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How the Bible Reads You When You Read It
The Bible is intertextual. In literary theory, the term intertextuality refers to the interrelationship between texts, especially works of literature; the way that similar or related texts influence, reflect, or differ from each other. And just as many works of literature reference the Bible, whether knowingly or unknowingly, we, too, are texts that interact with every book that we read. Think of it this way. I am a collection of experiences, memories, and acquired knowledge. I have a library in my mind. As I read any work, I access this library of the mind and interact with whatever I am reading. In a sense, everything I read is now understood in a whole new way. I create a new book that no one has ever read before, at least not…
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5 Ways Insecurity is Ruining Our Lives and 1 Way to Stop It
Insecurity and anxiety are the two hands of unhappiness that we wring over and over. Like two snakes swallowing each other by the tail, this deadly circle can go round and round without end. It is hard to know which comes first; they can be so merged into one shaky, needy emotion. Everyone suffers from insecurity to some extent, but here are some signs that your inability to receive love is killing your relationships and harming you. 1: Insecurity drives us to court approval. I don’t think we realize what a strong drive approval-seeking is. Some of us constantly recite our successes in order to prove to everyone that we…
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Humility: The Six Hidden Joys
Humility is a hard sell these days. Actually, it’s never been on anyone’s top ten list of fun character traits to develop. But pride is the enemy of all happiness, I believe. By pride, I don’t mean self-esteem. The confusing of the two to the detriment of both is a popular topic for women’s faith blogs, but holding oneself as precious in the eyes of the Lord is necessary to holding other people precious as well. Pride, unlike self-esteem, has a chilly heart. The problem with pride is that it needs to be constantly sustained at the expense of others. The art of comparing ourselves with others assumes that we…