Session Notes

Discernment: Recognising God’s Voice:

“This art can only be learned by trial and error. The voices we experience are quite subtle, and discernment requires us to become sensitive to subtle differences between the different movements upon our soul. Yet we will never recognise the voice of God with absolute clarity, and anyone who claims to hear God clearly and with certainty should be avoided – they have not even begun to know spiritual realities if they make such a claim. Some Simple Rules There are simple rules we can follow in discerning God’s voice and these can make a very big difference for us. If we know them, we will make fewer mistakes. Many people make very bad decisions in their life because these basic rules have been ignored. Someone who knows what God is like knows what his voice is like. As an exercise, write down a list of single words that describe what you think God’s voice is like (for example: gentle, patient, kind, forgiving, encouraging). Then write a separate list of what you think the voice of the bad spirit is like (for example: harsh, condemning, impatient, negative).”

This is an inspired article which is simple to understand.

TrueU.org | Student Lounge: Joy and Pain:

“James does tell us that we are to ask God for wisdom in getting through these situations. God will provide it for us if we only believe that He will. All of this seems to be a refining process – a chance for the fruits of joy and patience to ripen within us. Our hardships are to be seen as discipline from a loving father, from someone who ‘disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness’ (Hebrews 12:10, NIV). Hebrews addresses this topic as well, painting a picture of our Father shaping us into who He wants us to be. It says that we should ‘[e]ndure hardship as discipline; God is treating [us] as sons. For what son is not disciplined by his father? – No discipline seems pleasant at the time, but painful. Later on, however, it produces a harvest of righteousness and peace for those who have been trained by it’ (Hebrews 12: 7, 11, NIV). Our hardships are to be seen as discipline from a loving father, from someone who ‘disciplines us for our good, that we may share in his holiness’ (v 10). That’s when the passage becomes convicting. It’s difficult to come up with a way to justifiably scorn righteousness.”

This is an encouraging article to remind us there is a purpose in our troubles. However I disagree that they produce righteousness because Christ has already given us his righteousnes,

Henze and Associates: Contact us

We are looking for bloggers or site operators (or those affiliated with such) who wish to set up a formal linking arrangement with our site. Prospective linking site must relate somehow to the healing of broken hearts and lives and be grace based in nature. If you believe that a cross linking arrangement would benefit your site, please use the above mail form link to contact us. We would love to hear from you!

Blunt Note: If your site focuses on burdening people down with rules (that no one ever managed to keep) and judgments (that just force them further into the brokenness that has ruled their lives) in the name of Christ, then don’t even bother.

Sincerely, Cal

Welcome to MY world:

Some things just have to be reposted… No other commentary is necessary.

By popular request:

I Want To Be A Clone

I’ve gone through so much other stuff
That walking down the aisle was tough
But now I know it’s not enough -
I Want To Be A Clone.
I asked the Lord into my heart.
They said that that’s the way to start,
But now you’ve got to play the part.
I Want To Be A Clone.

Be a clone and kiss conviction goodnight.
Cloneliness is next to godliness – RIGHT!
I’m grateful that they showed the way
‘Cause I could never know the way
To serve him on my own -
I Want To Be A Clone.

They told me that I’d fall away
Unless I followed what they say;
Who needs the Bible anyway?
I Want To Be A Clone.
Their language, it was new to me,
But “Christianese” got through to me;
Now I can speak it fluently.
I Want To Be A Clone.

Be a clone . . .

“Send in the clones……”
(Uh, I kinda wanted to tell some of my friends and people about it, you know?)
WHAT????
You’re still a babe, you have to grow,
Give it twenty years or so.
‘Cause if you want to be one of his,
Gotta act like one of US!

Be a clone . . .

So now I see the whole design:
My church is an assembly line.
The parts are there, I’m feeling fine.
I Want To Be A Clone.
I’ve learned enough to stay afloat,
But not so much I rock the boat.
I’m glad they shoved it down my throat -
I Want To Be A Clone!

(Everybody must get cloned)

Husbands and Wives: Why Your Wife Hates Sex and What to Do About It:

” Female sexual arousal demands a mental and emotional energy that many women just don’t have by the end of the day. It’s not enough just to tell your wife to relax and let some things go. She needs your help! Putting the kids to bed, washing the dishes, or making your wife a cup of tea can be powerful means of getting her attention and energy. She feels like an object. At times, it becomes very difficult for your wife to understand the difference between your sexual desire and your desire for her. If she feels like she has simply become an object to meet your needs, she’ll resent having sex. Many wives feel like sex is something they have to do for their husbands rather than a gift that spouses freely give each other. The enjoyment and spontaneity is lost. Just chalk it on the ‘to do’ list with the ironing and carpooling. You can combat this by refocusing on your wife’s emotional needs. Win her affection the way you did when you were dating: loving notes, dates, flowers, and flirting. Don’t assume that sex with her is a given just because she is your wife. As you focus on her needs, you will find her much more responsive to yours. She never has a chance to feel desire.”

This article makes a excellent point about the need for anticipation.

Answer:

“Though some readers will disagree with me, ‘love at first sight’ is a physical and emotional impossibility. Why? Because love is much more than a romantic feeling. It is more than a sexual attraction or the thrill of the chase or a desire to marry someone. These are responses that can occur ‘at first sight,’ and they might even lead to the genuine thing in time. But those feelings are usually very temporary, and they do not mean the person who experiences them is ‘in love.’ I wish everyone understood that fact!The primary difference between infatuation and real love is where the emphasis lies. Temporary romantic attractions tend to be very selfish in nature. A person may say, ‘I can’t believe what is happening to me. This is the most fantastic thing I’ve ever experienced! I must be in love.’ Notice that she’s not talking about the other person. She’s excited about her own gratification. Such an individual hasn’t fallen in love with someone else; she has fallen in love with love!Genuine love, by contrast, is an expression of the deepest appreciation for another human being. It is an intense awareness of his or her needs and strengths and character. It shares the longings, hopes, and dreams of that other person. “

This is a good article that discusses the way love develops is by continuing to know more of another.

Giving Your Child the Excellence Edge:

“We can give our children an edge in life by teaching them ten basic skills or strategies. These strategies will help them grow into productive adults who live fulfilling lives and form lasting relationships. The best place for children to learn these principles is at home, where we adults are practicing them to enhance our own lives.”

Adult ADD Strengths

A counter cultural assessment of ADD/ADHD from a perspective of benefit rather then deficit.

Husbands and Wives: The Servant Leader:

” Being a leader does not mean making all the decisions. Nor does it refer to being the boss in marriage, in the church, or in society at large. Leadership implies taking the initiative, accepting responsibility, and shouldering the weight of accountability before God. DeHann defines a servant as “responsive, respectful, willing, loving, self-sacrificing, and submissive.” Servanthood does not mean unthinking obedience. What it does mean is wiling ness to lower one’s self, to humbly serve another person, and to put the best interests of someone else above your own enjoyment. Christ, the perfect servant-leader excelled to the fullest in demonstrating all the attributes of both servant and leader as described above. In our society, a leader who is not characterized by giving orders and commanding respect is often labeled weak and ineffective. Stuart Scott in The Exemplary Husband also writes of leaders who serve. He states: Serving does not lessen one’s authority or leadership. Instead, it enhances it – especially the leading-by-example aspect. One who leads as Christ leads is always thinking of others, not self. He is willing to sacrifice his own comfort and even his own well-being for those he leads. He is willing to put himself last,”