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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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The Cost of Staying: Narcissistic Abuse
The devastating cost of being in a narcissistic relationship is often brushed over as if once a person leaves such a relationship, the price is paid. Nothing could be further from the truth. An abusive marriage is a bit like a predatory loan. You will keep paying interest long after the price of the loan is paid. I wish more material existed twenty-five years ago when I debated about divorcing. I didn’t realize then that, in one sense, I was already too late. I could escape in body, but true freedom would come much later. So I thought I would put together a list of what staying with a…
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Blame: Toxic Love Killer
How does the blame game start? Picture this: we set out on a family trip and realize we forgot some essential item. So naturally, the first step is to figure out who was responsible for bringing that item. After all, it is crucial to establish whose fault the forgotten item is. Or is it? Then we grudgingly turn around, and our attitude punishes the forgetful member of the party. Finally, justice is served, and the trip is ruined. In Matthew 16, the disciples discover that they had forgotten to bring any bread on the trip. In what seems like a somewhat non sequitur response, Jesus warns them against the leaven…
Healing Through Art & Words
