• appeasement
    Appeasement,  Idols

    The Religion of Appeasement: God as Idol

    Generally, when we seek to appease someone, we turn them into an idol. One of the misconceptions we have about idols is the assumption that we love our idols. And we love some of them, I’m sure. The love of money is a common one. But the other common denominator in idolatry is fear. Proverbs says Appease an angry man and you will do it again. How common is it for us to get caught up in a cycle of appeasement? I think it starts in childhood in many families. If the child transgresses (a not uncommon occurrence) and parents get angry, that child quickly learns how to turn the…

  • abuse
    abuse,  abuser,  Abusive Parenting

    Child Abuse: How God Healed a Tragic Story

    Abuse has effects that can take years to heal if they ever do. I know that for, me, healing from abuse has taken quite a journey of searching. And so I have a confession to make. Good stories make me weep. At the movies, I am a crier. My healing journey from abuse has made me susceptible to emotions of all kinds. My kids like to watch me watch a movie. They nudge their elbow into each other’s sides and nod their heads in my direction the moment a tear starts to slip down my cheek.  I hold off as long as I can, but I don’t go into a…