Session Notes

Q&A: Relating with a mom whose son is on drugs and stealing from :

“You know, when your child fails so badly it goes right to the core of you. It is right THERE that you are tempted to view yourself according to the measuring stick of performance. ”Where did I fail?“ will become the REAL question behind a million others. Do you try to ”fix“ things in the hopes of making up for your failure? Do you take a ”stand“ against the ”evil influences“ and the ”evil doers“ in our society? Do you begin to wonder why your child doesn’t measure up to your own standards? Or do you beat yourself up because you are sure that he/she has become the thing you might have been? ”

This article poses good questions to get to the heart of the matter of parenting issues. There is a touching grieving poem with hope.

Q&A: Why do I still feel rejection when I know better?:

“ It’s going to hurt when it is
being demanded that you are inferior, less-than, below, beneath, of no
value, etc.  The good news is that the feeling brings focus and clarity
to the specific manifestation of the lie’s insistence.  You are put in
the most wonderful place of recognition of the life Christ, as it is
being demanded that even in this exact place where condemnation once
held you have you been set free!!  These wonderful feelings pinpoint or
undercover those former places of fear, shame, guilt, and condemnation,
etc so that you are being made aware of how all-emcompassing this
reality of life in Christ really is!”

This is a good article on our response to feeling a lack of love. We do not have to retaliate/judge. We just use it to grieve the past and give up lies that we are inferior.

Shovel Writings: Cold, Dead Fingers:

“Wow. I, too, had defined forgiveness by the human process I went through in attempting to ”let go of“ my hurt feelings or anger. But you’re right…in Christ, these offenses do not exist. The spiritual reality destroys the human formula. Our desire is therefore not for the ”how to,“ but rather to stay focused on Christ.
”

This is the only answer to all conflicts: STAY FOCUSED ON JESUS!!! EVEN THOUGH IT APPEARS THERE ARE OFFENCEANNOYANCES THEY DO NOT EXIST IN CHRIST. LORD do this is all of us, please!!! HE SAYS HE WILL.

Shovel Writings: Living In Sin:

“What kind of gospel leaves you in the
unknown regarding the very premise of the actual ”good news“ of Christ,
which is full confidence in one’s relationship to God through
Christ?  What kind of gospel causes you to think it’s all about
what you do or don’t do, when the good news declares that it’s not
about you at all but all about Christ and what he has done and is now
doing?  Do you see where I’m going with this?  Perhaps your
shame is linked to a ”gospel“ that is more about your successes and
failures than about Christ.”

This is an excellent article clearly stating the two positions. Either one lives under the condemnation of the law or lives out Christ. Both cannot be the Good News.

Shovel Writings: Reality or Psycho-Babble?:

“We are afraid of fear itself. We are afraid because of so many verses taken out of context and used to beat us up with until our hearts are bloody and raw and in agony, and then we fear even more.

It is a very good thing to be secure in our New Identity and realize that MOST fears come from the INsecurity we have been wallowing in and perpetuating for sooo long … fears based on deception and lies that we have fed ourselves and each other.

The GOOD NEWS of CHRIST, which is also OUR GOOD NEWS because of HIM and our NEW IDENTITY in HIM, is the only thing that soothes the pain of so much insanity and insecurity that we endure.
”

This fear feeling is the key difficulty in loving others and God. It is not about the other person at all. Most deep conflicts are not about another. If we do not surrender fears, these feelings reinterpret what we hear. Others feel unloved by distrust. We in turn feel guilty/alone or vice versa. The only solution is consciously resting in Jesus and our new identity on Him based on the true Good News. The basis of our fears is Finished as well.

Shovel Writings: Waiting for God:

“yet, with respect to the promise of God, he did not waver in unbelief but grew strong in faith, giving glory to God, and being fully assured that what God had promised, He was able also to perform.” (Romans 4:18-21)
If this proves anything, it shows that God does not see as a man sees. No, no, it’s not that He IGNORES reality, for He sees past the illusions and into the TRUE reality of the heart.
“In hope AGAINST hope he believed”. Do you not see the tension stated clearly in this man who was “waiting for God” to do what He promised? Somehow he was still believing even though he took matters into his own hands. We can argue it all we want, but it’s right there in our faces.“

This is an excellent article clearly explaining how one walks by faith not sight. We often are so caught up in insanity because we forget who we are in Him and what He has done on the cross.

Life After Miscarriage:

“Don’t blame yourself. The most common reasons women miscarry are missing pieces of genetic information in the fertilized egg or improper implantation of the baby into the uterine lining. Women don’t miscarry because they ate something they shouldn’t have, or didn’t take folic acid or get enough rest. Miscarriage is God’s way of making sure that when you do have a baby, it has the best chance for a healthy life. Though it may feel like it, it’s not a punishment.”

This is an encourging article sharing that women often feel to blame years after it has occurred. It has good suggestions to accept the lass through memorializing.

Shovel Writings: Just Listen (Michael Daniel):

“I kept seeing a glimmer of hope and light
when…you listened to me.

Your penetrating relevant words were evidence
that…you listened to me.

Your tender yet confident words were soothing
to my hurting heart because…you listened to me.

Many times you said not a word, but I knew
without a doubt…you listened to me.

Even in your silence I heard you say ”I love
you“ as…you listened to me.

I saw in your eyes the compassion of Christ
because…you listened to me.

Jesus Himself met me where I was as…you
listened to me.

Then, a miracle began to happen because…you
listened to me.

My own ears began to open because…you listened
to me.”

This is an excellent poem which shows the progression of healing pain. One needs to come to the end of himself/herself like the thief on the cross. By listening one comes to the stillness of rest/trust/love of Him in us.

Shovel Writings: A One-Word Sermon: Paul:

“So I thought I could see and I deep down didn’t care if I could hear
anyone else.  But grace (oh, what a phrase!)…but grace abounded for me
on that dusty road to Damascus where Christ transformed my seeing and
my hearing.  Christ blinded me initially so I could focus on hearing
His strong, yet tender voice.  And He called me by my old name, Saul. 
Imagine that, He called me by my name…my old sin-full, selfish name. 
How could the spotless Lamb of God speak such a dirty word as that? 
How could He love unconditionally like that?  That’s beyond me.  That’s
grace.  
Yes, He called me by my name…He called me by my name…He called me by my
name…I just can’t get over the truth that He called me by my
self-righteous name!  He met me where I was…in my self-righteousness. 
I am so grateful He called me even when I wasn’t willing to listen, and
especially when I didn’t deserve it.  
He called me by my name just as He calls each of His beloved friends by
their personal names…including each of you.  And He called each of us
through questions that only He could answer…and each of us were drawn
to the truth inside those questions…we each were drawn to Truth
Himself.  ”Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?“  ”Peter, do you
love Me?“  ”Philip, don’t you know I am the truth?“  ”Oh Thomas, don’t
you believe Me through my scars?“ ”

This is an interesting article encouraging the rest in God’s grace. I find it interesting that one can still question with emotion to surrender. It is still abiding/praying with Him in us. I wonder why if traditional Christianity teaches the centrality of confess sins that Paul did not do it in his writings. Only Saul did it before he was made new.

Shovel Writings: A Quick Synopsis:

“This is totally unexplanable since I am innocent in the matter, so I can do nothing but leave it in God’s hands.
To this:
Since I did nothing to bring this on what the hell is God doing!!??

”Then these three men ceased answering Job, because he was righteous in his own eyes.“

That’s when some young guy by the name of Elihu jumped in to tell Job
that he was tired of listening to Job flaunting his wisdom above God
while justifying himself before God.  Then God made himself known
to Job and also made it known that HE was the one who would speak for
Job.”

This is an excellent illustration of the progression of our thoughts/feelings to God giving His perspective.