Session Notes

Shovel Writings: Overcoming?:

“John addressed them so that they would KNOW that he was speaking to the MIRACLE OF CHRIST WITHIN THEM. ”He who overcomes“. Overcomes WHAT? ”For whatever is born of God OVERCOMES THE WORLD; and this is the victory that has OVERCOME THE WORLD – our FAITH.“ How did we overcome the world? NOT by what we have done, but through Christ. Faith is NOT something we have done, or something that we do, but is a description of the ACTUAL (not ATTEMPTED) dependency of those who have been inserted into the vine (Christ). Our faith is the ”victory“ … the VICTORY … not the thing required. ”

This is an awe-inspiriring article! It is important God confirms His identity in people.

BBC NEWS

A B-person – as opposed to an A-person – genetically pre-disposed to operate better and to be more alert later in the day.

Denmark it seems is full of B-people. So where better to form the B-society?

Six months after it was set up, it already boasts several thousand members.

Now it is campaigning hard for businesses to sign up to its B-certification list.

These guys — and especially the software company that allows you to show up to work whenever you want — are officially my new heroes. I’m almost ready to renounce my citizenship and move overseas… I just knew that someone, somewhere, had to understand that morning people need help and that it’s PERFECTLY normal to find the sun a significant and soothing contributor to the urge to sleep!

(BTW: for all you morning people among us — there is drug treatment available for the problem…)[GRIN]

Infidelity, Cheating Wives – Women’s Infidelity:

“Women at Stage 3 may also be
experiencing the ending of an extramarital
affair, and the ending may not have
been their decision. They may have been
involved with single men who either lost interest because the relationship could
not progress or who became attracted to
another women who was
single. Women whose affairs are
ending often experience extreme grief.
They may become deeply depressed and express tremendous anger toward
their husbands. They are typically unaware that they
are experiencing chemical withdrawal due to sudden
changes in their brain chemistry.
As a result, many will feel that they have
missed their chance at happiness due to their indecisiveness.”

This is excellent article shows the feelings one experiences during the progression of affairs. The anger/sadness/confusion/feaars needs to be expressed to God so the block can be removed. An openness needs to be present before God so his best desires and joy for the marriage can flow once again.

Infidelity, Cheating Wives – Women’s Infidelity:

“Women’s
relationships today follow

a very
predictable pattern:

 

 


They
push men
for commitment


They get what they want


They



lose interest
in sex



They
become attracted to someone else



They
start cheating


They become angry
and resentful

They begin telling their partners that they need time apart

They blame their partners for
their behavior…

               

and then…


They
slowly destroy their relationships and marriages”

This is a typical pattern. However if one gives the fear of love in the intimate relationship to the Lord, God’s sufficient love for the partners to give can flow once again. There is no blame necessary because the person does not realize they are doing the old and really doesn’t deep down want to do it. The new person in Christ is what is true.

Jennifer’s Recovery From Emotional Abuse:

“Jennifer describes her childhood as emotionally abusive and unpredictable. Her mother, now a committed Christian, struggled with uncontrolled rage and mental illness when her daughter was a child. Not only did the incidents of violent and frightening outbursts of rage leave her feeling insecure, unloved and inherently bad, Jennifer’s mom blamed her for her own unstable behavior. ”It’s your fault I act like this,“ she said. Suicide first entered her mind at age six. A sensitive child, Jennifer attempted to avoid her mother’s wrath through perfectionism. By junior high school, weary and disillusioned, she knew she could never earn her mother’s love and approval. If not her mother, she needed someone’s approval, so she sought it out by misbehaving at school, ditching it altogether or seeking affection from the opposite sex. Lonely, insecure and feeling unlovable, she grew to accept cruel and destructive behavior from friends, thinking she didn’t deserve any better.Then she met Rick, a quiet but popular football player, and she described it as ”love at first sight.“ But he had a difficult home life, too. Raised by an abusive, alcoholic father, Rick described seeing his father break a plate over his mother’s head because he didn’t like what she had cooked for dinner one night.”

This is an inspiring story of emotional abuse! However it does not talk about the Finished Work of Christ and His identity/character in believers. This eliminates the need for criticism. Jesus took all the issues away! We have had His constant approval and it will continue always.

Active Learning:

“atthew 4:1-11 with your family. Consider these questions:How did Satan try to deceive Jesus like commercials try to trick you?How did Jesus deal with the temptation to have more ”stuff“?What can we learn from this story about temptation?Now read Hebrew 13:5; talk about what it means to want more things. Remind everyone that God has promised to take care of our needs. Ask each family member to complete the following sentence: ”One way I can be happy with what I have is to …“”

This is a good series of articles on dealing with the feelings of temptation. However one does not need to apply it. I believe one needs to pray in a position of victory that God will live out His way in handling the issue when we ask.

Defend the Faith Like C.S. Lewis, Part 2:

“Now I’ll take a closer look at two of Lewis’ key arguments that use abductive reasoning:The argument from ChristThe argument from longing”

This is another good article on talking about the contradictions. Although they are not stated that way.

Defend the Faith Like C.S. Lewis, Part 1:

“ the law of non-contradiction deals with the concept of antithesis and states that something cannot be true and not true at the same time and in the same sense (A is not non-A). Third, the law of excluded middle is often presented as ”either A or non-A.“ For instance, God either exists or He does not exist.”

This is a fascinating article on Faith vs logic. Can both be true at the same time?

Cancer risk cut – National – theage.com.au:

“Women who took calcium and a dose of vitamin D almost three
times the US Government’s recommended daily intake for middle-aged
adults saw a 60 per cent lower incidence of all cancers than women
not taking the vitamin.”

This is an encouraging article for those individuals who do not drink fortified milk.

calgary.ctv.ca – Calgary news from CTV:

“A new American study shows women who took vitamin D were 60 percent less likely to develop breast, colon and ovarian cancers.

The Canadian Cancer Society is suggesting that adults should take 1,000 international units daily during the fall and winter.

The recommendation is different for those with darker skin, those who do not get much sunlight, as well was the elderly. They should take the daily supplement all year.”