Solitude
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Wild Beasts, the Wilderness, and Jesus
Wild beasts populate the Old Testament with some frequency. Elisha calling down the she-bears on the young men who threatened him and David fighting off lions come to mind. But when I read about Jesus’ time of testing in the wilderness in Mark 1:13, I was surprised. No one had mentioned it in a sermon before. Of course, I have read Mark before, so I must have bypassed it as one does while reading the Bible. It can take such discipline to learn to read the Word closely. The verse says: …and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild beasts, and…
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5 Battles Every Highly Sensitive Person Has to Fight
According to studies, about 20% of the population is highly sensitive. This designation covers emotional, mental, and physical sensitivity. Most highly sensitive people do not respond well to medications, cannot tolerate much caffeine or alcohol. Changes to their environment can cause physical pain as well as mental. Additionally, HSP’s are also empathetic. They tune into the emotions of others. While they feel their own emotions deeply, highly sensitive people also tap into the deeper streams in others as well. For example, a highly sensitive person can tell if another is uncomfortable. He or she will instinctively know what to do to help them become more comfortable. Highly sensitive people often…
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Redefining Solitude: Facing the Dark Mirrors
Solitude is the most misunderstood spiritual discipline in our toolbox of Christian practices. As with every spiritual method, solitude has become twisted into shapes that bear no resemblance to the real work of solitude, the facing of our own selves in the mirror of our souls. This revelation is somewhat new to me, and yet not. My first foray into the realms of real seclusion of the mind and heart came with the knowledge of the inner court ritual as a pattern for prayer. The priests in Solomon’s temple engaged in a prayerful mindfulness every time they gazed at themselves in the bronze lavers and made confession throughout their day.…
