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Repentance and the Way of Neuroplasticity
I once offended a woman by extolling the virtues of repentance to her. I believe the misunderstanding lay in our definition of the word. I think the image she had in her mind was of penitents on their knees making a painful trek to the Vatican. My image was of Christian in front of the Cross in Pilgrim’s Progress shedding his burden of sin and shame. Say the word repentance and we often default to condemnation and the list of our shortcomings we carry in the back of our minds. Of course, she may have just been angry at the idea that she had anything to repent of. We have…
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How to Take Painful Memories Captive
The issue of whether or not God heals painful memories can be somewhat controversial within the body of Christ. I had just finished reading an article by a Christian in which he called inner healing a bunch of psychobabble. I am not sure why I bothered to read it because I usually steer clear of articles that are filled to the brim with judgment and contempt. Why court any more condemnation than I already face? But the Lord drew my attention to 1 Corinthians 10:5. Most Christians are familiar with this scripture. It reads: We demolish arguments and every pretension that sets itself up against the knowledge of God, and we…
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Magical Thinking versus a Firm Faith
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 tend to use magical thinking rather than taking responsibility. Weight…
Healing Through Art & Words
