My Online Faith Journal

      I'm finishing up a class next week on psychopathology.  It has been a tough class where we have read several hundred pages and gone over video sessions of lectures.  The lecture that I recently watched was on disassociative disorder.  The lecture was given from a lady who suffered from the problem and also overcame it.  The disassociation was the result of sexual trauma that occurred when she was little from her grandfather.        One of the things that struck me, is that she said "Jesus can fully identify with being abused."  Jesus was falsely accused.  He was betrayed by all that knew him.  He was spit upon and beaten.  Most of all, as he hung on the cross he was forsaken by becoming sin for us.  Being totally innocent, which is something that I can never claim, he was forsaken.  So, he can identify with the one who has been abused because he was.        Matthew 26:67-68 "Then they spat in His face and beat Him with their fists, and others slapped Him, an

     I don't know if you've ever had a weakness or problem that caused a stumbling block for you spiritually.  I've been a christian now for almost 30 years, so I have had my share.  It actually seems that I do pretty good when it comes to the really big challenges.  It is the day to day sins and compromises that I tend to give in to.  It makes me feel ashamed sometimes that after all this time I have so much more to learn and more growth that is needed.      I think this may have been how Peter felt when he saw the Lord act on his behalf.  The Lord had been preaching when he finished it says tht he told Simon Peter to "Put out into deep water and let down the nets for a catch." Luke 5:8.  Peter knew that they had been fishing all night and caught nothing.  They were exhausted, depressed and just wanting to pack up and go get some sleep.  Still, Jesus told them to go back out, so Simon decides not to argue and takes them back out in the middle of the day.     

    We joined a small group a few weeks ago that has been studying this book called "Sacred Parenting".  It comes with a video series which is about a 20 minute segment every week.  http://www.amazon.com/Sacred-Parenting-Raising-Children-Shapes/dp/0310264510/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1339350076&sr=1-1 #_     The study doesn't look at parenting in the typical manner.  Because the premise of the book is that God gives us our children both so that we can influence them for Christ, but also uses them to draw us closer to Christ.  This is consistent with what the Bible says which tells us that there are many trials and challenges in life and that God desires to use these things to make us more christlike.  Do we always understand it that way?  Probably not.  But, then maybe that is because we don't understand how important it is to God that we become more christlike.     Look what it says in James 1:2-4 "Consider it all joy, my brethren, when you e

The pastor today started his sermon by talking about all the products out there with the word "simple" in them. he mentioned what do advertiser think we want to hear that word for? Maybe because most of our lives are so hectic and fast paced. Then, he also mentioned computers, that when they have been used for a while they sometimes freeze up because of so much information and downloads and other stuff put into them over the years. One thing that he asked us is at you at the point where your ready to "freak out and freeze up?" One example that he used was of Elijah in 1 Kings 19:13 where God asks Elijah what he is doing at the mouth of a cave. Elijah had just had a great victory at Mt.Caramel and now was on the run from Jezebel. He was exhausted and tired and a lot like that computer. In the end, what he had to do was get quiet and hear the still, small voice of God that came not in an earthquake, but in a gentle whisper. I paid attention to this sermon becaus