon. Anything to avoid being
transparent and vulnerable. Once that first person pipes up with an off the
topic topic, everyone else in the group heaves a collective sigh of relief and joins
the bandwagon, off the hook once again. If we want to grow in love and grace, we have to move past the superficial. We have to take risks.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our old, faulty
beliefs were born out of a need to protect us from something, whether real or perceived.
Now that we are God’s children, we have Him to protect us, so we can let go of
the old and embrace the new. But it is scary, so lots of people just muddle
through their Christian life without victory because the first step feels like
it is off the edge of a cliff and we don’t know if God will really catch us. This is the threshold to the victorious, abundant life Jesus came to give us. (John 10:10)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">It truly is time
to allow God to rebuild that old foundation (Isaiah 58:12). What is your foundation made of?
Anger? Unbelief? Insecurity? Doubt? Self-confidence? Self-righteousness?
Woundedness? Fear? Self-importance?</span><br />
<span style="font-family: calibri;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Are you ready to
allow God to dismantle the old foundation and replace those old stones with
precious gems?</span></div>
<span style="font-family: calibri;"></span><br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Oh, afflicted
city, lashed by storms and not comforted,</span><br />
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I will build you
with stones of turquoise, your foundations with sapphires.” </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sapphires, or
lapis lazuli, are a reference to the heavens, as well as strength. In the
Middle East, the use of turquoise in buildings is significant. It was used to
signify Heaven, and was a symbol for victory. Turquoise was only used for
important buildings. I had to learn to
accept that I was important to God. Now,
I am writing this book so that you too can know you are important to God. He
said He will personally take on the responsibility to rebuild you and me. He will not leave the job to an apprentice or
even a journeyman carpenter. No. The General Contractor will show up in person
to see that this job is done right. So,
what is our part? We must show up daily to allow our Heavenly Father to dote
over us. Remember, Jesus said in Matthew
11:30 that His yoke is easy and His burden is light.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">If we want to
replace those old bricks, we have to choose to meditate on those scriptures
that will counteract the beliefs that keep us stuck. I am a huge fan of reading the Bible from
cover to cover in order to stay balanced.
A one-year Bible can make it easy to do that, or you can use a two-year
or three-year plan. But in order to counteract those deeply held foundational
beliefs that are tripping up our lives, we need to study, meditate, memorize,
and confess specific scriptures that tell us the truth about who God is and who
we are to Him. Those scriptures will
jump out at you during your daily reading. Underline them, write them down, and
memorize them. As you uncover those
faulty beliefs, the Holy Spirit will lead you to the right scriptures for you.
It will also help if you personalize them.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For example, if
you feel alone and rejected, abandoned and forgotten, personalize this
scripture:</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“Can a mother forget the baby at her breast</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> and have no compassion on the
child she has borne?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Though she may forget,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> I will not forget you!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">See, I have engraved you on the palms of my hands;</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"> your walls are ever before me.</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">You might say it something like this:</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">No matter who else ignores me or forgets about me, the Most High God,
Maker of the Universe, is thinking about me all the time, non-stop; He is so in
love with me that He has put my name on the palm of his hand. Like a soldier on
the wall he is standing guard over me day and night. I must be pretty special and
mighty important to Him!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Or this:</span><br />
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">No matter who else ignores or forgets about </span><u><span style="font-family: "calibri";">___(Your Name Here)__, </span></u><span style="font-family: "calibri";">the
Most High God, Maker of the Universe, is thinking about </span><u><span style="font-family: "calibri";">___(Your Name Here)___</span></u><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> all the time,
non-stop; and is so in love with </span><u><span style="font-family: "calibri";">___(Your Name Here)___</span></u><span style="font-family: "calibri";"> that He has put
his/her name on the palm of His hand. Like a soldier on the wall He is standing
guard over </span><u><span style="font-family: "calibri";">___(Your Name Here)</span></u><span style="font-family: "calibri";">___ day and night. ___</span><u><span style="font-family: "calibri";">(Your Name
Here)___ </span></u><span style="font-family: "calibri";">must be pretty special and mighty important to Him!</span><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Or this:</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">___</span><u><span style="font-family: "calibri";">(Your Name Here)__,</span></u><span style="font-family: "calibri";">This is the Most High God, Maker of the
Universe. I am here to tell you that no matter who else ignores you or forgets
about you, I am thinking about you all the time, non-stop; and I am so in love
with you that I have put your name on the palm of My hand. Like a soldier on a
wall I am standing guard over you day and night. You are that special and that
important to Me!</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Or this:</span><br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Lord, You are the Most High God, Maker of the Universe. No matter who
else ignores me or forgets about me, You are telling me that You are thinking
about me all the time, non-stop; that you are so in love with me that you have
put my name on the palm of Your hand. Like a soldier on a wall you are standing
guard over me day and night. I must be pretty special to you and mighty important
to you!</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our God is a personal God, and if we want His word to change our lives,
we have to apply it in personal ways. How might your life be different if you
are constantly aware that God is bending over you, noticing you, paying close
attention to you, protecting you, and looking for ways to bless you?</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Yes, we do experience trouble in this life, heartbreaking trouble at
times. As long as the world exists in its present form we will have painful
trials. But what will you believe about this? What will your foundation be?
Will you believe that you are alone, abandoned by God, smitten and afflicted by
God? Or will you allow the Cross of Christ to be your foundation, remembering
that He was bruised for our iniquities, that 100% of our punishment for sins
was placed upon Him, so that he purchased for us eternal peace and total
healing? (Isaiah 53:4-5, NIV)</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Believing in His tender care gives us the courage to let go of old habits
and self-protective mechanisms such as criticism, defensiveness, avoidance, pretending,
distrust, hiding our true selves, showing off, putting ourselves down, putting
others down, using and abusing others, and allowing others to use and abuse us.
Even when painful trials come our way, we have an all-powerful God who is
willing and able to comfort, heal, and restore us.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Questions for Reflection
or Group Discussion</span></i></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What are some deeply held
beliefs that have governed your life and decisions that are not in agreement
with God’s word? (Examples: I’m alone. I’m not good enough. I don’t deserve it.
If I don’t do it, it won’t get done. God won’t help me because I’ve made too
many mistakes or done too many wrong things. Other people owe me. I’m nothing
without a spouse or children. I’m nothing without a job, money, house, car,
possessions, etc. I’m destined to be poor, alone, sick, depressed, anxious, in
trouble, homeless, etc. Or perhaps you have believed that you are self-reliant,
self-righteous, and self-important.)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">How have these beliefs influenced
your life, health, relationships, finances, emotions, thoughts, and decisions?
(Examples: Avoiding relationships with healthy, successful people and instead
choosing people who will abuse and take advantage of you or spend your time
criticizing and gossiping about others, buying things on credit to make
yourself feel better, staying up all night and sleeping all day, watching junk TV
and eating junk foods, thinking negative thoughts about yourself, your
situation, and your future. Or you might be arrogant, abusive, and selfish in
your thoughts, finances, and relationships.)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What unhealthy or unhelpful
decisions have you made as a result of these beliefs? </span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Are your willing to let God
replace these crumbling foundational belief systems with Lapis Lazuli, the
truth of His word?</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Prayer</span></i></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Dear Lord,</span></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I ask that you will fill me
with the knowledge of Your will, with all spiritual wisdom and understanding,
so that I may live a life worthy of You and please You in every way, growing in
knowledge and strengthened in Your power, firmly established in the
foundational truth of Your word and the redemption of Christ which has
purchased for me a secure place in your eternal family. Help me to fully rely
on these foundational truths with complete confidence so that I can move
forward in the victorious life You have designed specifically for me.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Meditation</span></i></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sit in a
comfortable place with no distractions. Shift your body so it is well
supported. Gently close your eyes and focus on your breath, breathing in slowly
and deeply and allowing your muscles to relax as you exhale slowly and fully.
Take a few more deep breaths as you become more relaxed and focused.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 12.0pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Imagine you are inside a
house, facing a door that leads to the basement. Your Friend, your Redeemer
invites you to open the door and walk with Him down the stairs into the
basement. Notice whether He is in front of you or behind you as you go down the
stairs together. At the bottom of the stairs, look around. This is your
foundation. What do you see? What is your foundation made of? You might see
some bricks or stones that represent things like Truth, Stability, Redemption,
and Peace. You might also see some weak stones or bricks, or crumbling cement,
representing Fear, Doubt, Regret, Inferiority, Guilt, or Shame. Notice that
piled in the center of the room are some beautiful blue stones, flawless in
strength, beauty, color, and shape. They represent the absolute Purity of God’s
love for you and Jesus’ Righteousness imputed to you. Watch as your Redeemer
begins to replace sections of the walls and floor of this room, your
foundation, with the perfect blue stones. Some of those old stones may be
difficult to remove. Will you trust Jesus to replace every one eventually? You
might need to come back to this many times as Jesus rebuilds your life
foundation and restructures your deeply held beliefs.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">And now, take a
couple of deep breaths, wriggle your hands and feet, let out a big, big, sigh,
and when you are ready you can open your eyes.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Action
Steps</span></i></b></div>
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">As you go about
your day, try to be aware of what you are thinking about yourself, about your situation,
about God, and about the future. Ask yourself if your thoughts are in line with
biblical truth.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">“For no one can
lay any foundation other than the one already laid, which is Jesus Christ.” (I
Corinthians 3:11 NIV)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Start a journal
of promises. Every time you come across a promise from God in scripture or
while listening to a sermon or even in a song, write it in your journal. Ask
God to show you how this promise applies to your life.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">When you notice a
faulty belief system, take time to explore where that belief came from and
compare it to what God’s word says. Picture Jesus replacing that wrong belief
with sapphires from His word.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">If you believe
you are inferior or less valuable, it will lead to jealousy, competitiveness,
and contempt for others. Meditate on scriptures that remind you of God’s love
for you, how He cares for you, and how much He values you. (Matthew 10:29-31;
Isaiah 49:15-16; Matthew 12:11-12; Ephesians 3:17-19; 1 Peter 5:7)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">If you find
yourself expecting the worst all the time, meditate on scriptures that remind
you of how God delights to do you good. (Psalm 35:27; Matthew 6:25-32; Luke
11:9-13)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">If you feel
alone, think of all the scriptures in which God promises to never leave you.
(Hebrews 13:5; Matthew 28:20)</span></div>
<br />
<div style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Allow the
steadfast love of God in Jesus Christ, His sacrifice for you, His provision for
you, His devotion to you, to become the foundational belief from which all your
life’s decisions are made, whether big or small.</span></div>
<b></b><i></i><u></u><sub></sub><sup></sup><strike></strike>Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-52736335193178427262015-10-03T21:36:00.001-07:002015-10-03T22:01:35.148-07:00Enjoy Unshakable Peace<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGYRiofBYPaj0P65lBTKZqL4U1NnN-ntrsoKIZg_JvhHGXNIHN9ZEHfjdAB22A5aiA6JZVpD6T1OZ8Vxf45BcfIEY0E8e9k3EM2u_Rgf9_1ZCIhbLYC36oZQpdjXnE7CzK4hVxk2The0/s1600/IMG_0804.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWGYRiofBYPaj0P65lBTKZqL4U1NnN-ntrsoKIZg_JvhHGXNIHN9ZEHfjdAB22A5aiA6JZVpD6T1OZ8Vxf45BcfIEY0E8e9k3EM2u_Rgf9_1ZCIhbLYC36oZQpdjXnE7CzK4hVxk2The0/s320/IMG_0804.JPG" width="318" /></a></div>
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<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Isaiah 54 is the
Lord's Sonnet to Israel, but as with most Old Testament writings, there are
applications for God's modern Lady, the Church, and personal applications for
individual believers.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<br />
<br />
<h1 align="center" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light; font-size: large;"></span></span></b> </h1>
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span></span><br />
<span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Isaiah 54:10<o:p></o:p></span></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Though the mountains be shaken<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and the hills be removed,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>nor my covenant of peace be
removed,”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>says the Lord, who has
compassion on you. (NIV)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">John 14:27 Peace I leave with you; my peace
I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be
troubled and do not be afraid (NIV).</b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Covenant of
Peace<o:p></o:p></span></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When we
have an accurate understanding of who God is and who we are in His eyes, peace
will no longer be elusive. Peace will be our default. That’s a big statement
coming from someone whose default was always fear, dread, and shame. Peace is
the opposite of fear, dread, and shame. It is the opposite and so much more.
God’s peace means we are complete, not fragmented. It means we are whole, not
broken. It means we have health, not sickness. It provides for our welfare and
our safety. It makes us sound, not damaged or insecure. God’s peace is
tranquility and prosperity, not worry and poverty. God’s peace is perfect and
full, not flawed or incomplete. His peace gives us real, true rest from striving.
His peace brings harmony—harmony within ourselves, harmony with others, and
harmony with Him. When we abide in the peace of God we are free from agitation
or conflict. All of this is ours in the covenant He made with us.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What is a Covenant?<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A covenant is an agreement between
two parties. God’s first covenant with mankind was His promise that He would
never again cover the earth with a flood to destroy all life. (Genesis 9:12-16)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Genesis 8:21 </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma
and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans,
even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And
never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done. (NIV)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This first covenant from God was
not dependent on what we do or don’t do. This is extremely important for those
of us who struggle with guilt, shame, fear, or dread. We walk on eggshells for
fear we will upset God’s apple cart, or we just give up because we think our
mess-ups have pushed God past His limits. We have passed the point of no return
and there’s no use trying anymore. Truth is, God keeps His end of the deal even
when we fail miserably at keeping ours. This is good news!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">God later gave covenants of
circumcision (Genesis 17) and the law, in which we were charged with doing some
things and not doing some things. For centuries mankind tried to keep God’s
covenant law. And failed. When the Israelites, through their failure to keep
God’s laws and covenants, found themselves in exile in foreign lands, or that
small group of the poorest of the poor that remained in their own land, God
still kept <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">His</i> covenant with <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">them</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Each time they turned their hearts
back to the Lord, He gladly restored relationship with them. (Bible study
enthusiasts, read Nehemiah 9, or better yet, the whole book!) Nehemiah 9:32a “Now
therefore, our God, the great God, mighty and awesome, who keeps his covenant
of love, do not let all this hardship seem trifling in your eyes…<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is how God dealt with His
people in the days before Jesus came to the earth to redeem us. He couldn’t
wait to be gracious and compassionate, not to those who did everything perfectly,
but to those who turned their hearts to Him with a desire to be reconciled to
Him. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Psalm 106:43-46 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Many times he delivered them,<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>but they were bent on rebellion<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and they wasted away in their
sin.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Yet he took note of their distress<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>when he heard their cry;<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">for their sake he remembered his covenant<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>and out of his great love he
relented. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">He caused all who held them captive<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>to show them mercy.</span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By now it may seem like I am
encouraging you to live a life of sin because God is going to keep forgiving
you and blessing you anyway. Most definitely I believe the best life is one of
humble submission to His will and His ways. When we live according to His
principles we place ourselves in line with His blessings. No doubt about that.
My goal is not to encourage sinful behavior or lifestyle but to encourage those
who, up to this point, don’t have anything else to show for themselves. If that
is you, you are not excluded! You only need to take the first step toward Him.
If you are reading this book, my guess is you already have.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 107%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">God’s Ultimate Covenant with Us<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">No one was really able to keep the law. That is why God sent Jesus to
fulfill the old covenant law and establish a new covenant. Now Jesus has made a
way to completely wash away all sin, and create in us a heart that is able to
commune with God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hebrews 8:10</span><span class="Heading1Char"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;"> </span></span></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="text">This is the
covenant I will establish with the people of Israel</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text">after
that time, declares the Lord.</span><br />
<span class="text">I will put my laws in their minds</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text">and
write them on their hearts.</span><br />
<span class="text">I will be their God,</span><br />
<span class="indent-1-breaks"> </span><span class="text">and
they will be my people.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span class="text">This new covenant
was not only for the Israelites, but also for all nations. The bible refers to
non-Jews as Gentiles: </span>He redeemed us in order that the blessing given to
Abraham might come to the <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Gentiles</span>
through Christ Jesus, so that by faith we might receive the promise of the
Spirit.<span class="text"> (Galatians 3:14 NIV)</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And so, God’s covenant of peace is
not dependent so much on what we do, but on who He is. By now you might be
thinking, “Well then, why am I so anxious all the time?” Good question. That
was my question.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Hebrews 4 explains the Sabbath rest
of God. That does not mean reserving a day to do no work although to do so is
certainly wise. God’s Sabbath rest provided to us in Jesus is a 24-hour, 7 days
a week kind of Sabbath. God set aside a certain day, calling it Today. Today,
if you hear His voice don’t harden your hearts. He also says we must make an
effort to enter God’s rest. We can’t work enough to please God. We can't behave
good enough to please God. I mean, come on, we can’t even usually behave good
enough to please ourselves! We need to accept this, cease striving, and enter
His rest. </span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">So how do we enter that rest?</span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To enter that rest, we need to make
a practice of living Today. We need to make a practice of taking on the yoke of
Jesus (Matthew 11:28-30) and moment by moment allowing our burdens to become
His burdens. Moment by moment, we trade our burdens for His rest. For those of
us who have years and years and years of fretting, worrying, and stressing out,
this practice will definitely feel like work at first. You may even find
yourself frustrated that you aren’t able to do this very well at first.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But don’t beat yourself up. Release
all criticism and self-blame. Picture yourself with the energy, passion, and
enthusiasm you will have as you lighten your load and let Jesus carry it! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">His peace is readily available to
each one of us. We just have to let go of old habits and receive it. Picture
yourself walking alongside Jesus the way two oxen yoked together walk side by
side. He is pulling and you are just walking there alongside. Every time you
catch yourself worrying and fretting, take a deep breath, lean into Jesus, and
let that weight roll onto His shoulders. At first, you may have to do this
several times a minute. But eventually, you will realize that you are not
having to do it so often, that you are feeling lighter and more relaxed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This is one way we can “make every
effort to enter His rest.” We also enter His rest by setting aside a regular
time to read His word, pray, and just sit quietly and listen. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Questions for Reflection
or Group Discussion<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In what
areas of your life have you been most successful in resting in God’s peace?
Salvation? Family? Work? Finances? Health? Relationships? Ministry? Something
else?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In what
areas have you struggled the most to enter God’s rest?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">What are
some thoughts that go through your mind when you notice you are worrying,
fretting, or striving?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Can you
find some scriptures that speak to that issue? How can you answer the voice of
worry with a sound bite from God’s word?<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Read and
meditate on Philippians 4:4-6<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Prayer<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Father
God,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I thank
you that you care for me more than many sparrows. I know you are interested in
the things that matter to me. And I know that you have already given me your
peace. Teach me Lord, I pray, to enter that rest and that peace that You have
provided. Help me to know and understand that You are already working on my
problem, even before I ask. Help me to know that in Your world, where you know
the end from the beginning, the answer has already come, so I can rest and
rejoice in my world while I am still waiting for the answer. As I thank you for
that, let me experience the peace that passes all understanding.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Meditation</span></span></i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sit in a
comfortable place with no distractions. Shift your body so it is well
supported. Gently close your eyes and focus on your breath, breathing in slowly
and deeply and allowing your muscles to relax as you exhale slowly and fully.
Take a few more deep breaths as you become more relaxed and focused.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Imagine
you are walking leisurely in a beautiful green meadow. The sun is shining, the
air is warm, and a gentle breeze keeps the temperature just right. As you are
walking along, you take in the beauty of this place. Fragrant wildflowers of
every color dance among the tall, green grasses. You can hear the chirping of a
grasshopper, birds singing, and the laughter of a small running brook.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As you continue along,
walking slowly, you become aware that you are carrying some heavy weight. You
notice that there are heavy bags hanging from both shoulders. You have a large,
heavy backpack strapped to your back, and another pack strapped to your chest.
There is even a package of some kind balanced on your head and others strapped
to your legs. Your arms are loaded with boxes and bags.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">It is getting harder and
harder to put one foot in front of the other.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Notice now, a picnic table,
set with all your favorite foods. There is sparkling, clear, cool water to
drink. Someone is sitting there, waiting for you. ‘Come!” He says. You gladly
sit down and recognize this person as your Redeemer. He invites you to unload
all your burdens. As you set each one down, open it. Find out what is inside. It
might be fear, anger, hatred, jealousy, guilt, addiction, wounded emotions,
damaged relationships, unconfessed sin, pride, false humility, unfulfilled
desires, or any number of other burdens. Talk to your Redeemer about each one
of the burdens you have been carrying. Allow Him to give you wisdom and
direction about what to do with it. When you are finished, you can pick these
burdens up again, or leave them here. It’s your choice. You can leave some and
take some. Only you know which burdens you are really ready to lay down.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">When you are finished, watch
as your Redeemer takes out a gift He has for you. This is a very special gift,
symbolizing the important steps you’ve taken here today. Think of this gift any
time you feel tempted to take up those burdens you have left with Him.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">You can come back to this
place as often as you need to and share your burdens with Jesus.</span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And now, take a couple
of deep breaths, wriggle your hands and feet, let out a big, big, sigh, and
when you are ready you can open your eyes.</span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Action
Steps</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Take some time to
write about your experience with laying down your burdens. What were they? How
did you feel about each one? Which ones were you able to lay down, and which
ones did you find yourself holding onto?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Every time you
find yourself carrying these burdens, imagine a scripture that will help you
surrender these to God. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You might imagine
your problem as a mountain, and you tell that mountain to be thrown into the
sea. (Matthew 21:21)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You might imagine
it as a fig tree that you curse, and watch it wither from the roots. (Matthew
21:18-20)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Or you could
imagine yourself yoked to Jesus and He is pulling the load as you walk freely
by his side. (Matthew 11:28-30)</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Or you can choose
another scripture that resonates with you.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If you can, with
Jesus’ help, commit the following passages to memory.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Write and
memorize Philippians 4:6. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, write and
memorize Philippians 4:6-7. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Then, write and
memorize Philippians 4:5-7.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And then,
Philippians 4:4-7.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Next, write and
memorize Philippians 4:8.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And then,
Philippians 4:8-9.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Make a gratitude
list and post it where you will see it every day.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">And…</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Rest. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Relax. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sleep.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Eat well.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Play.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Exercise.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ponder.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Breathe.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This practice of
surrender and gratitude is a daily practice that over time will yield the sweet
fruit of peace that cannot be shaken.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ours is a society
that promotes and applauds hurry sickness, stress, and burnout. Most of us have
been steeped in it for years. The only way to overcome this is through a diligent
effort to enter His rest and be willing to get off the hamster wheel. We might
even need to be willing to be ostracized or criticized for refusing to buy in
to the lie that we are only valuable if we work too hard, don’t get enough
sleep, and never relax. As Christians, we need to rest in Romans 8:1. Therefore,
there is <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">no</span>w <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">no</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">condemnation</span> for those who are in Christ Jesus. (NIV) We don’t
have to live in guilt, fear, shame, or dread. He has given us His covenant of
peace.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/yjgioXrnEME/0.jpg" frameborder="0" height="266" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/yjgioXrnEME?feature=player_embedded" width="320"></iframe></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><o:p></o:p></span> </div>
<br />Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-80178659260447004422015-09-01T18:51:00.001-07:002015-09-04T15:18:45.022-07:00Clear the Way! Here I Come!<br />
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</span></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1rM7hP3iMKQkAccfT27gz6iHDvFf71iV2h1IaJlUMOxbiELlS2YMej_i3vjPl5PwRgjdQRSahyGWU5bPQzVoaSRIc24QFOKEi0nY05FC6WNKMW3iHFntzQ5hjU11E4rrkOhvdrmtj_c/s1600/IMG_0232.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiO1rM7hP3iMKQkAccfT27gz6iHDvFf71iV2h1IaJlUMOxbiELlS2YMej_i3vjPl5PwRgjdQRSahyGWU5bPQzVoaSRIc24QFOKEi0nY05FC6WNKMW3iHFntzQ5hjU11E4rrkOhvdrmtj_c/s400/IMG_0232.JPG" width="300" /></a></span></span></div>
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Isaiah 54 is the Lord's Sonnet to
Israel, but as with most Old Testament writings, there are applications for
God's modern Lady, the Church, and personal applications for individual
believers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<h1 align="center" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 12pt 0in 0pt; text-align: center;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext;"><span style="font-size: large;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></span></b> </h1>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p> </o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<br />
<br />
Isaiah 54:9<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>To me this is like the days of
Noah,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>So now I have sworn not to be angry
with you,<o:p></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>never to rebuke you again.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">I used to
be paralyzed by fear when I had a decision to make. I thought that there was
only one “right” choice and that if I chose “wrong” I would be in big trouble.
This verse gave me the courage to take risks and try new things without fear
that God would “drop” me if He didn’t like the choice I made. I know if I make a
mistake out of ignorance or immaturity, God will help me through it and set me
back on the right path. Even if I sin willfully, He will patiently show me the
foolishness of my ways and guide me back.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoSubtitle" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">To
Me this is like the days of Noah</span></b><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Isaiah 54:9
is an especially personal and intimate declaration in which God, the Creator of
the Universe, shares with great tenderness and transparency His intentions
toward us flawed and continually failing human beings. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Genesis
8:20-22 <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Then Noah
built an altar to the Lord and, taking some of all the clean animals and clean
birds, he sacrificed burnt offerings on it. The Lord smelled the pleasing aroma
and said in his heart: “Never again will I curse the ground because of humans,
even though every inclination of the human heart is evil from childhood. And
never again will I destroy all living creatures, as I have done.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">“As long
as the earth endures,</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">seedtime and harvest,</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">cold and
heat,</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">summer and
winter,</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">day and
night</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">will never
cease.” (NIV)</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"></span></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: windowtext; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Never
to Rebuke You Again</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">We have
all felt the sting of rebuke, whether a well-deserved scolding from wise and
loving parents or harsh, unjustified criticism by undisciplined, self-serving
parents or caregivers. Through these repeated experiences as children we
develop a filter for later encounters with teachers, supervisors, and other
authority figures, including God. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">A child in
a healthy environment with good boundaries learns to compartmentalize a rebuke
as, “I did something wrong this time and next time I can do things better.” A sensitive
child in an unhealthy environment with poor boundaries learns to internalize
and diffuse rebuke into a shame-filled belief system that says, “There is
something wrong with me and everything I do. I am a bad person and there is
nothing I can do about it.” Their lives are riddled with a vague sense of guilt
and helplessness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">The adult
from the first environment accepts criticism as an opportunity to learn, grow,
and improve. When an unfair criticism or accusation is thrown their way, they
can easily say, “That’s not me,” and move on. An adult who grew up in the
second kind of environment hears every rebuke, whether accurate or not, as
confirmation that they as a person are no good. Even the “sandwich” technique
does not work very well for them.</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">For
example, the boss might go to Joe and say, “Joe, I really appreciate the great work
you have been doing. Your reports are spot on, and I can count on you get
things in on or before the deadline. You missed a section on your last report,
so I’m returning it to you for revision. Thanks again, Joe. You’re a real asset
to the company.</span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">If Joe has
good boundaries and positive internal self-image, he will beam with pride that
his boss noticed the good job he is doing and will appreciate that a mistake
was called to his attention so he could correct it.</span><br />
</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">If Joe has
poor boundaries and a shame-filled filter, he will hear that the boss is trying
to soften the blow by pointing out that his work usually meets the minimum
standards, but the main reason the boss is even talking to him is that he made
a mistake. He wonders how many similar mistakes might lead to a write up or
getting fired. He worries that his boss is disappointed in him. “Asset to the
company” sounds like a canned phrase, again designed to soften the blow. He
probably didn’t even mean it.</span><br />
</div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">When a
shame-filled person approaches the Bible, they are likely to identify with
scriptures that classify them as unworthy sinners and explain away passages
such as Luke Chapter 15 that describes in detail just how much God loves,
values, and treasure one sinner who repents. This is how I approached my life-with
a shame-filled filter, but God has been working with me to understand and know
that I am precious to Him and He treasures me. </span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"></span><br />
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">As a teenager, did you ever
write the name of your current crush on the palm of your hand? Well, God has
permanently carved your name on His hand. If you have a shame-filled filter,
it’s time to tear down that old foundation and build a new one. Start today.
Every time you hear your thoughts explaining away the message that you are
loved, valued, and appreciated for the unique creation that you are, stop
yourself. Replace those thoughts with the Truth that God is pleased with you
and His mind is on you with loving adoration all day long.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Isaiah
49:15-16</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">“Can a
mother forget the baby at her breast</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">and have
no compassion on the child she has borne?</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Though she
may forget,</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I will not forget you!</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">See, I
have engraved you on the palms of my hands;</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>your walls are ever before me. (NIV)</span><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Questions
for reflection or Group Discussion</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Which kind
of environment most closely reflect the home in which I grew up?</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">In what
ways, if any, do I interpret people’s comments through a shame-filled filter?</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">In what
ways, if any, do I interpret the Bible through a shame-filled filter?</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">How would
my life be different without a shame-filled filter?</span><b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;"><o:p> </o:p></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Prayer</span></i></b></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Dear Lord,</span></div>
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<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Thank you
that you don’t treat us as our sins deserve. Help us to set aside any habits we
might have of internalizing negative words spoken over us. Help us to correct
our mistakes with joy. Help us to see ourselves as You do, as treasured,
beloved children of a devoted Father. Thank you that you think about us all the
time, and that your thoughts toward us are always good. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
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<b><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-font-kerning: 18.0pt;">Meditation</span></i></b></div>
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Sit in a comfortable place with no
distractions. Shift your body so it is well supported. Gently close your eyes
and focus on your breath, breathing in slowly and deeply and allowing your
muscles to relax as you exhale slowly and fully. Take a few more deep breaths
as you become more relaxed and focused.</div>
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Imagine yourself relaxing in a small
pool of warm water. Notice if the water is moving or still. It may be colorful,
too. Take another deep breath. Notice a pleasant scent. This water has healing
properties. It is able to draw out tension, pain, and sorrow. Shame-filled
thoughts and beliefs disintegrate into this water. This water infuses you with
love, wisdom, and safety. This water is like a symbol of the Holy Spirit’s
work, transforming you, gently changing the way you think, reminding you that
you are loved.</div>
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This water seals in God’s love for
you, reminding you that you are valuable. God the Father is overjoyed that you
have come to Him for healing. He created you as the unique person you are. You
are the apple of His eye. He thinks about you all day long and desires to give
you good gifts. He sees you as clean and whole. Just take some time and allow
yourself to be filled with all the goodness God has for you. (Pause for a
minute or two) When you are finished, step out and wrap yourself in a warm,
thirsty robe. Watch as the water slowly drains from the pool, along with all
your old beliefs of “not good enough.”</div>
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Take a couple of deep breaths,
wriggle your hands and feet, let out a big, big, sigh, and when you are ready
you can open your eyes.</div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"></i></b><br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Action Steps</i></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
Take a few moments to journal about
your meditation experience. You might also want to draw, color, or paint, or
write a poem.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
If you have discovered that you
have a shame-filled filter, consider keeping a journal of shame-filled thoughts
of self-blame or self-criticism and instances when you internalize (It’s all my
fault) and diffuse (because I’m a bad person) a mistake or criticism (One thing
you did that needs correction).</div>
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For each shame-filled thought,
statement, or belief write down 2 or 3 scripture based statements to counter
those false beliefs.</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
You can even practice saying these
statements out loud and for reinforcement, say them to yourself in the mirror.
You can also record them and listen to them while walking, driving, or
sleeping.<o:p></o:p></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
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Romans 12:2</div>
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Do not conform to the pattern of
this world, but <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">be</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">transformed</span> by the renewing of your
mind. Then you will <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">be</span> able to
test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will. (NIV)</div>
</span><br />
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</div>
<br />
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</div>
<br />
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</div>
Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-73712823389488084402015-08-27T16:30:00.001-07:002015-09-04T08:53:10.885-07:00Rejoicing Comes In the Morning<br />
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</div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0VVF4raSF2ciMDB3whdCNKNBtXmSlroHCHVNeL7E3jZvJ3cFDZvG-03gZVOvQrhtuzlV1sdSdNsN_rWNuaChpf4pC9s5m94tkmI8iGgecS3tnsAohWNL-D-FHpNwohLMXmTdVZMf5HY/s1600/Sunrise-HD-Wallpapers-3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="225" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM0VVF4raSF2ciMDB3whdCNKNBtXmSlroHCHVNeL7E3jZvJ3cFDZvG-03gZVOvQrhtuzlV1sdSdNsN_rWNuaChpf4pC9s5m94tkmI8iGgecS3tnsAohWNL-D-FHpNwohLMXmTdVZMf5HY/s400/Sunrise-HD-Wallpapers-3.jpg" width="400" /></a></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span>Isaiah 54 is the Lord's Sonnet to
Israel, but as with most Old Testament writings, there are applications for
God's modern Lady, the Church, and personal applications for individual
believers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
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<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></div>
</span><br />
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</div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">7 “For a brief moment I abandoned
you, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">but with deep compassion I will
bring you back. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">8 In a surge of anger <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I hid my face from you for a
moment, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">but with everlasting kindness <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I will have compassion on you,” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">says the Lord your Redeemer. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Psalm 30:5 For his
anger lasts only a moment, but his favor lasts a lifetime; weeping may stay for
the night, but rejoicing comes in the morning (NIV).</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<br />
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
</span><div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When I tried to tell my story to
one of the WOGS (Women of God) at my church, she berated me for blaming God and
told me I needed to admit that God didn’t leave me, but that I had left him.
There were numerous teachings saying that if you are no longer enjoying the
“first love” experience that you have stopped “doing the things you did at
first.” I knew that at the time I experienced the loss of awareness of God’s
presence, I was still “doing” everything I had done at first. I was reading and
studying my bible, praying and interceding, attending church twice a week and a
ladies’ bible study once a week, and reading my devotions. I was not committing
any overt sins.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
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To this day, I don’t have a clear
answer as to why I had to go through this, but I think it had to do with my
depending on my own works to maintain my relationship with God, and probably
deep down comparing myself with others who weren’t “doing” as much, or who were
troubled by addiction or other besetting sins, and looking down upon them. Of
course, the sin of self-righteousness is the one Jesus had no patience for. And
while He was patient with me for a while, He finally had to let me find out how
much I could really do in my own strength.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
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It took a while, but I gradually
drifted away. It wasn’t as much fun doing bible study when I didn’t sense the
excitement of His overwhelming presence and approval. Church was more an
exercise of discipline than a joy-filled celebration. I continued going because
I had connections there. But when my husband put in for a transfer at his job,
the move took me away from those connections and I found it more and more
difficult to attend church regularly. After the next transfer, which was to
Europe, I had an even harder time finding a church where I could feel
comfortable. The churches on the military bases were bland, and I didn’t speak
the language well enough to go to a German church. However, I kept seeing signs
advertising an English speaking church in my neighborhood. God was certainly
providing for me. But, being a terribly shy introvert, I allowed myself to give
in to those tendencies and never attended.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
Still in need of a connection, I
began going to bars. It was easier to talk to people after a couple of drinks. <o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
As I drifted further and further
from my connection with the Lord, I no longer had much sensitivity to sin. My
husband was becoming more and more indiscreet in his inappropriate
relationships with his female employees, and possibly others. When he left for
a long weekend with one of his former employees, he received a letter at home
from another of his former employees. I opened and read it, and it was quite
clear that he had had relations with her as well. If I had been pursuing the
Lord and walking with Him as I should have, I would have been thinking more
clearly. As it was, I was only looking desperately for a way out of the pain I
was feeling. That weekend I also began having an affair.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
There is a saying I have often
heard. Sin will take you farther that you wanted to go, keep you longer than
you wanted to stay, and cost you far more than you ever wanted to pay. I am
here to say that it is absolutely true. The secrecy of that relationship kept
me in bondage to it for years to come. I tried to end it many times, but the
threat of being found out gave him control. Even after I had returned to God
and to church, he continued to haunt my life off and on for about ten years. <o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
And now, here are my favorite words
in the English language. But God…but God came in like a flood and raised up a
standard. But God was seeking me out even while I was off and on committing
these vile acts. But God began speaking to me through Isaiah 54 even while I
was still in the throes of this dreadful behavior. But God promised me that He
would keep having compassion on me with everlasting kindness and reminded me
that He is still my redeemer. I was again seeking Him but more importantly, He
was seeking me. When I would fail, I would cry out to Him and He was there,
reminding me that I would make it through, that I would overcome, that I would
succeed. Then one day, I was suddenly free.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
This is the reason I keep wanting
to reach out to people who might feel that they have gone too far, sinned too
much, or sinned too egregiously to ever be forgiven. The only sin He can’t
forgive is the rejection of Jesus as Lord and Savior. The only sins He really
needs to get stern with are the sins of independence, rebellion, and
self-righteousness. Jesus hung out with the woman at the well who had had five
husbands and was currently living with a man not her husband (John 4:1-42). He
was friends with prostitutes and other “sinners” (Matthew 9:10). That doesn’t
mean He endorses sin. Of course, we know He does not. But when we come to Him
with a contrite heart, He’ll keep working with us until we overcome.<o:p></o:p></div>
<span style="font-family: Times New Roman;">
</span></span><br /></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Questions for Personal
Reflection<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Have I ever felt that God had
abandoned me or hid His face from me?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Are there any areas of my life in
which I feel like I have control and don’t need God?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Are there things I have been “hiding”
from God or from myself?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Prayer<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dear Lord,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thank you for never leaving us.
Thank you that you pursue us with compassion and everlasting kindness and that
you redeem us from our own poor choices. Show us any areas in our lives that we
have felt like we have under control and haven’t invited you in. Redeem us from
the hurts that others have caused us and any bad choices that are still
affecting our lives today. Thank you. In Jesus’ Name, Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Meditation</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sit in a comfortable place with no
distractions. Shift your body so it is well supported. Gently close your eyes
and focus on your breath, breathing in slowly and deeply and allowing your
muscles to relax as you exhale slowly and fully. Take a few more deep breaths
as you become more relaxed and focused.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As you relax, imagine you are in
the desert. Feel the dry, hot air on your skin, the dusty earth beneath your
feet. Look out on horizon. You can see for a long way. The sky is deep blue and
the sun is high in the sky. The air is still. There is not much sound, except
perhaps a grasshopper or other insects buzzing. You notice that your throat is
parched. You are very thirsty. As you look around, you see a well. As you are
drawing a cup of cool water from deep inside the well, you are suddenly aware
that you are not alone. There is Someone there who is wise and kind. He looks
at you with tenderness and joy, and He asks you for a drink. As you continue to
relax and breathe, allow a conversation to unfold. Take as much time as you
need for the Lord to reveal to you the areas in your life that need His touch.
When you are ready, take a couple of deep breaths, wriggle your arms and legs,
and let out a big sigh, and now you are ready to write down what you learned
and what action steps, if any, you need to take.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Action Steps<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Take a few moments to journal about
your meditation experience. Look up any scriptures that came to mind. If there are
serious issues in your life, whether overt sins or privately feeling
independent or self-righteous, consider finding someone to be your
accountability partner. This person can help you stay focused and encouraged as
you surrender these things to the Lord and bring your life back into proper
balance and dependence on Him.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-47681816041869227742015-08-18T19:08:00.001-07:002015-08-18T19:08:04.115-07:00Recovering from Rejection<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekL6X1FfXEm4rIjw6PUWQiW9Jt26ZIEgMsQQvIb07Nbks0ZQgpJnNY9F5cJ7bhOb6WYNlfGHm8q6q2l1vS2VgTgLnnqWlk_WHHNCVHATzU9YqHj8e9t8xtvTJKadoU36ACodKlQ8LJqw/s1600/Great+Scene+for+Blog+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiekL6X1FfXEm4rIjw6PUWQiW9Jt26ZIEgMsQQvIb07Nbks0ZQgpJnNY9F5cJ7bhOb6WYNlfGHm8q6q2l1vS2VgTgLnnqWlk_WHHNCVHATzU9YqHj8e9t8xtvTJKadoU36ACodKlQ8LJqw/s400/Great+Scene+for+Blog+2.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Isaiah 54 is the Lord's Sonnet to
Israel, but as with most Old Testament writings, there are applications for
God's modern Lady, the Church, and personal applications for individual
believers.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"></span> </div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">6The Lord will call you back <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">as if you were a wife deserted and
distressed in spirit— <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">a wife who married young, <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">only to be rejected,” says your
God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">This verse hit home like a ball of
lead in my stomach. I married young. I thought it would be forever. I had no
plan B. I was a wife and mother. That’s it. Oh sure, I took some classes and
worked here and there, but my life was my family and my family was my life.
This was my identity. This was my future. This was the beginning and the end of
everything that made me me. And then it was gone. My identity, my financial
security, my hopes, my plans, my dreams, my future. Gone. I couldn’t even fight
for my share of the marital assets because I was so injured by the rejection. I
had become completely dependent on my husband, and when he withdrew his care, I
was lost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The best word to describe my inner
world is desolate. In other words, I was barren. My earthly situation mirrored
my spiritual situation. I felt completely separated from God. I was unable to
pray, except for the anguished cry of my soul in the deep of night, pleading
with God to do what I couldn’t and bring me back to Him. And here was my
answer. Here was God’s response. Yes. I will draw you back. My earthly marriage
was permanently broken. I had unwittingly put more faith in that marriage than
I had in God. And that proved to be a devastating mistake.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">When the false sense of security
was removed through divorce, I began my journey of learning to trust in God.
Think of all the things I relied on my husband for: food, clothing, shelter, transportation,
social status, purpose, meaning, identity, safety, security, and self-worth.
After the divorce, even though I was relying on God and rebuilding my
relationship with Him, my ability to trust was severely wounded. Now that I no
longer had my husband to rely on, I began relying on myself. I began
desperately searching for an identity-for my place in the world. I went to back
to school and worked several jobs. That is why I say “I began my journey of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">learning</i> to trust God,” rather than, “I
started trusting God.” This has been a long, long, <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">long </i>road. Not only did I seek to make my own way, I kept looking
for another man to take the mantle my ex-husband threw down. With my broken
sense of neediness and misdirected trust, each man I brought into my life was
worse than the last. Each one left me more emotionally and financially depleted
than the last. Each one sent me running back to God, the only One who can truly
meet my needs, until finally, with nothing much left but a few clothes and
books, I was able to rest in knowing God loves me and will always, always,
always take care of me.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">God has been drawing me back to
himself ever since that initial spiritual crisis when it seemed like the
Presence of God had left me. Like the children of Israel, I had to stop relying
on other things. For them, it was the horses of Egypt, foreign armies, their
own numbers, idols, and eventually their laws and traditions. For me, it was
another man, another college degree, another job, house, or car.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Questions for Personal
Reflection</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In what areas of life have I felt
deserted, distressed, or rejected?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">How have I sensed God’s
intervention in drawing me back?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Prayer</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dear Lord,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Thank you that you never leave us
nor forsake us. Thank you that you are always drawing us to yourself even when
we feel abandoned and rejected. Lord, help us to see and cooperate with the
purposes you want to work in our lives instead of going our own way. Draw us
back to you in every area of our lives. In Jesus Name, Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Meditation</span><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sit in a comfortable place with no
distractions. Shift your body so it is well supported. Gently close your eyes
and focus on your breath, breathing in slowly and deeply and allowing your
muscles to relax as you exhale slowly and fully. Take a few more deep breaths
as you become more relaxed and focused.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Imagine yourself fully enveloped in
God’s love and protection. You might imagine a safe bubble around you, full of
light and color, surrounded by angel warriors, or perhaps sensing God’s hand shielding
you. Remember a time when you felt deserted, distressed, or rejected. You can
be watching this as if on a movie screen, with you holding the remote control
so you can pause, stop, fast forward, or rewind. As you allow the scene to unfold,
ask God to show you His healing and protection and how He is bringing restoration
to you for all the hurt this situation caused you. Ask Him if there is anything
more you still need to learn through this. When you are finished, you can release
all the pain and close the curtain on this chapter of your life. If you are not
ready to do this, just stop the scene and you can come back to it later. See
and feel the Spirit’s cleansing power wash over you and through you, cleansing
the wound and anointing it with healing balm. When you are ready, take a couple
of deep breaths, wriggle your arms and legs, and let out a big sigh, and now
you are ready to write down what you learned and what action steps, if any, you
need to take.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Action Steps</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Take a few minutes to write about
your meditation experience. Is there anyone you need to forgive? Are there
areas where you need to trust God more? Are you available for God to draw you
into a deeper relationship with Him? If not, what is stopping you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-87263697038775659302015-08-10T14:01:00.000-07:002016-03-26T18:04:04.985-07:00Get Your Life Back After a Lifetime of Setbacks<span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Isaiah 54 is the Lord's Sonnet to Israel, but as with most
Old Testament writings, there are applications for God's modern Lady, the
Church, and personal applications for individual believers.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">For your Maker is your husband— <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">the Lord Almighty is his name— <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">the Holy One of Israel is your Redeemer; <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">he is called the God of all the earth. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
</div>
<span style="font-family: "calibri"; font-size: large;"><strong>For Your Maker is Your Husband</strong></span><br />
<strong><span style="font-family: "calibri";"></span></strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">
First word: For. When God first spoke these words to me in a personal way, they
hit me on a purely emotional level. I was broken, as it felt, beyond repair.
Damaged goods that weren’t even “good” to begin with. My failed marriage was
proof of everything I had feared. I was worthless, unlovable, and unlikeable.
But God stepped in and said, “You’re worth something to Me. I love you. And I
like you. A lot.” Well, that didn’t mean very much to me then because, well,
He’s God. He has to say that. Besides, at that time, I was still longing to be
loved by an earthly husband to get back my self-esteem. Nevertheless, God used
this to begin breaking down that crusty old belief system that said, “You’re
nothing without a man.” But back to that word “for.” <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">I looked it up. I was about to say
that the word “for” is a synonym for the word “because.” <a href="http://isaiah54healing.blogspot.com/2015/08/photo-by-lisa-shafer-bergman-isaiah-54.html" target="_blank">You will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood</a> <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">because </i>your Maker is your husband. But
NO. It means something more. When the word <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">because</i>
is used, the following clause is considered <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">subordinate</i>
or less important. It depends on the phrase ahead of it, in this case, your
will forget the shame of your youth and remember no more the reproach of your
widowhood. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">This is not so with the word “for.”
When the word “for” is used, the phrase following is equal to the phrase before
and not dependent on it. In other words, regardless of whether you or I forget
our shame and reproach, God has still made Himself our husband. It’s a
stand-alone truth. Another thing that stands out in this passage is the Holy
Spirit’s choice of words as He spoke through Isaiah saying, “Your Maker is your
husband.” Why not just say, “God is your husband?” Perhaps He wanted to
emphasize that…wait…He made me. He already put me together just as He wanted me
to be. So much for dumping on myself the way I have been doing. I was put
together by God. If I believe and trust in Him, I have to also trust that I was
handcrafted by the Master Artisan, so I’ve got no right to criticize myself.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">He made me. Therefore, I am already
His. That is established. And now He says He’s my husband? First, He made me,
and now He marries me. God, my Maker, now gives Himself to me. He attaches
Himself to me, devotes Himself to me, and makes Himself responsible for me. You
might even say He makes Himself vulnerable to me. The Almighty God of all the
earth has become my Husband and Redeemer. Why? I don’t deserve it. I’ve been a
wreck. An ungrateful, unholy, unloving, self-absorbed mess. And yet this all-powerful
God bends down and joyfully scoops me up like a long sought treasure.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">My mind recognizes how special this
is, but my hardened heart struggles with just accepting and leaning in to this
precious and powerful love. Thankfully, our God is relentless. He doesn’t give
up on us no matter how long it takes. He is not a man, and He does not give up.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">The Holy One of Israel
is Your Redeemer<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">The best way to understand the
biblical concept of redeemer is to read the short book of <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Ruth+1-4&version=NKJV" target="_blank">Ruth</a>. Naomi, her husband
Elimelech, and their two sons Mahlon and Chilion left their home in Bethlehem
during a famine and went to live in the idol-worshiping country of Moab. Elimelech
died there and Naomi’s sons married Moabite women. A few years later, the sons
died also. After the famine was over, Naomi and one of her daughters in law, Ruth,
returned to Bethlehem.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">There, Ruth met up with one of
Elimelech’s close relatives, Boaz. In Jewish law, when a man dies and leaves a
wife but no sons, the man’s brother is obligated to marry the wife and produce
an heir in his brother’ name to inherit his brother’s property. This was a
selfless act, since the redeemer took on the responsibilities of his brother’s
property only so it could be passed on in his brother’s name. Since Naomi had
no other sons, things looked bleak for Ruth and Naomi. They were destined to
lose their property and live out their days in poverty. But along came Boaz. As
a close relative, he had the right to redeem Naomi’s property, but no
obligation. In fact, there was someone ahead of him in the bloodline that could
have redeemed, but chose not to. Boaz, a kinsman redeemer, bought back Naomi’s
land, married Ruth, and gave them an heir to their property. Only a righteous
man like Boaz was willing to perform this selfless act.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Through this act of redemption,
Ruth was able to forget the shame of her youth as an idol worshiper. Naomi no
longer had to live with the reproach of her widowhood as her friends rallied to
her to celebrate the birth of her grandson Obed. Moreover, God’s purposes were fulfilled
as Obed became the father of Jesse, and Jesse became the father of King David.
Fourteen generations later the ultimate Redeemer, Jesus, was born through this
bloodline.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">God gives us this picture of
redemption to help us understand that no matter how far we stray or what we
lose in the process, He is our Redeemer. He purchased our lost souls with the
blood of His only Son Jesus. He paid the ultimate price to bring us back to Him
for all eternity. If he was willing to do all of that, doesn’t it make sense
that He is more than willing to restore our earthly lives while we are on this earthly
journey?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">He is called the God of
All the Earth<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">He is not only the God of Heaven,
but the God of the earth. He made us, then He married us. He is the Holy One of
Israel, which qualifies Him to redeem us. If you are a believer and your
earthly life is in shambles, you not only have Heaven to look forward to, you
can expect your Redeemer to restore what you have lost here on earth through unfortunate
events, bad choices, or tragedy. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Our Redeemer/Husband is ready to
restore us, but, like Ruth, there may be things we need to do to position
ourselves to receive. First, Boaz gave Ruth specific instructions to stay in
his field and close to his servant girls where she would be safe and also glean
the most grain. Go where God sends you. Stay where He places you. Glean all you
can. And stick close to His servants. Later, Ruth followed Naomi’s instructions
to go to the threshing floor at night to ask Boaz to perform the duty of
kinsman/redeemer. This was an unusual act that could have opened Ruth up to
scandal. Sometimes, we need to be willing to make fools of ourselves and put
our reputation on the line to make ourselves available to God.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Questions for Personal
Reflection<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What are the distinct
characteristics God has created in me?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What things have I lost in life
that my Redeemer wishes to restore or has already restored for me?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What eternal purpose does God have
in mind for my life?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">What must I do to position myself
to receive all that He has for me?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Prayer<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Dear Lord,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Thank you for redeeming me. Lord, I
have had hurts and losses in my life that have left me feeling <a href="http://isaiah54healing.blogspot.com/2015/07/sing-barren-woman.html" target="_blank">barren</a>. I know
you have a plan for my restoration. Please place me where you want me to be,
and help me recognize the steps I need to take to receive all that you have for
me. I will use what I receive to bring you glory and fulfill your purposes for
my life. With gratitude and praise, in Jesus’ Name, Amen.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;"><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Meditation<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Sit in a comfortable place with no
distractions. Shift your body so it is well supported. Gently close your eyes and
focus on your breath, breathing in slowly and deeply and allowing your muscles
to relax as you exhale slowly and fully. Take a few more deep breaths as you
become more relaxed and focused.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Imagine yourself walking into a
large field of grain. Feel the slight breeze on your skin, the sun on your
face. Hear the breeze rustling through the leaves of the grain, perhaps some
small insects chirping or bees buzzing. Maybe take a taste of the oats, wheat,
or barley. As you are walking through this field of grain, you become aware of
people working in the field. You see someone special walking toward you, welcoming
you. You recognize Him as your Redeemer. As He comes closer, you sense that He
has some instruction for you. Listen carefully. See if you can hear His word
for you right now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Often we already know in our hearts
what the Holy Spirit is telling us, but the word is drowned out by the cares
and responsibilities of the day. Always test what you hear against the Word of
God. Any word you hear from God will always be supported in scripture.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 200%;">Action Steps</span></b><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Evaluate where you are right now.
Whose “field” are you working in? Are you in the right church, job, and circle
of friends? Are you staying close to God’s servants? Are you following the
instructions He has given you? Are you gleaning all you can from you current
situation? If not, what steps can you take to align yourself with God’s <a href="http://isaiah54healing.blogspot.com/2015/07/isaiah-54-is-lords-sonnet-to-israel-but.html" target="_blank">plan of restoration</a> for you?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-27578211564365743242015-08-05T19:37:00.001-07:002015-09-04T08:54:45.350-07:00Living Forward with Confidence and Grace<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRuqbXUOSugD4_yX1Ei3fDjPceAwkxbIjWEZyYnEHbB4C81EjMgvbVnKBpXGOBKffevt0ygOKTGSlxCqACpFFAPIwa_KemE_06uCoPeBwKUDfak_NEmwO89yT1TeeBkFrRqwjqvO-NSc/s1600/sunrise2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxRuqbXUOSugD4_yX1Ei3fDjPceAwkxbIjWEZyYnEHbB4C81EjMgvbVnKBpXGOBKffevt0ygOKTGSlxCqACpFFAPIwa_KemE_06uCoPeBwKUDfak_NEmwO89yT1TeeBkFrRqwjqvO-NSc/s400/sunrise2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Lisa Shafer Bergman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<div style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;"><span style="color: black; font-family: Calibri;">Isaiah 54 is the Lord's Sonnet to Israel, but as with most Old Testament writings, there are applications for God's modern Lady, the Church, and personal applications for individual believers.</span></span></span></div>
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;"></span></span></span> </h1>
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;"></span></span></span></h1>
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;"></span></span></span> </h1>
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;"></span></span></span> </h1>
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;"></span></span></span> </h1>
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;">Overcoming Fear, Shame, and Humiliation <o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">4“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You will forget the shame of your youth <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;">Do not be Afraid<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">I don’t know how many times the
Holy Spirit spoke these words to my heart and I responded with bewilderment.
I’m not afraid. I don’t feel afraid. Why do you keep telling me not to be
afraid? Well, of course, He knows what we don’t admit to ourselves or to Him.
Fear can show itself in many ways, and trust me, if it’s there, it will come
out. Just look at the rest of the sentence. Do not be afraid; you will not be
put to shame.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shame is an interesting word. Just
using a regular thesaurus, we can come up with several synonyms. Do not be
afraid, you will not be embarrassed, discredited, humiliated, disgraced,
dishonored, mortified, degraded, or defamed. Interestingly, the antonym for
shame is honor. These all come from how we are viewed by other people as well
as how we view ourselves, or how we <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">think
</i>others view us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do you ever find yourself adjusting
your behavior, even your opinions, when in the company of someone you think
might not approve? Now, sure, there is something to be said for responding to
social cues. If you have been talking nonstop for twenty minutes and people
start to look away, check their watches, or yawn, it’s safe to say you should
probably stop talking. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">But what if you never even start
talking for fear you will say the wrong thing and embarrass yourself? What if
you never apply for that job you want, start that business, write that book, or
go talk to that person you want to meet, because you are afraid of being
humiliated? What if you never share your faith because you are afraid of
rejection? I have missed lots of opportunities in life because, yes, I was
afraid. So how do we overcome this fear of shame, disgrace, and humiliation?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h1 style="margin: 12pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: large;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;">You will forget the shame of your youth, and remember no more the reproach
of your widowhood.<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h1>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Ah. Shame comes from our youth
first and then from those devastating blows in adulthood that cause us to feel
barren. There are so many ways in which a child can grow up with shame. Child
abuse. Neglect. Emotional abuse. Verbal abuse. Sexual abuse. Alcoholic parents.
Being negatively compared to a sibling. Parent’s divorce. Multiple moves. Childhood
illness or disability. Bullying. Anything that made you feel different from the
rest of the kids. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Shame during childhood makes us
more susceptible to shame and rejection as adults. We grow up with a poor self-image
and low expectations for ourselves and these become self-fulfilling prophecies
for our adult lives. We choose partners who don’t honor or respect us. We
sabotage good relationships because deep down we don’t believe we deserve them.
Perhaps we choose jobs that are a not a good fit for us. We can become ill or
accident prone. Divorce. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">There are so many ways we can
experience shame in our youth and reproach as adults. God promises to deliver
us from these so we no longer react with fear and avoidance. Next time you feel
defensive, hurt, or humiliated, see if you can trace it back to an earlier time
in life where old hurts are still festering. Take some time to bring that hurt
to God, forgive, release, and let it go. God promises to relieve you of that
burden so that you no longer carry painful memories.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;"></span></span></span> </h2>
<h2 style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;">Questions for personal reflection</span></span></span></h2>
<h2 style="line-height: normal; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What are some childhood memories that
brought shame or the fear of shame into my life?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What are some adult experiences
that left me feeling barren, broken, or humiliated?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">How did the shame of my youth
contribute to or compound the painful experiences in my adult life?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 style="margin: 2pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;"></span></span></span> </h2>
<h2 style="margin: 2pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;">Prayer<o:p></o:p></span></span></span></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Dear Lord,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Your word says that I will forget
the shame of my youth and remember no more the reproach of my widowhood. Please
help me to acknowledge and release the pain, the shame, and the blame connected
with painful childhood memories. I understand that this may take some time, and
I submit to your leading as you guide me through this healing process.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Help me to heal from the wounds I
have received in adulthood. From now on Lord, show me when I act in fear, when
I react to current situations based on old hurts, and when I change or hide who
I truly am for fear of rejection. Help me to honestly present myself as the
person you created me to be.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<h2 style="margin: 2pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;"></span></span></span> </h2>
<h2 style="margin: 2pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;">Meditation</span></span></span></h2>
<h2 style="margin: 2pt 0in 0pt;">
<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Sit in a comfortable place with no
distractions. Shift your body so it is well supported. Gently close your eyes
and focus on your breath, breathing in slowly and deeply and allowing your
muscles to relax as you exhale slowly and fully. Take a few more deep breaths
as you become more relaxed and focused.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 9pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Imagine
all the hurts in your life gathering into one solid mass in the center of your
body. See yourself releasing all those old wounds and nailing them to the
Cross. An now, imagine<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"> a spray bottle filled with a healing solution made
up of all your body’s own chemicals God created in your body for healing. Take
the spray bottle and spray yourself from head to toe, inside and out, filling
every cell with all the chemicals needed for physical and emotional health and
balance. Pay special attention to the place where the mass was.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 9pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">See
yourself refreshed, revived, renewed. When you’re done, it’s time to release
the person or persons who hurt you. Jesus is next to you for safety, and your
mind and body are strong and steady.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 9pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Turn
to the person, and tell the person, I release you from any obligation to repay
me for the wrongs done to me. I am no longer hurt by what you did. Go in peace.
Watch as the person leaves, disappearing into the wilderness.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 9pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Notice
the glow of the Holy Spirit warming, healing, and restoring all the places that
were hurt. Realize that He has been with you all along, to bring you to this
place of peace. Thank Him for being with you, giving you strength and peace for
this difficult journey.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 9pt;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Jesus
smiles and congratulates you and then says, “I have something for you.” He
gives you a gift. What is it? This gift will be a reminder that you are now
healed and whole. When you remember the situation that hurt you, think of this
gift as a reminder that the pain, fear, and trauma has been removed from the
memory, and you are healed.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<h2 style="margin: 2pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;"></span></span></span></span> </h2>
<h2 style="margin: 2pt 0in 0pt;">
<span style="mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span style="color: #2e74b5;"><span style="font-family: Calibri Light;">Action Steps</span></span></span></span><o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></h2>
<h2 style="margin: 2pt 0in 0pt;">
<o:p></o:p> </h2>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Take some time to write down the names
of persons you need to release and any painful memories you need to have
healed. Spend some time in prayer and meditation, releasing the pain, shame,
and blame; and forgiving anyone who has hurt you.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: 200%; margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Write down the ways, if any, that
you have acted in fear because of your former shame. Think about how you can
respond differently in future situations.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">4“Do not be afraid; you will not be put to shame. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Do not fear disgrace; you will not be humiliated. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">You will forget the shame of your youth <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">and remember no more the reproach of your widowhood. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Remember, God is on your side. He
will not allow you to remain in a state of shame, disgrace, and humiliation. He
will deliver you. Your life will no longer be characterized by what has
happened to you, but by who you are in Christ. You are redeemed, a highly
prized and valuable emblem of God’s infinite grace, and you are deeply loved.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNArULwa18d2hp1V1IiRt1CcKgugb97FuHZIrllxPGlwgvRi5bAcmVvATdjkf58QiZnNdKHslIFsNRfSl09BvHBV71PhQu81QId1I9_IMS8pFsSrymN6Pda3uxbXVKBAZf-mtuaKpNCQ/s1600/sunrise2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTNArULwa18d2hp1V1IiRt1CcKgugb97FuHZIrllxPGlwgvRi5bAcmVvATdjkf58QiZnNdKHslIFsNRfSl09BvHBV71PhQu81QId1I9_IMS8pFsSrymN6Pda3uxbXVKBAZf-mtuaKpNCQ/s400/sunrise2.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Photo by Lisa Shafer Bergman</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-42724129015284518382015-08-02T17:06:00.003-07:002015-08-02T17:06:27.301-07:00Does Psychology Contradict the Bible?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm86udmgJIYOzkROBfPTCHSWtDSfA9y-CMGPDnZnP8W2zq1AYeYdP2DIF1wqoauYGz1dCzI_pRH07LzlKQFoQAiLFuY2W5t4uqE1zS-lGcYiUxRtnmQx1_tedOKsYRZedJWwVUQK0Pc1w/s1600/IMG_0128.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm86udmgJIYOzkROBfPTCHSWtDSfA9y-CMGPDnZnP8W2zq1AYeYdP2DIF1wqoauYGz1dCzI_pRH07LzlKQFoQAiLFuY2W5t4uqE1zS-lGcYiUxRtnmQx1_tedOKsYRZedJWwVUQK0Pc1w/s400/IMG_0128.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="passage-display-bcv"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="passage-display-bcv"></span></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><span class="passage-display-bcv">Proverbs 23:7</span><span class="passage-display-version">New King James Version (NKJV)</span></span><br />
<span class="passage-display-version"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span><br />
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<span class="text Prov-23-7" id="en-NKJV-17052"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"><sup class="versenum">7 </sup>For as he thinks in his heart, so <i>is</i> he.</span></span></div>
<span class="text Prov-23-7"></span><div class="line">
<br /><span class="text Prov-23-7"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">“Eat and drink!” he says to you,</span></span></div>
<span class="text Prov-23-7"></span><div class="line">
<br /><span class="text Prov-23-7"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">But his heart is not with you.</span></span></div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Prov-23-7"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span> </div>
<div class="line">
<span class="text Prov-23-7"><span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span></span> </div>
<h2 class="line">
<span class="text Prov-23-7">Cognitive Behavioral theorists teach us that our thoughts and perceptions generate our </span><span class="text Prov-23-7">emotions, and </span><span class="text Prov-23-7">our emotions generate our actions. They discovered what our Creator knew </span><span class="text Prov-23-7">all along.</span></h2>
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<span class="text Prov-23-7"></span> </div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Some people believe that modern psychology contradicts
biblical teaching so that the two cannot be used in conjunction to address
life’s problems. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am here to say that
God is neither offended nor intimidated by an honest, scientific approach to
psychology, and I’ll explain why.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">God created the Earth and everything in it. He is the One
who set up its properties, such as time, mass, gravity, physics, and such. He
created the rules, laws, and principles that govern how everything works. I
don’t know much about these physical sciences, but there are scientists who
work non-stop to learn the laws and principles that govern these properties so
that we can harness them for our benefit. As God said in Genesis 1:28, “fill
the earth and subdue it.” Since that time, Man has been in the business of
researching, discovering, and utilizing the elements of creation. Scientists
don’t have to believe in God to study and discover the Truths that exist in God’s
creation. The laws and principles (such as gravity) work the same for those who
believe in God as they do for those who don’t.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">For example, Benjamin Franklin did not invent electricity;
he merely discovered the principles that already existed in God’s creation so
that these attributes of creation could be put to use for Man’s benefit. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Later, Thomas Edison discovered how to use the
principles of electricity to invent the light bulb. Now, we just take for
granted that we can walk up, flip a light switch, and have light in the room.
We don’t say, “I’m a Christian. I don’t believe in that science mumbo jumbo. If
I want light, I’ll go directly to the source. If I want light, I’ll just walk
in the room and pray for light. As a child of God, I’ll just command light to
be! I don’t know about that other source of light, it might be from the Devil.”
No, we just enjoy the blessing that many scientists worked hard to make
available to us.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">We know that scientists have discovered much about how God
created the human body as well as effective ways to intervene when it does not
function as it should. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most of us have
no qualms about seeking medical attention when we have an illness or injury. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as God created the body to function in
specific ways that can be studied and discovered, He created the brain, the
emotion center, and the human psyche in specific ways that can be researched,
studied, and discovered. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Just as
humankind has discovered principles in God’s creation to for making the electricity
work and the body healthy, humankind has also discovered many of God’s
principles for making the human mind and emotions healthy.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Just as we do not have misgivings about using science to
walk in a room to flip a light switch or receive medical treatment, we should
not fear using the science of psychology in a responsible manner to help us
with our emotions and behaviors. We are careful not to use a light switch that
has a short in it because it could start a fire and cause damage. You would be
leery of a doctor who did not go to medical school. In the same way that we are
responsible to use electricity wisely and carefully, or to seek a qualified
medical practitioner, we must be responsible in how we choose a therapist,
self-help book, or support group. We need to make sure our core values are
supported even if the therapist, author, or support group leader is not
Christian. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is always with you on
this journey and will guide you into all truth. Throughout my blogs, I will
show you how God’s principles for a healthy life were formed at creation,
expressed in His Word, and only later confirmed by scientific discovery.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 11pt; line-height: 115%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-US;"><br clear="all" style="mso-special-character: line-break; page-break-before: always;" />
</span>Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-29264574330655844052015-07-25T20:07:00.000-07:002016-12-18T17:06:37.517-08:00Enlarge the Place of Your Dwelling<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaU3AUtG6UQjMuDrJFd7da0bsLoSzkDDpFaYhASMDfXBsFHVUJz0iLduaGDKkXwFamqtcJQJzTGmSIUgH4SojyeVYaQLBYQAzvmZ4Cvo_jCA_GP_VjTHuSkcRnfoiCJZ8OTdADzY8zl8/s1600/blog+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXaU3AUtG6UQjMuDrJFd7da0bsLoSzkDDpFaYhASMDfXBsFHVUJz0iLduaGDKkXwFamqtcJQJzTGmSIUgH4SojyeVYaQLBYQAzvmZ4Cvo_jCA_GP_VjTHuSkcRnfoiCJZ8OTdADzY8zl8/s400/blog+photo.JPG" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "calibri";">Isaiah 54 is the Lord's Sonnet to Israel, but as with most Old Testament writings, there are applications for God's modern Lady, the Church, and personal applications for individual believers.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">CHAPTER 2</span></div>
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Isaiah 54 is the Lord's Sonnet to Israel, but as with most Old Testament writings, there are applications for God's modern Lady, the Church, and personal applications for individual believers.</div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="m_-7991782246171999438_m_-7509612595909676251_m_7174178693187164355_m_3773745434651934639_m_8271600619515564056_m_-414275315962719641_m_3214928332258017119_m_3802861888563306626_m_6364550985775646898_m_4843084590883778919_m_-4854118704974036998_m_3686126147601610619__Toc460752100"><b><span style="color: windowtext;">Start Making Room for the Good Stuff!</span></b></a></h1>
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Isaiah 54:2-3 </div>
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“Enlarge the place of your tent,<br />
stretch your tent curtains wide,<br />
do not hold back;<br />
lengthen your cords,<br />
strengthen your stakes.<br />
<sup><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span></sup>For you will spread out to the right and to the left;<br />
your descendants will dispossess nations<br />
and settle in their desolate cities. (NIV)</div>
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<b><span style="color: windowtext;">How can I enlarge the place of my tent?</span></b></div>
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It is tempting to pass over a verse like this saying it does not apply to my life. I don't live in a tent. That was then, this is now. We don't live in tents, but there is a principle here that is timeless. It transcends time, culture, and the Old Testament/ New Testament, Law versus Grace divide. I don’t live in a tent, and yet, I know this verse is for me on a personal level. I know this verse is a word for me right now, today. How can I enlarge the place of my tent? What does it mean to spread my tent curtains wide? I can come up with all kinds of excuses- it's for a different time, a different culture, a different people. But then He says, "Don’t hold back." This is big. This is important. This demands a response. God has more for you and for me, and we need to make room. This begins with a change of heart. We can start by opening our hearts and minds to receive more: more knowledge, more understanding, more wisdom, more grace, more love, more resources, and more blessings. With these come a greater field of influence and more responsibility.</div>
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<b><span style="color: windowtext;">Do not hold back</span></b></div>
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Before we can take on more responsibility, we need to prepare. If we are preparing for a little job, we only need to prepare a little. If a big job, we need to prepare a lot. What is your job? Are you raising children? Starting your life over after some major setback? Starting a new career? Getting clean and sober? Whatever is before you, God wants to pour His vast resources into your life to give you overwhelming success. He needs you to make room! Now, my natural tendency is to anticipate obstacles, which can be good because it helps me prepare well, but it can also cause me to underestimate what I can do, and what the Lord can do for me and through me. I have a tendency to hold back by keeping my expectations small. So He makes a point of telling me to prepare all aspects of my dwelling to be able to accommodate more than I can imagine. Are you, like me, in the habit of thinking small? Just enough to get by, Lord, that's all I need. Such prayers do not please God. He is a God of abundance, not a God of lack. Just go outside on a clear night and look up at the stars. There are solar systems and galaxies beyond what we can even imagine. Our God does not lack anything. The only thing He ever lacked was a relationship with us, and He gave His only Son, to buy us back. Why would He not also freely give us all things? (Romans 8:32) Our first task is to stop thinking small. Our second task is to start thinking big.</div>
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<b><span style="color: windowtext;">Lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes</span></b></div>
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Lengthen your cords and strengthen your stakes. A bigger tent requires reinforced supports. Our first and greatest support is from the Holy Spirit. If I am going to be expanding, I need to reinforce the things that hold me up and strengthen me. I need to protect my prayer and study time and be careful to not only hear the Word but put it into practice (James 1:22) because strength and stability comes not from just reading the Word daily but actually doing it (Matthew 7:26, 27).</div>
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What are some other supports that need to be added in? Relationships with family and friends provide support. So I need to reconnect with those I have lost contact with, reconcile with those I have been at odds with, and reach out to those who can help and mentor me on the way to where I am going. I need to make sure I am established in a local church. It would be hard to plan and pursue great things with a burden of debt. It is going to be important to become financially stable by reducing debt and living within my means. So, I will “lengthen my cords and strengthen my stakes” by daily communing with God, strengthening my relationships, getting financially secure, and being active in my local church.</div>
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<b><span style="color: windowtext;">Spread out to the right and to the left</span></b></div>
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I’ll need to do all this so I can be ready to “spread out to the right and to the left.” Now, God told the Israelites through Isaiah that their descendants would literally dispossess nations and settle in the desolate cities. How can I apply this truth to my life on this day? My descendants are the legacy I leave behind when I leave this earth. My legacy is not just the people, but the knowledge of God, His love, and His ways. If I can instill these strongly in my children and grandchildren, they can replace the desolate beliefs of witchcraft and paganism that used to govern my family. It is my hope that my descendants will spread out with God’s Word of salvation, not only to my descendants but to neighbors, cities, and nations.</div>
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These are promises in God’s Word that we can accept for our lives today. We show that we believe them by taking action to enlarge the place of our tents, lengthening our cords and strengthening our stakes in practical ways in our lives so that we have a place to receive all the benefits God wants to bestow upon us. Do you have a spiritual poverty mentality? If this is your starting point, Matthew 5:2-4 says you are blessed! Why? Because yours is the Kingdom of Heaven. People who aren't aware of their need never pick up a book like this and never lay hold of the Kingdom. We, however, need to let go of old belief systems and trade them for the Kingdom of God. In other words, we need to renew our minds. (Romans 12:2)</div>
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Scriptures to help exchange the poverty mentality for the kingdom mentality:</div>
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Helplessness, powerlessness - 2 Peter 1:3; Romans 1:16; Ephesians 3:16-18; Ephesians 3:20; Philippians 4:13</div>
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Not belonging, feeling like an outsider - Ephesians 3:6; Galatians 6:10; 1 Peter 2:17; Luke 15:3-7; Romans 12:4</div>
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Not deserving of the blessings others enjoy- Acts 11:16-18; Romans 3:21-23; Romans 5:22; Romans 5:17; 1 Corinthians 1:26-31</div>
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Inferiority and unworthiness-Matthew 10:29-31; Matthew 6:25-26; Luke 15:11-24; Ephesians 3:14-19</div>
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If you are in Christ, you are rich even while you are still poor. You are accepted even when you feel rejected. You are blessed, even when you don't feel it or see it yet. You have the same power in you that raised Jesus from the dead. (Romans 8:11) By meditating on the truth of these scriptures, you are making room for God's blessings and plans for you and the legacy you will leave for your children and grandchildren. If, like me, you have felt like your life is barren, bearing no fruit, having little to show for all your years of living, then you can start singing! And then, let’s get to work!</div>
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<em><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion</span></b></em></div>
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In what areas am I thinking too small? </div>
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In what areas do I need to build in supports? </div>
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What dreams does God have for expanding my influence?</div>
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How can I begin to renew my mind to let go of the old poverty mentality and make room for God's Kingdom abundance using the above scriptures?</div>
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<em><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span></b></em><em><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Prayer</span></b></em></div>
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Dear Lord, please show me how to get ready for the great things you have planned or my life. I am going to enlarge my life to make room for your plans. I claim this word for myself, my children, and my grandchildren. I claim it not only for my bloodline, but also for the spiritual children that I will help bring into your kingdom by spreading your light and your love to others. Help me, Lord, to walk in your ways as your precious child. In Jesus Name, Amen!</div>
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<em><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Meditation</span></b></em></div>
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Sit in a comfortable place with no distractions. Shift your body so it is well supported. Gently close your eyes and focus on your breath, breathing in slowly and deeply and allowing your muscles to relax as you exhale slowly and fully. Take a few more deep breaths as you become more relaxed and focused. </div>
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Now imagine your life as a tent or a dwelling. Take some time to see it and the space around it. You are standing outside the tent. How big is it? How sturdy is it? Look around the outside. What do you see? And now, go inside the tent. Here you see the people in your life. You see your hobbies, your vocation, your activities, even your thoughts and feelings. This is your life as it is today. You are not here to judge, only to observe your life openly and honestly. Just take a few moments to take it all in.</div>
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Next, see what needs to be enlarged or fortified. Choose one area and in your imagination, make the change that needs to happen. Do you need to apologize to someone? Give up a self- defeating habit? Or do you just need to make more room for God’s goodness and plans for your life? Take this time to see yourself making the change. And when you are finished, thank God for this change and ask Him to bring it about in your life. You can come back here as often as you like to make changes and get your tent ready for the great life that is coming!</div>
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<em><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Action Steps</span></b></em></div>
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Take a moment to write down the steps, if any, you will take in the following areas. This can begin with changes in your attitude and expectations to match God's word and the dreams God wants to plant in your heart.</div>
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Relationships</div>
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Family</div>
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Ministry</div>
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Personal devotions</div>
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Church life</div>
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Finances</div>
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Employment</div>
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Education</div>
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Hobbies</div>
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Activities</div>
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Recreation</div>
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Entertainment</div>
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Anything else God is speaking to you about</div>
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God wants to bless us more than we want to be blessed. He wants us to be open and available to spread His blessings to the right and to the left, and to settle them into areas that were once desolate. Once we really embrace this truth, we will begin to conduct ourselves differently. How will you be different when you truly know that all heaven’s resources are at your disposal? (Mark 11:22-24)</div>
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Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-85913499306152750122015-07-20T21:05:00.002-07:002019-03-21T06:45:02.577-07:00Sing, Barren Woman<br />
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Isaiah 54 is the Lord's Sonnet to Israel, but as with most Old Testament writings, there are applications for God's modern Lady, the Church, and personal applications for individual believers.</span></div>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="m_8271600619515564056_m_-414275315962719641_m_3214928332258017119_m_3802861888563306626_m_6364550985775646898_m_4843084590883778919_m_-4854118704974036998_m_3686126147601610619__Toc460752099"><b><span style="color: windowtext;">Start Singing!</span></b></a></span></h1>
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<span style="font-family: "calibri";">Isaiah 54:1</span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 200%;"> </span>“Sing, barren woman,<br />
you who never bore a child;<br />
burst into song, shout for joy,<br />
you who were never in labor;<br />
because more are the children of the desolate woman<br />
than of her who has a husband,”<br />
says the Lord. (NIV)</div>
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I've always been a rather melancholy person. Quiet. Reserved. Most of the time, anyway. So I'm going along in my daily bible reading and I come upon this chapter in Isaiah. It seems like God is speaking to me. Sing. Burst into song. Shout for joy. Well, first of all I don't feel very happy at all. I don't exactly feel like singing. I really don't feel like shouting for joy. Mostly I just feel like crying. I have salvation. I'm going to heaven at the end of my life. That alone, I know, is worth rejoicing about. But my focus is on today. Today I'm lonely. Today I'm sad. Today I am suffering the most painful disappointment of my life. My money situation is a constant source of fear and dread. Divorced. Lonely. Scared. Broke. All my dreams had been shattered. And now God wants me to sing? It seemed like I just couldn't. The very thought of trying to sing or express joy just made me that much more aware of the gaping emptiness inside me that was threatening to swallow me whole. At the time I don't even think I realized what that gaping emptiness was. That was the barrenness. I was a woman without a husband. I was a woman without a dream. I was a woman without the hope of producing anything fruitful in my life. I wasn't living at all. I was surviving. Deep inside I felt a faint stirring of hope, but most days its sound was drowned out by fear. Most days my eyes, swollen from crying, searched the horizon for someone to restore meaning and purpose to my life. I understood that barrenness for me was not about giving birth to children, but finding a home and feeling safe, valued, and productive. It was about conceiving and giving birth to a dream that would make my life meaningful again.</div>
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Why was God telling me to sing? Was it because He was insensitive to how I was feeling and what I needed? That is how I felt at the time. Now, many years later, I understand that He was saying, "I know something you don't know. If you knew what I know, you would be singing. You would be shouting for joy." God had plans for me far beyond the broken dreams I mourned. The children He wanted me to conceive were the new dreams and new visions that He had for me. We can try to do things in our own strength, like the aged Sarah, who gave her handmaiden to her husband to try to fulfill God's promise of a child, or we can wait patiently for God to create a miraculous life in us. The “children” that will be birthed through this process will be so much more than anything we might have planned for ourselves. </div>
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Are you feeling barren as you wait for God's promises to be fulfilled in your life? In biblical days a barren woman, a woman with no children, was considered cursed. It might have made her a social outcast among the other women in her community. In that day a woman’s social security came through having children to care for her in her old age. Being barren meant being financially vulnerable and possibly destitute. You might be feeling crushed because you are unable to have children, or you may be suffering other painful situations that being childless in that day meant, such as stigma, isolation, and financial devastation. If you are feeling barren in any area of your life, whether social, emotional, financial, physical, or relational, you do have a reason to sing. You do have a reason to shout for joy. God has not forgotten about you. </div>
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There are many ways that a person can feel barren. After my divorce, I felt barren. When I had to temporarily give up my plans to go back to college, I felt barren. When I felt God had given me a dream to start a women’s ministry that never materialized, I felt barren. When I worked for a government agency, and my paperwork kept piling up to a point of being insurmountable, I felt barren. When, nearly ten years after my divorce, I got remarried only to find out he was a wolf in sheep’s clothing, I felt barren. Financial loss, poverty, the loss of a job, unfulfilled dreams, broken relationships, illness, failure of any kind, can leave a person feeling barren. Many times these losses and failures are the result of us trying to fulfill our own dreams instead of God's dreams for us. Other times we are trying to fulfill God's dreams, but in our own way and our own timing, like Sarah and Abraham, and they ended up with Ishmael. (Genesis 16:1-15)</div>
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We need to wait for God's timing. We need to do things His way. When I was young and headstrong, I thought I knew best and God was just going to have to get with my program. For this reason, I stayed barren for a very long time. In a symbolic sense, I had one miscarriage after another. Plans failed. Relationships failed. Debt piled up. I was truly a desolate woman, but I was not forgotten. More are the children of the desolate woman than of her who has a husband. God wants me to give birth to His dreams and plans, not my own. He wants me to do this in His way and His timing. My plans to start a ministry, my plans to get married, my plans to go to school, were all done in my own strength, in my own time, for my own purposes. I wanted to better myself. I was going fulfill my dreams and take care of my needs all by my own efforts. Yet all my efforts either left me barren, or with an Ishmael to take care of. </div>
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Sarah was a barren woman who tried in her own strength to have a child. Her decision left her even more barren, if that is possible. Her maid servant Hagar lost respect for her, and she was now no longer the only wife of her husband. But God had a plan all along, which He carried out at its proper time by bringing Isaac into the world (Genesis 16:1-5; Genesis 21:1-8).</div>
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Naomi and her husband Elimelek solved the famine problem in their own human effort by moving to Moab, and Naomi was bereaved and of her husband and two sons and was left temporarily barren. Again, God had a plan for Naomi’s redemption, and at the right time, He restored her to her community, redeemed her land, and gave her an heir who was also in the line of Christ (Ruth 1-4).</div>
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Hagar was sent away with her son Ishmael after Isaac was born, and when she ran out of food and water, she was sure that she and her son would die in the desert. Her situation was barren. But God had a plan and showed her a well of water. Her son grew up strong and was eventually reconciled with his brother Isaac (Genesis 21:8-20; 25:9).</div>
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I’m sure Moses’ mother felt barren when she sent her three month old child out onto the water. But God had a plan for Moses to be raised in a palace while his own mother nursed him. And when Moses fled Egypt, I’m sure he felt barren out in that desert for forty years, after his pathetic attempt to save Israel by killing an Egyptian. But God’s plan was greater than anything Moses could have cooked up (Exodus 2, 3).</div>
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God’s plans are greater than my plans or your plans. If you are feeling barren today, if all your plans have failed miserably, you have a reason to burst into song and shout for joy. Why? Because God is now able to birth something in you that was not possible while you were struggling and striving in your own strength. It is time to prepare, time to believe, and time to receive more that you first hoped for, more than you can now imagine.</div>
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<em><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Questions for Personal Reflection or Group Discussion</span></b></em></div>
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What are the dreams God has placed in my heart? </div>
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In what ways, if any, have I tried to fulfill God's plans my way? </div>
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What can I do right now, today to start following God's plans for me? </div>
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Do I need to pray for wisdom and guidance?</div>
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<em><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;"> </span></b></em><em><b><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif;">Prayer</span></b></em></div>
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Dear Lord, Thank you for your promise to bring good things into my life. Show me how to live in anticipation and excitement for all the good things you have planned for me. Give me wisdom to keep me from following my own ways and patience to wait for your timing. In Jesus Name, Amen!</div>
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</span>Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-61458833721724980152015-07-20T16:28:00.001-07:002015-07-20T16:29:24.286-07:00God's Not Mad<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-uwPACfd6OBsm3FRGR_P6I5PXCN1_894Ld9ABKw2HFENCSG2pMyh98OL5y4JCy46y-AUD7CGH9qblWWPAF7FI8NRjQjGaCwLzv_2S9i9W989Dd1meByV1IoMi9NeoCkCOHK2Kd_XqNY/s1600/IMG_1378.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA-uwPACfd6OBsm3FRGR_P6I5PXCN1_894Ld9ABKw2HFENCSG2pMyh98OL5y4JCy46y-AUD7CGH9qblWWPAF7FI8NRjQjGaCwLzv_2S9i9W989Dd1meByV1IoMi9NeoCkCOHK2Kd_XqNY/s400/IMG_1378.JPG" width="300" /></a><span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Isaiah 54:9-10 says, </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">“To me this is like the days of Noah,<br />
when I swore that the waters of Noah would never again cover the earth.<br />
So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,<br />
never to rebuke you again.<br />
Though the mountains be shaken<br />
and the hills be removed,<br />
yet my unfailing love for you will not be shaken<br />
nor my covenant of peace be removed,”<br />
says the Lord, who has compassion on you. (NIV)<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Through this passage I learned that God was not mad at me. He gently
accepted me and patiently reinforced His promises to me through months and even
years of my faltering between faithfulness and unfaithfulness. The first thing
I needed to learn was that God loved me unconditionally. He loved me when I was
“good” and when I was “bad.” My behavior did not change His love for me. It
took several years for me to believe God loved me. My heart was so calloused
from years of protecting itself from pain and rejection, that although God
showered His love upon me lavishly and relentlessly, I was barely able to grasp
a faint notion of its presence. I had a concept of love that was extremely
warped.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Not only did I subconsciously believe
that God’s love was conditional, I supposed, for many, many years that God’s
love was selfish, self-serving, abusive, insensitive, and exploitive. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Now, certainly, I would have never have had such thoughts
on a conscious level, but, looking back, I can see how I demonstrated them by
my beliefs and actions. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I misinterpreted
the teachings I heard, such as, “God uses trials to build our character.” <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In my mind, I thought God was would
deliberately bring painful circumstances into my life and, sitting aloof in a
comfortable heaven with His arms crossed, coldly watching me get beat up by life until I
figured out by trial and error what I needed to learn. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Then, and only then, when or if I succeeded,
would He be willing to bless my life and put me in a job or ministry so I could help others. I never expected Him to do
anything about the deep wounds in my heart except teach me to ignore them.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;">Even though I read the Word and listened
to good teaching, my mind was like a carousel, playing the same song and
traveling the same circle, round and round. No matter how many times I heard
that God loved me unconditionally and wanted me to have an abundant,
overflowing life of joy and peace, I didn’t “hear” it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Whatever entered the carousel went round and
round with the carousel, and sang the same song, until it sounded just like the
carousel.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>‘God loves you’ turned into ‘God only cares about whether you are behaving well and He will bring whatever pain and<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>torment He needs to until you get it right.’ <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I think that is why He continually led me to
read the same chapter over and over till it finally started to change my thinking.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"> <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“So now I have sworn not to be angry with you,
never to rebuke you again.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></h4>
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<span style="font-family: "Arial",sans-serif;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"></span>In the same
way, I have listened to certain CD’s repeatedly because I would hear the
message, believe the message, forget the message, act a fool, then hear,
believe, and forget, until finally, little by little, my mind began to be
transformed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span>Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-11458331375081784622015-07-17T18:32:00.001-07:002015-07-20T19:03:48.776-07:00Getting Through the Storms of Life<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Life Lessons from
God's Word<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I believe the stories in the Bible are lessons
we can apply to our lives today. Many times the experiences of groups of people
in the Bible can be applied to a single person's spiritual journey. The flight
from Egypt, the wandering in the desert, and the entrance to the promised land,
can all be used as metaphors for the Christian walk. During the wandering in
the desert, the unbelieving generation of people died, just as each Christian
person must let all his doubts and fears die in the desert before he can enter
his personal promised land. So those people represent the doubts and fears in
each of us that need to die. In the story of the shipwreck, different people in
the story can be likened to different aspects of our personalities. In this
hub, I show how a group of men's actions can be compared to the life of an
individual as they deal with the storms of life. I show how you can use the
lessons here to make it through to the other side of any difficulty you face.
Most importantly, Paul said, "Unless these men stay with the ship, you
cannot be saved." When you are going through difficulty, be kind to
yourself, and don't neglect or reject any part of yourself. You are precious
and necessary!<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Stay on the Path<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Do you ever feel like you are lost on the path
of life? You have a plan. You are following your plan. Then suddenly, or
gradually, your plan goes awry. You lose your footing. You lose sight of the
goal. Your confidence is shaken. Your equilibrium is way off. Nothing makes
sense anymore, and everywhere you turn looks like a dead end. You might say, I
can handle this. I know what to do. So you do it. And you don't get the result
that you hoped for. And now your world is really rocking. You look for God, and
He's nowhere to be found. Or so it seems. You are no longer on dry ground.
Suddenly, it is more like you are in the middle of the ocean, the sky is dark,
the storm is raging, and you don't even have a compass.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Storms of Life<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Now you have entered into a storm. In the
Christian life, we sometimes have mountain top experiences, sometimes we have
dry desert experiences, and occasionally, we have a whopper of a storm.
Sometimes they come on suddenly, without warning. Sometimes, we see them
coming. Sometimes, just when we think we are nearing the end, the storm gets
worse! The only thing we can do is cling to the promise that God will never
leave us nor forsake us, even when everything we see may be telling us all hope
is lost.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In God’s Word, the Bible, God has given us
some tips on how to get through a storm. Acts 27:13-44 tells the story. The
apostle Paul was a prisoner in the custody of the Roman army. The Roman
soldiers were taking Paul and some other prisoners to Italy to stand trial
before Caesar. Against Paul’s sound advice, the Roman Centurion decided to set
sail even though it was too late in the year to travel safely by sea. Soon
after they set sail, the storm hit. How many times did a voice inside tell you
not to go in a direction, but you did it anyway? In verse 15, it says they
could not head into the wind, so they gave way, and the wind drove them along. Now
we know from the Bible that He has given us everything we need for life and
godliness, and that with every temptation He has provided a way of escape, so I
am not implying that we should give way to the temptation to sin. However, when
the storms of life hit, don't struggle against what is happening by
complaining, arguing, or fighting about things over which you have no control.
Conserve your energy. Rest, both mentally and physically.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In verse 17, the men passed ropes under the
ship to hold it together. When you are in a storm, get support. Use what is
available to you. Does your church have a prayer chain? Call it. Are there
certain scriptures, songs, or people that encourage you? Gather them around. Do
you have certain rituals that calm you down? Prayer? Meditation? A bubble bath?
Hot tea? A massage or spa treatment? Indulge yourself in these. Next, notice in
verse 17 that the men lowered the sea anchor. The sea anchor is not the anchor
that stops the ship completely. If they did that, the waves would hammer the
ship to pieces. The sea anchor, however, does slow the ship down. Don't allow
fear to paralyze you, or the circumstances to buffet you unnecessarily, but do
slow down. Take your time in making decisions, and give yourself permission to
take some time off from work, or release yourself from some of your commitments
for the time being.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">In verse 18, the storm raged so intensely that
the men had to make a decision to throw their cargo overboard. Think about the
"cargo" in your own life. What is it? Past wounds you have held onto.
Affection for things not useful for you in your journey. Excess baggage. Things
that weigh you down. These things may have seemed useful when you were sailing
on smooth waters. That wall you built to keep from getting hurt, the computer
games that help you zone out when you feel stressed, or things like bitterness,
jealousy, or resentment.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">During the storm, the crew had to toss the
cargo overboard in order to survive. Speaking of survival, did you notice what
happened next? The crew tossed the ship's tackle overboard with their own
hands. These were skilled sailors, and the tackle represents their tools for
survival and for success. What are your tools? What gifts and talents do you
have to be successful in life? An advanced degree. A tremendous gift for
speaking, singing, mathematics, building, organizing, or whatever! Now that you
are in the storm, you realize even these things cannot help you. You cannot
rely on them, but only on God. You may continue using them or you will use them
again, but where the storm is raging, you find they are useless.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">By the time we reach verse 20, there is no
sign of relief, and the storm rages on. The men give up all hope. Sometimes in
the natural, there is no hope. There is no medicine, operation, application,
organization, or agency than can fix what has gone wrong. You might feel like
Job at this point, with everyone who has not already abandoned you saying
things like, just have faith, rebuke the devil, say this scripture, get the sin
out of your life, speak in tongues, raise your hands, bow down, etc., etc.,
etc. Thanks a lot. I tried that, and fifty other things you never thought of.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The men had lost all hope. Remember, these
were seaworthy men, not wimps. If you lose hope in the storm, you are not a
wimp. You are having a normal reaction to an abnormal situation. Notice in
verse 21, Paul indulges in a little, "I told you so." He said if they
had listened to him they would not be in this mess. Perhaps you realize that if
you had done such and such or not done so and so, you would not be in the
storm. Perhaps. However, even if you got yourself into this mess, God is on
your side and you can be encouraged. So ignore the accusers, the judgmental and
the critical, and get yourself around encouragers. You know who they are.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Next, in verse 27, as the storm continued to
drive them along, they sensed they were approaching land. This fact brought
both relief and fear. Getting to land would mean they are saved, but if they
ran aground during the night, the ship could be broken to bits by the waves.
Some of the men responded in fear while others held onto the hope that Paul had
said that all would be saved. In all of us is the tendency to respond to hope
or to fear. When some of the men tried to escape in the lifeboat, the
Centurions, the "police," cut the ropes.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Paul had received a vision that all the men
would be saved. However, when some of the men tried to escape, Paul told those
in charge that the vision would not come true without the cooperation of
everyone on board. We could use this story as a metaphor for one person. We all
have different facets of ourselves. Imagine Paul, the spiritual part of a man,
received information from God, and passed on information, hope, and
encouragement. Paul also recognized the danger of division and double
mindedness. Some parts of us are on board with the spiritual man, ready and
eager to obey God's leading and heed His warnings. Other parts of us are at the
same time fearful. Double mindedness.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">The Centurions and soldiers overrode the
actions of the fearful ones by cutting the ropes and making it impossible for
them to jump ship. Can you see this? Is there a "cop" part of you
that can override the parts of you that are hesitant or fearful? What did these
soldiers do? They removed the temptation. They removed the option of going in
another direction. Can you think of ways you are doing the same in your own
life? Deleting that negative person from your Facebook page. Throwing away
magazines, CDs, DVDs, and unsubscribing from all the websites about that
subject that is destructive to you? Cutting up your credit cards.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">When it looked like they were on the home
stretch, the dangers were increased. In verse 33, Paul encourages them again.
He insists that they eat something. When we are in incredibly stressful
situations, self-care is neglected. Gear up! Get some good food in you! What
does that look like for you? Have you neglected to eat? Have you eaten only
junk food? Have you neglected the spiritual food of the Word, fellowship, and
prayer? Perhaps you have neglected your physical appearance and grooming. No
one goes through a storm of this magnitude unscathed.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">After they had eaten, they even threw the rest
of the food overboard. Food. The very essence of physical life. Jesus said if
you want to save your life, you must lose it. By this time they had given up
everything of themselves and everything they could possibly rely on for life.
They were trusting in God alone. Notice that, in verse 42, the soldiers wanted
to kill the prisoners so they wouldn't escape. If they allowed prisoners to
escape, it would most likely mean the loss of their own lives as punishment.
Nevertheless, because of the spiritual man, Paul, that plan was stopped by the
head of the soldiers, the Centurion. The last thing they gave up was life
itself, both in sustenance and in protection of their own lives.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">If you read on in chapter 28 verses 1
through10, we see that once the storm had passed, Paul and his shipmates
enjoyed a time of peace, prosperity, and miracles. So don't give up in the
times of your storm, even when it appears there is no hope.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Lessons in the
Storms of Life<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Once you have made it through the storm, you
are back on dry land, and back on the path. But now, the load is lighter, the
way is more cheerful, you are more creative, and your efforts are so much more
effective! You've gained a healthy respect for the skills God has gifted you
with to make a living (the tackle) and no longer claim them as your own or use
them without relying on God. What happened? God sometimes uses the storms of
life to help us throw off everything that hinders and the sin (like pride) that
so easily entangles. He wants us to mount up as with wings like eagles, to run
and not be weary, to walk and not faint.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Read about Paul's
Shipwreck<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts+27&version=NIV"><span style="color: #297ccf; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Acts
27 NIV - Paul Sails for Rome When it was decided - Bible Gateway</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Paul Sails for Rome When it was decided that we would sail for Italy, Paul and
some other prisoners were handed over to a centurion named Julius, who...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Acts%2028:1-10&version=NIV"><span style="color: #297ccf; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Acts
28:1-10 NIV - Paul Ashore on Malta Once safely on - Bible Gateway</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Paul Ashore on Malta Once safely on shore, we found out that the island was
called Malta. The islanders showed us unusual kindness. They built a fire...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Georgia",serif; font-size: 18pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Other Scripture
References<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+40:31&version=NIV"><span style="color: #297ccf; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Isaiah
40:31 NIV - but those who hope in the LORD will - Bible Gateway</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
but those who hope in the LORD will renew their strength. They will soar on
wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Hebrews+12:1-3&version=NIV"><span style="color: #297ccf; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">Hebrews
12:1-3 NIV - Therefore, since we are surrounded by - Bible Gateway</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such a great cloud of witnesses, let us
throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=1%20Corinthians+10:13&version=NIV"><span style="color: #297ccf; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">1
Corinthians 10:13 NIV - No temptation has overtaken you except - Bible Gateway</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to mankind. And God is
faithful; he will not let you be tempted beyond what you can bear. But...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=2%20Peter+1:3&version=NIV1984"><span style="color: #297ccf; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">2
Peter 1:3 NIV1984 - Making Ones Calling and Election Sure - Bible Gateway</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Making Ones Calling and Election Sure His divine power has given us everything
we need for life and godliness through our knowledge of him who called...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<!--[if !supportLists]--><span style="color: #333333; font-family: Symbol; font-size: 10pt; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%204:7-10&version=NIV"><span style="color: #297ccf; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">James
4:7-10 NIV - Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist - Bible Gateway</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.
Come near to God and he will come near to you. Wash your hands, you...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><a href="http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=James%201:5-8&version=NIV"><span style="color: #297ccf; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; text-decoration: none; text-underline: none;">James
1:5-8 NIV - If any of you lacks wisdom, you should - Bible Gateway</span></a><span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><br />
If any of you lacks wisdom, you should ask God, who gives generously to all
without finding fault, and it will be given to you. But when you ask, you...<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<span style="color: #333333; font-family: "Arial",sans-serif; font-size: 10.5pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";"><o:p> </o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> </span></o:p></div>
Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-20073544894966363182015-07-15T15:45:00.002-07:002015-07-15T15:45:50.141-07:00God the Renovation Expert
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I was jogging
over a small bridge, lost in a mental collage of prayers and daydreams on that
warm spring day when the words clearly broke through my reverie. “You know,
Sondra, when the prodigal son came home, he didn’t bring the pigs with him.”<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I continued
running, but inside me everything stopped. Unnerved and also a bit amused, I
knew I had some decisions to make.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I had happily
given my life to Christ about ten years before and for the first couple of
years eagerly immersed myself in bible study and prayer, enjoying an experience
with God that was almost palpable. Then one day, that tangible presence of God
suddenly disappeared. <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As the years passed
I tried to get that feeling back, but it was no use. Bible study, worship,
witnessing, church attendance, and prayer did not bring it back. Slowly,
gradually, I began to do those things less and less until eventually I was not
attending church at all.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By then, my marriage
was also in serious trouble. I tried in my own strength to fix the problem, but
I was no match for the seductive women who had come out of the woodwork to take
advantage of the situation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Feeling hopeless,
I started going out to bars trying to fill the void as my marriage
disintegrated and my deceptive feelings told me God was nowhere to be found.
When my marriage of fifteen years ended in divorce, and I was devastated. I
started dating, and for a while I could forget the pain. I stayed out all night,
but in the morning I felt empty.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">I knew I needed
to make my way back to God. In my heart I cried to Him, asking Him to come find
me because I could not find my way back to Him, and He did just that. After
many false starts, I finally made it inside the doors of the church and slipped
into the back row, just as the music began to play. Suddenly, everything in me
came alive, a sense of relief washed over me, and I knew I was home.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The numb places
inside me revived, and I knew on a deep level that God had always been there,
even though I was temporarily blinded to that fact. The journey back from that
pigpen was difficult because of all the junk I had brought into my life, but my
Heavenly Father lovingly came alongside, gently confronting my double life with
humor and encouragement, like the wisecrack about the prodigal son.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As I gave up the
boyfriends and the nightlife and resumed my routine of daily bible reading and
prayer, the Lord began to show me His plan for my restoration. One day, I came
upon Isaiah 54. I sat stunned as the words on the page came alive and spoke specific
to my particular situation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The words
resonated inside me like a bass drum. I was that wife who married young only to
be rejected (v. 6). For a time I did feel that God abandoned me and hid His
face from me (vv. 7-8). My life had been riddled with fear and shame for as
long as I could remember (v. 4). I had been lashed by storms and not comforted
(v. 11), beginning with childhood abuse, being a socially awkward wallflower
throughout grade school, dropping out of high school, and then enduring a
marriage where I was constantly ignored and ultimately rejected.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">As the Lord
showed me a mirror of my past on the pages of His book, it forced me to also
believe and trust in His intentions for my future also written there. He is
filled with love and compassion for me (vv. 8-10). He wants me to enlarge the
place of my tents in expectation of all that is coming (v. 2). He plans to
rebuild my life with strength and beauty (vv. 11-12). His promises extend not
only to me but to my family (vv. 3, 13). So for me, there are no more excuses
for feeling sorry for myself, dreading the future, or worrying about my
children.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0in 0in 8pt;">
<span lang="EN" style="mso-ansi-language: EN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">God has been
using Isaiah 54 as the bulwark for rebuilding my life over the past 20 years,
and I use these passages as a foundation for sharing His restorative plan with
others who may have felt used, abused, abandoned, or rejected. When it comes to
broken lives, God truly is in the renovation business.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4211034500291102787.post-31620081445098506942015-06-30T23:48:00.000-07:002015-06-30T23:48:32.954-07:00Saying Goodbye to the Past<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPuF2p_5GZOenwlkUUDGc6ekFry6tnBVpiMySphrYGHCGH6XOqNuBv4KjqfIBLgkilH7BYS_8ni4lxl2VCrBqnZSg3_rra52XwmXnf66bFLavhhhwtF6sVKvwTDGK1OScf3MEV7DoZ3M/s1600/blog+photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsPuF2p_5GZOenwlkUUDGc6ekFry6tnBVpiMySphrYGHCGH6XOqNuBv4KjqfIBLgkilH7BYS_8ni4lxl2VCrBqnZSg3_rra52XwmXnf66bFLavhhhwtF6sVKvwTDGK1OScf3MEV7DoZ3M/s400/blog+photo.JPG" width="300" /></a></div>
Childhood wounds, failed relationships, shipwrecked careers, and painful mistakes can haunt us for years and keep us from moving forward. <br />
<br />
We want resolution, or restitution, or answers, or closure, or <em>something </em>to give us the peace we need to close the door on that chapter and move on.<br />
<br />
Why did I spend ten years with a man who was incapable of loving anyone but himself? The pain of it left me nearly incapacitated.<br />
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I prayed for peace, but the waves of fear, oppression, and torment washed over me again and again. <br />
<br />
Why did I do it? Why did I stay? Why did I keep going back, even though he proved over and over again that he could not, or would not, ever change?<br />
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I wanted answers. I wanted something to make it okay. But that something never came. <br />
<br />
One of the hardest lessons I have ever had to learn is that not everything is fixable in the way that I want it to be. But that does not mean I have to live the rest of my life in torment. It means I have to relinquish this unfixed thing to God. I have to accept that there are some things I just can't fix.<br />
<br />
In <a href="https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Isaiah+61%3A1-3&version=NIV" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Isaiah 61:1-3</a>, God promises to heal the brokenhearted, to give joy instead of mourning, and beauty instead of ashes. When I relinquish those hurts to Him without trying to fix, explain, or triumph over them in my own strength, only then can He align with me and gently shower me with healing, joy, and beauty.<br />
<br />
I imagine myself walking across an empty field, carrying a large bag of rocks. Eventually, when I am too exhausted to continue, I stop in the middle of the field and open my pack, laying out all my rocks before the Lord. There is pain, anger, sadness, fury, rage, revenge, self-pity, entitlement, frustration, loss, grief, confusion, envy, disgust, and so on.<br />
<br />
Thank God, He doesn't judge me! He just smiles and takes all my rocks. He fills the field with green grass and beautiful flowers, dresses me in flowing white, and showers me with sparkling light. The sun is warm and the breeze is refreshing. He gives me fresh, clear, cool water to drink, and it revives my spirit.<br />
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Every time I start to feel weighed down by those old feelings, I remember the scripture and remind myself of how I have given those unhealed hurts to God in exchange for His beauty and joy.<br />
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Not everything needs to be fixed. Some things just need to be traded.<br />
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Sondra Longbrakehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16217449227637299711noreply@blogger.com0