Hooks for Doubt are Important

"Hooks to hang doubt on" was a phrase I wrote in chapter 11 of Love's Playbook 5. It describes a very important God-decision in the theory of freedom. God could wow us and overwhelm us with the reality of His existence, presence and power, but He doesn't. "They" don't because it would actually take away or ruin our freedom. In order for us to be truly free to make our own decision there has to be evidence of both good and evil that is balanced and adequate for us to consider and make a choice. There even have to be questions about God.

Scripture says God is all good. But in some places it looks like God is both good and evil. This increasingly bothered me as I grew up. Maybe I started reading too young without guidance (though there weren't many Christians questioning this then). Years later I wanted to believe God was good, and wanted to understand those passages, I did find some help, but I found that most of the people I read, or talked to, weren't able to explain them. The collective consciousness hadn't grown enough to push scholarship to understand. I find it is beginning.

Somehow it became very important to me to understand. I can't even say when or how it started. But it became a burning desire to know and show that God is all good--even in gnarly, hard-to-understand scriptures. I really didn't think about how.

When the idea first came, it was so huge I dismissed it. When I actually began to consider writing a version of the Bible as a story making God look all good, I couldn't imagine how I would. I questioned writing the flood story before I committed to start. I did think that far ahead, but not further--it's in the first five chapters, and God said, "Don't worry. We'll help you." And They did!

Now past the first five books, I don't worry about that--we have gone through some really difficult stories and concepts, and They have always made it plain.  I realize in a translation you can't explain the background, emotion, etc., like I get to in telling the story.

For example in the 3rd chapter of Genesis it sounds like God cursed the man, the woman and the ground. If you read very carefully you see that it wasn't God cursing, it was sin, the choice to know evil; God just described the curse that evil brought. The only curse Adonai may have actually chosen was the serpent's. Again through careful and extra reading, it seems it was a beautiful creature who lost it's beauty and wings, and God put hatred between Satan and God's children. (3:15) What a blessing that was! God made sure, right then, that we would still retain 50% of Their character of good to begin with so we wouldn't be all evil! From then on it comes from our choices as we see in the next chapter with Cain. But that isn't easy to see either unless you take the time to unpack it and really get into what God is saying and why, as well as what Cain is saying (and not saying) and why.

I was so glad that Matthew 13 came a few days later where Jesus alludes to the war in the universe and who the enemy is that is responsible for evil. (It was only a few days later for us because we were starting late and doubling up.)

There are other questions, but then there is Genesis 38. And you think Where did this story come from and why in the world is this in the Bible? Obviously, Jethro told Moses, and there is a lot left out. That is exactly why I'm writing--to slow it down and fill in the backstory, the emotion, the family systems thinking. The story could get bogged down, so necessarily explanations have to be brief.

You won't get through the Bible in a year, but a chapter a night (or morning) would move you through the first five books, plus Job, in six months. And they contain some of the hardest stories to understand just reading fast. And if it takes a year, that's ok. Understanding who God is and how it all fits together is important.

Reading fast is good for perspective. And when you get bogged down with questions, my books are there now. Freedom demands that there are hooks for doubt so that only sincere seekers find the answers. Only the whole-hearted are safe to have around for eternity.

Hooks for Doubt

"Hooks to hang doubt on" was a phrase I wrote in chapter 11 of Love's Playbook 5. It describes a very important God-decision in the theory of freedom. God could wow us and overwhelm us with the reality of His existence, presence and power, but He doesn't. "They" don't because it would actually take away or ruin our freedom. In order for us to be truly free to make our own decision there has to be evidence of both good and evil that is balanced and adequate for us to consider and make a choice. There even have to be questions about God. Scripture says God is all good. But in some places it looks like God is both good and evil. This increasingly bothered me as I grew up. Maybe I started reading too young without guidance (though there weren't many Christians questioning this then). Years later I wanted to believe God was good, and wanted to understand those passages, I did find some help, but I found that most of the people I read, or talked to, weren't able to explain them. The collective consciousness hadn't grown enough to push scholarship to understand. I find it is beginning. Somehow it became very important to me to understand. I can't even say when or how it started. But it became a burning desire to know and show that God is all good--even in gnarly, hard-to-understand scriptures. I really didn't think about how. When the idea first came, it was so huge I dismissed it. When I actually began to consider writing a version of the Bible as a story making God look all good, I couldn't imagine how I would. I questioned writing the flood story before I committed to start. I did think that far ahead, but not further--it's in the first five chapters, and God said, "Don't worry. We'll help you." And They did! Now past the first five books, I don't worry about that--we have gone through some really difficult stories and concepts, and They have always made it plain. I realize in a translation you can't explain the background, emotion, etc., like I get to in telling the story.

Mother's Day Can be Beautiful No Matter What!

When your kids are far away or not in close relationship with you, Mother's Day can be a hard day. Maybe even a day of regret and sadness. But today is one of those for me on all counts, and I choose to be happy because I can do that! We can choose happiness! It's a gift God has given us--the choice to be happy and grateful when there seems to be no reason to be happy, or even if you have evidence not to be happy!

This morning, this Mother's Day choice is heightened for me because my husband got very angry when I tried to get him to look at his part in a confrontation we had previously had, and now he isn't speaking to me. This is going to be a silent day!

But I am excited because it is a beautiful day and it means I have all this time to be alone with God soaking in His love--all Three of Them that fill that position of God! Wow! Three lovers who want to be with me! Three who love me wildly--even with my poor little crippled heart! I have everything I need to be joyful and have a great day! I even have the bonus of a gazebo and backyard in bloom!

But it is my choice.

In my time with God this morning, I suddenly realized how uncomfortable I am being loved! I never knew that before. It was shocking, but events  have stacked up evidence lately to bring it home to the inside. So clearly I need this retreat today. I need this respite. I need the practice of letting myself be loved and leaning into it. I need to receive and get comfortable receiving, and being grateful.

Learning that, I couldn't wait to get started. God is so sweet. They fill me with awe at Their love.

So if you are in that position too, choose with me, and see what happens. Watch God fill your heart. I bet we will be amazed at the end of the day. Our perception is so changed by a choice. Try it.

Guest Post by Peter Pearson 2 Questions Can Clarify You and Change Your Relationship

You and your partner formed a relationship likely for many reasons. One of the strongest might have been the desire for a deeper and ongoing connection with another human… a connection that allows you to be spontaneous, real, supported, sexy, and adventurous.

At the time, you hoped you had created a connection that would lead to a richer life.

But it’s possible that you and your partner might have lost your way after the initial euphoria of being together. Many factors are involved in getting lost. One of them is losing sight of your core values in the busyness of everyday life.

It is rare for most people (including me) to reflect very often on core values. That’s an indicator that we rarely spend much time thinking about the purpose of our own life or relationship.

It can be a mind-bending question, “What is the purpose of my life?” or “What is the purpose of my relationship?” So it is understandable we avoid it.

But there might be a way of generating clarity with just two questions.

The two questions can expose your core values. And your core values are really your compass, your North Star, and your beacon, while traveling on your life and relationship journey.

Here are the questions:

1. Who are the people you admire the most? They can be living or dead, real or fictional, ones you know or only have heard about. Make a list of these admired people.
2. Why do you admire them? List the qualities of each person that are so admirable.

Then look for the overlapping qualities across those people. Reduce the list to the 3-5 most important qualities.

These will give you a pretty good idea of your personal core values.

This is a good exercise for you and your partner to do and share with each other. Think about these qualities on a regular basis and reflect how much you are aligned with them as you go through the day.

When you and your partner get into disagreements, or are faced with big decisions, put them into the context of “How would I apply my core values to this discussion, decision or situation?” If the values are relevant then you will have increased your clarity about how to respond or what to decide.

If you don’t create clarity with these qualities, then redo the exercise.

Is it easy to live aligned with your core values? Of course not. But I think one of the reasons the people on your admired list are there is that they embody their core values in how they live.

There they are – two powerful questions. Who do I admire? And why do I admire them?

My Mother Taught Me to Fly...

is written on a tiny piece of wood on my dresser. I gave it to Mom a few years before she died.
It seems appropriate to continue my joy-writing on my mother's birthday. She was a person of joy even though she had a difficult life and didn't get what she really wanted. In some ways I think she got more.

She so wanted an education. They couldn't afford it. She needed to work to help the family. It was still the Depression.

She wanted to become an artist and a writer--she had dreams and ambition--she was a strong woman. But not strong enough to withstand my father's advances. She got married at 19.

She has duplicated herself six times over. She put her strength into her children. And her strength was a desire to know God's love, experience it, and share it. I believe everyone of her children achieved that before death, or are still achieving it as the highest priority of their lives (my two brothers preceded her in death).

That is quite an accomplishment. In my mind, it is the highest. Is their anything that matters more than giving your kids the most important foundation in life? Anything more important than knowing and being loved by God?

Health is important because without it your mind and body will find it harder to make those chemical-electrical connections in your brain that lead to good choices. But it only makes all the important things in life easier, it's not the thing.

Knowing how to receive love and give it is important. But again, that is only harder without getting it first from parents and then from God.

Being able to choose your perspective is very important because that forms healthy (constructive) or unhealthy (destructive) beliefs and choices. (Poor Robin Williams--who felt he had no more good choices! And we are amazed that one with so much could feel and think that.)

Scripture says that joy is in the presence of God. If you don't know that--never learned it--you are definitely handicapped, life is harder.

Do you know how to go into God's presence? Do you know how to experience His love?
My devotional this morning says, "I crafted you with enormous capacity to know Me and enjoy My Presence... The more you focus on My Presence with you, the more fully you can enjoy your life." This is Jesus speaking (Jesus Calling, 2008)

But what if you have never done that? Don't even know God or Jesus?

An easy place to start is a choice. Set aside ten minutes to be with Him. Tell Him you want to meet with Him every day and have His joy, then go to "God in your Face" (facebook) OR http://Godhelps.net/Godinabox and read the day's short reading on Jesus' life. He was our clearest picture of God. While reading, breathe in seven seconds and out seven and keep breathing rhythmically while trying to imagine being there. (This is meditation and 12 minutes a day for 30 days has been shown to change physical numbers.)

Make that a habit and you will have a great start on knowing God and experiencing Joy. And my mother's legacy will reach you, and who knows, maybe even your children! It is the best legacy you can give.

My mother didn't miss out. She will have eternity to create art. She already created six masterpieces. I know that because they will last through eternity. What great artist can say that?

Who Sets You Off?

I'm sure you've noticed who sets you off. It seems to happen again and again. And somehow there's always one or two up close.

Have you ever wondered why they get to you?

If you're like me, you've analyzed it with respect to what they do, how they misunderstand, how they "have to be right", etc.

But have you ever wondered if it's because you two are alike? (It's not a common thought, or a welcome one.)

There's a saying from way back, "If you spot it, you've got it." Don't even remember where I first heard it. Grad school? AA affiliates? Don't know. But essentially it asserts that the things that set you off the most in others are the ones you have (that set other people off--outside of your awareness, of course).

Most of us are unaware because we are trying to be liked and not obnoxious. But of course we all have our querks and blind spots. We understand our behavior--well, sometimes it makes sense to us. We know what we feel and think, why we believe what we do, and so it fits. (Hopefully, because congruence is internal health.)

We don't often have conversations that go "So tell me why you believe______ so strongly?" Or, "What did I say that set you off?" Or even, "Why is it you feel the need to take potshots at my beliefs?"

Recently, I was confronted on my negativity by my daughter and her new husband.

"My?? Negativity?" I was truly shocked.

They seemed to always take my humor negatively. And I've worked so hard to leave off sarcasm which I used to be good at--until I learned it was veiled anger and not humor at all...I've done a lot of work on anger! (Which I repressed growing up--didn't even know I had it.)

I was thinking, she sees everything through his eyes now. But I know that isn't completely true.

Another incident later, I was admittedly angry with his response to her fear, and said as much. It didn't go over well, but it was important and I didn't care. As I told him later "her fear" was not something you play around with before giving birth--especially if you have all the symptoms. This was something I had had much more experience in than he had and I knew it.

But our relationship is not one I want bad feelings in. So I spent many sleepless hours going over the incident and talking to God about it.

"I am concerned that we always seemed to be conflicting. We are very different, have lived very different life-styles, but we liked each other from the beginning. Why does this keep happening?"

And His response startled me. "Maybe it's because you are so much alike."

"What? No we aren't! We see everything differently!"

"But you both have very strong opinions. And you both are sure you're right."

Hard to hear. But it made sense. (And I know God is always right!)

I lay there stunned, silent, thinking.

I've worked hard to hammer out my beliefs--I want them rock solid. He manages a business for a living. He's used to being right and respected in it. Hm-m-m, You may have something there.

"So what do I do?"

God told me, and I said, "I can't do that, but if You can pull it off, I'm available."

I missed him the next morning so we went to plan B. I was scared. It had more opportunity to go South, but I felt it went pretty well.

My son-in-law obviously didn't share my feeling and was distant the next day. Then the dark side made me miserable with their spin on it. Finally, I remembered, I was being obedient!

It came up with my daughter somehow and I told her what I'd said. She was approving, and said, "It may take him awhile, but he comes around. You can tell him the truth." (Whew! That helped.) And he did.

I'm grateful, but I know there is something I have to, no want to, change. I've been working on not being judgmental for years--accepting differences. I guess it's time to go deeper--another lap around that track.

It's deeply ingrained--this I-know mind--from both my family system and my personality.

Is there a take-away for you? It might be just don't be afraid to look at yourself.

I write that and think, Yeah, right! That is the scariest, most painful thing you will ever do.

But it is also the best for growth and relationships.

 And if you do it with God, you don't have to be afraid. He's always kind, even when what you face hurts.

We Live in a War Zone

It doesn't happen often, but it did again yesterday. I intervene, help heal someone's false beliefs, and the entities behind them push harder, the feelings growing huge, as if they're there and refuse to leave.

I recognized them and used the authority I have in Jesus, but it was unnerving because the client struggling was a child under 12. Fortunately, the parent didn't think I was crazy. It made me angry that sweetness and innocence should be taken over by evil. Yet I know we live in a war zone, and children are the most vulnerable.

The child had been traumatized by violence and pornography that had come to them through You Tube unsolicited.

That makes me angry also!

The parents hadn't known they needed to put parental controls on You Tube! I didn't know that either. So for any of you parents that think that is a harmless site--think again and if your child has an ipod, or goes on You Tube, or the internet, put in parental controls!

And to Google, doesn't your users' agreement forbid that kind of content? I'm sure I read it. You should exercise some control over your site!

I'm writing this because evil takes advantage of ignorance. We can't afford to be ignorant of the dark side and their ways.

I'm sure countless children have been affected but are afraid to tell a parent or say anything to anyone. They suffer in silence. The feelings of violation are very powerful, sometimes making them want to end their lives. That is where it went yesterday.

We don't have to live in fear, that is not why I'm writing, we need to be wise and aware.

God is stronger, but it's our job to protect our children--they are our dependents. God will help you, but freedom requires you to ask.