Confronting the Civil War Within by Patrick Means In this final installment of his four-part series, Patrick Means presents the last three of the six tough steps needed to confront the dark side within. 4. Drive A Stake Author Earnie Larson is credited with the droll maxim "Nothing changes if nothing changes." This is nowhere more true than in confronting the restless power of our … [Read more...] about Dealing with Your Dark Side: Part 4
Search Results for: shame
Recovery at Church?
by Dale Ryan There are certainly a lot of people who find it difficult to imagine at all. Many of us learned early in life that church was not a safe place to tell the truth about what was going on in our lives--not a safe place to be real. If from an early age we practiced the social dynamics of "How are you?" "Fine, thanks," then telling the truth at church may seem difficult if not … [Read more...] about Recovery at Church?
Depression: The Long Climb to Recovery
by Charlie Lehardy WARNING: Contains graphic description of suicidal thoughts and feelings.Some readers may find this disturbing. Use caution. A cool breeze sweeps up from the boulder-strewn valley, bringing with it the sounds of water rushing down the narrow canyon, filling dark pools, flowing over time-worn rocks and rotten tree-trunks, racing downward, downward, down through the … [Read more...] about Depression: The Long Climb to Recovery
Soul Loss
by Dale Wolery You probably know that the word "co-dependence" is used in several different ways. At first, it was used to refer to a specific illness common among the spouses and family members of addicts. The characteristics of codependency, however, fit so many of us–and they fit so well–that it has provided a helpful way of talking about a much more common … [Read more...] about Soul Loss
Substance Abuse: The Hurt and the Hope
by Dale Wolery Substance abuse hurts people. It hurts the person who uses, and it hurts everyone who is touched by the person's addiction. The pain and power of substance abuse remain a destructive presence in every segment of our culture. Clearly we are losing the war on illegal drugs. All the efforts to reduce the supply have led to cheaper prices and higher-quality drugs. And we are losing … [Read more...] about Substance Abuse: The Hurt and the Hope
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
Acknowledging our Need of God’s Provision as Prayer
Give us this day our daily bread. Luke 11:3 Prayer is acknowledging our need of God’s help. We tend to dislike our needs. We tend to want to meet our needs by ourselves. We may even feel ashamed of our needs. As a result, we are often afraid to rely on anyone else to help us, even God. But as we move away from self-reliance and begin to rely more and more on God, we begin to see how great our … [Read more...] about Acknowledging our Need of God’s Provision as Prayer
Going to the Doctor as Prayer
While Jesus was having dinner at Matthew’s house, many tax collectors and “sinners” came and ate with him and his disciples. When the Pharisees saw this, they asked his disciples, “Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and “sinners”? On hearing this, Jesus said, “It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. But go and learn what this means: ‘I desire mercy, not sacrifice. For I … [Read more...] about Going to the Doctor as Prayer
Having a Broken and Contrite Heart as Prayer
You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it, you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise. Psalm 51:16-17 Prayer is being broken-hearted and contrite before God. The more we become aware of our shortcomings and character flaws, the more our hearts open in empathy and sorrow for those we … [Read more...] about Having a Broken and Contrite Heart as Prayer
Neediness: the Human Condition
[iframe src="https://www.nacr.org/ru_video/jv_shame/1/1.htm" width="100%" height="320px"] Other videos in this series: How Family Systems Become Dysfunctional When Shame Is the Name of the Game – Part 1 When Shame Is the Name of the Game – Part 2 These presentations are part of a twelve part course available (in much higher video quality) on three DVD’s. The entire class can be purchased … [Read more...] about Neediness: the Human Condition
