• spiritual formation
    Featured

    Spiritual Formation: The Eight Stages of Growth

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    Spiritual formation is rarely discussed in church. At least, I am sure I have taken in or endured as the case may be, thousands of sermons. The closest they seem to get is on the topic of discipleship, which is related, but not the same. We pore over books about the stages of child development or how a marriage grows, yet spiritual formation remains a bit of a mystery. Part of the reason for this is that, like most theories about spiritual or emotional growth, spiritual formation remains a bit of theory. Like the stages of grief, the actual living…

  • magical thinking
    Featured

    Magical Thinking versus a Firm Faith

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    Magical thinking is a trap into which many fall, particularly when difficult circumstances hit. When I was married to my first husband, a typical narcissistic abuser, I regularly fooled myself into thinking that eventually he would mature out of that stage and morph into a responsible, loving adult. Because of this magical thinking, I dedicated much prayer towards this end, and I closed myself off from what was real. In the process, I endangered both my children and myself. And magical thinking is not merely applied to relational desires. I think money is an area in which I know I…

  • givers
    Featured - Givers - Redemptive Gifts

    The Thrifty Givers: A Study in Constant Motion

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    Some of my favorite people are givers. They just seem to know how to have fun and for a sanguine exhorter like myself, fun is a necessity of life. In fact, if I could choose a redemptive gift for myself, I would have wished for that of a giver. They know how to get things done and so many of their plans come to fruition. Behaviorally, however, givers often have a hard time figuring out what their redemptive gifting really is. They don’t fit into categories easily. But like the other giftings, you can always count on one or two…