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Five Simple Steps to a Completely Healed Heart(*)?

(*) If only this were possible

The “me” you meet, whether I know it or not, is revealed through:

  • The impacts and influences of my family of origin, or lack thereof.
  • The vows and agreements from and through which I live.
  • The gender-, socioeconomic-, cultural-, generational-, or political-lenses through which I see and judge the world.
  • The trauma I’ve experienced, whether I can remember it or not.
  • My understanding of and engagement with sex, healthy or otherwise.
  • The lies I believe about myself, and about others.
  • My style of relating.
  • Years of motive-laden self-talk, all too often negative, destructive or angry.
  • My understanding, or lack-thereof, of theology and philosophy.
  • Healthy and unhealthy relationships, including many levels of betrayal.
  • My sin and my old man/woman.
  • And more.

Every person we meet has a story. Heck, you have a story. It is almost shocking that we still survive in spite of them.

So how can we pursue healing and integration, or wholeness? There are many approaches, and our contribution is to allow God to expose the lies that have corrupted your understanding of your true identity and value.

THINK IT TRUE THAT OUR IDENTITIES AND VALUES HAVE BEEN CORRUPTED? As one of many possible tests: How do you react to a compliment? Must you drink-it-in as all too important to define your worth? Do you deflect it because it is impossible that you are “beautiful” or “courageous?” Or, can you genuinely thank them for it, understanding your gifting simply is true?

We invite you onto a journey (each story is unique so your journey will be your own) that allows God to replace the shame inducing lies and accusations with His glorious truths about you. This won’t solve all of your problems, but it can transform your very foundation upon which a new you, the one God intended before you were even born, can emerge.

Want to learn more? You can read the works of John and Stasi Edredge, Dan Allender, or Isaiah 6:1-3 as a start. You can also join us at one of our events where people have used words such as “freedom” and “healing” to summarize what happened there.

The negativity and darkness you have tragically come to believe about yourself, intentionally or otherwise, can be replaced. We’ve seen it in hundreds ourselves, and we’ve seen others awaken it in thousands across the globe.

We welcome your thoughts or reactions below. We also look forward to meeting you at one of our upcoming events. 

 

 

 

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Fail, Turn Back, Trust and . . .

Shim‘on, Shim‘on, listen! The Adversary demanded to have you people for himself, to sift you like wheat! But I prayed for you, Shim‘on, that your trust might not fail. And you, once you have turned back in repentance, strengthen your brothers!”

(Luke 22:31-32, Complete Jewish Bible)

Shim’on, or Simon Peter, was receiving a directive, not a suggestion, from Jesus.

“. . . ,listen!”

What if we heeded His command and listened closely to what followed?

The Adversary, or Satan, “demanded to have” all of the disciples (you people) “for himself.” This begs multiple questions:

Who is Satan asking permission from?

Per the example in Job, Satan must get permission from God. Although the Adversary is powerful, God is the ultimate power.

Why then would God grant permission?

We don’t know 100% for sure, but scripture does say that God will perfect the bride of Christ through affliction and temptation (1 Peter 1:6, 3:17), and that our ways are not His ways (Isaiah 55:8).

Who then prays on our behalf? Do we have an ally, or are we on our own?

Jesus said, “But I prayed for you, Shim‘on [Simon Peter], that your trust might not fail.” Jesus prayed that Peter would be able to overcome the sifting of Satan.

It says that the Holy Spirit intercedes for us with groanings too deep for words (Rom. 8:26), and that Christ Jesus . . . who is at the right hand of God, . . . also intercedes for us (Rom 8:34).

You not only have an ally, you have the ultimate allies. You are surrounded by prayers of the most holy.

Does this mean I will never fail given this prayer cover?

Look at the next line . . . “once you have turned back in repentance.” Why did Jesus say this? Because he knew Shim’on, or Simon Peter, would fail.

Let that sink in. The maker and sustainer of the universe did not pray that Peter would not deny Him; rather, he prayed that Peter’s “trust might not fail” once he turned back in repentance after he had failed.

How can this encourage us? How can this encourage me?

Jesus knows our frailty. He knows, even with our best intentions, that at times we will lose our temper, not defend our faith, or fail in so many ways. Our encouragement is His prayer that we will not lose our trust in Him after we genuinely repent of each of our failures.

When we fail, we can turn back [repent] into the arms of our loving Father, trusting Him. Each time we turn back to God, He can then use our failures and our “returnings” to transform our character and even prepare us for our future assignments and calling.

Think this last sentence is true? What did Jesus direct Peter to do at the end of this verse?

Jesus knew that Peter would feel deep shame after denying him three times. Jesus knew that this would be a defining event in the development of Peter’s character, courage, and humility. Jesus knew this would be an essential failure upon which Peter could become grounded in his resolve for the gospel. Jesus knew this was a foundational event to launch Peter into his leadership role of the disciples.

So, Jesus directs Peter to “strengthen your brothers” after Peter had repented. Peter was being commissioned to become the leader he was always meant to be only after he experienced this humiliating failure. Jesus used Peter’s failure, turning back, and trust to prepare him for his new role and future.

NOTE: Jesus did not pray that Peter would not be sifted.  The sifting to enable Peter’s turning back was allowed.

Is it the purpose of this post to encourage you to fail?

No. But do these scriptures encourage you that when you do fail, as your Adversary is trying to sift you, that you have Jesus and the Holy Spirit on your side, that you can turn back from your failure and return to Jesus, and that when you return, God may just have further prepared or transformed you in a way you never before predicted?

Can you think of a time when God used your failure, possibly even in response to a sifting, and then your turning back and trusting Him in a way that transformed or prepared you for some future event or responsibility?

Feel free to share below.

 

 

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It Can Predict Cancer?

ACES — Adverse Childhood Experience Study

Had the honor of attending the Ashland Rotary on Tuesday as Tom Roepke’s guest. The principal of Ashland High School, Mike Riley, presented on the impact of ACES and what his school is thoughtfully doing in response.

It is beyond the scope of this post to detail his staff’s approach to prevent what these measures predict, and it awakened a desire to learn more about ACES, a study I had been exposed to as a student of the Allender Center.

What you can do to learn more:

  1. Click here and watch a five minute overview video on the topic.
  2. Click here to observe Oprah discuss this topic on 60-Minutes.
  3. Click here for the CDC website to learn more.
  4. Reach out to me if you’d like the presentation Mike gave on Tuesday.
  5. Reach out to Mike or someone on his staff to get a first hand view of their work. If you are an educator, I would strongly advise this. Their work is making a measurable difference.

Adverse childhood experiences, such having parents who divorced, a parent who abused drugs or alcohol, a parent who abused you verbally or physically, or a parent who abandoned you, can actually predict things like whether you will have a stroke or get cancer; whether you will become an alcoholic, become diabetic, or become obese; or whether you are likely to smoke or even commit suicide.

This study affirmed that these adverse experiences and resulting impacts occur no matter the culture, education, or income level.

Thankfully, there are ways to prevent what these metrics predict.

As an option, consider attending our free one-day event on Saturday, March 31st.  We’ve seen hope and life replace the impacts of these adverse childhood experiences for individuals across all socio-economic strata, across cultures, and across genders.