Trust in him at all times, O people; pour out your hearts to him, for God is our refuge. Psalm 62:8 When we are faced with difficulties in life, we need support from friends and family. We also need God’s help. Perhaps the most direct way to open ourselves to God is through prayer. Prayer can be many things. Prayer does not need to be long or complicated. When we are afraid or distressed we need … [Read more...] about Pray
Search Results for: self care
Being Quiet as Prayer
In repentance and rest is your salvation, in quietness and trust is your strength. Isaiah 30:15 This text from Isaiah is about a time when the Israelites were being pursued by enemies but were refusing God’s help. The text tells us that God was full of compassion and ready to help, but they would have none of it. This is not that different from how we sometimes live our lives. We face … [Read more...] about Being Quiet as Prayer
About Abusers
The first thing to remember about people who abuse other people is that they do not look like abusers. You can't tell by looking. Abusers seem normal. Judith Herman summarizes this well: Little is known about the mind of the perpetrator. Since he is contemptuous of those who seek to understand him, he does not volunteer to be studied. Since he does not perceive that anything is wrong with him, … [Read more...] about About Abusers
Step Eleven
by Dale and Juanita Ryan As we go through the day we pause, when agitated or doubtful, and ask for the right thought or action. We constantly remind ourselves we are no longer running the show, humbly saying to ourselves many times each day "Thy will be done." We are then in much less danger of excitement, fear, anger, worry, self-pity or foolish decisions. We become much more efficient. We do … [Read more...] about Step Eleven
Feel What You Feel
Whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4 After I was diagnosed with cancer I felt everything. I felt fear. I felt shock. I felt grief. I felt shame. I felt numbness. I felt resentment. I felt jealousy. I felt anger. I felt gratitude. I felt peace. These feelings seemed to come and go of their own volition. … [Read more...] about Feel What You Feel
When You Are Ready To Try Again: Going Back to Church
by Jeff VanVonderen When we were born we had no idea what was in store for us in our physical family. And we had nothing to say about the behaviors, character traits, or priorities of our biological family. None of us could choose what our family would be like. But what if it weren't impossible? What if we did have a choice? What if, prior to actually becoming part of a family, we were given … [Read more...] about When You Are Ready To Try Again: Going Back to Church
Feel What You Feel
Whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. Matthew 18:4 After I was diagnosed with cancer I felt everything. I felt fear. I felt shock. I felt grief. I felt shame. I felt numbness. I felt resentment. I felt jealousy. I felt anger. I felt gratitude. I felt peace. These feelings seemed to come and go of their own volition. Sometimes the feelings were … [Read more...] about Feel What You Feel
Waking Up: A Moment of Clarity
by Dale Ryan With a brief prayer of gratitude for Bill (which is not his real name,) who chose a doorknob as his Higher Power and got a thirty-day chip at the first AA meeting I attended in the winter of 1983 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. In 1983, I was in seminary studying to become a pastor. Ministry was a second career for me. Prior to going to seminary, I had earned my PhD in biochemistry … [Read more...] about Waking Up: A Moment of Clarity
When Religion Goes Bad: Part 2 — Religious Addiction
by Dale S. Ryan and Jeff VanVonderen In the first part of this series we introduced the idea that religion can “go bad.” This might not be a difficult or threatening topic for some people. If our experiences with religion have been neutral or positive, we may even find it difficult to imagine that religion can ever go bad. Many of us, however, have been exposed to environments where “religion … [Read more...] about When Religion Goes Bad: Part 2 — Religious Addiction
Chapter 2: The Twelve Steps and Their Relationship to Christianity
It is well known that the twelve-step program developed by Alcoholics Anonymous has become the model for many other popular, lay-managed programs of treatment targeted at people with addictions, compulsions, or dependencies. These conditions include nicotine abuse, narcotics and cocaine abuse, compulsive eating and gambling. Alcoholics Anonymous estimate there are now more than 87,000 A.A. groups … [Read more...] about Chapter 2: The Twelve Steps and Their Relationship to Christianity
