Don't you wish there were more signs like this as we walk through life?! The question is -- would we listen? Or would we ignore the sign and walk on the unsafe trail anyway? "Who are 'they' to tell me this trail isn't safe?!' or 'They can't tell ME not to walk on this trail!' Why are we so bent on following our own wills, especially in the face of apparent danger or warning?

A Spanish monk, named Carlos Villas, was riding his bicycle in the countryside of India when he came across a snake bobbing and weaving as it stared at a small bird. The bird was mesmerized by the snake. It's like he was being hypnotized by the gentle movements of the snake. Villas waved his arms and ran toward the pair. It was successful -- the snake's stare was broken and the bird broke free of his stupor and flew to safety.

Living under the stare of the snake is part of the human experience -- whether it is perfectionism, working too much, obsession with external appearance, pride, lust, greed, self-hatred or any number of addictive issues. As Gordon MacDonald writes in one of my all-time favorite books, "The Life God Blesses," -- "Who has the power to break the stare of the snake?...the power lies in the sacrificial death of Jesus the Savior...The result? The soul -- life below the waterline -- can be reclaimed, returned to its original purpose: to be a dwelling place for God and a source-point for exceptional living." He goes on to relay the starting point for transformation is when we make a 'root choice' to change direction.

When we are offered a choice -- when someone waves to break the stare of the snake and we wake up from our stupor and realize impending danger. What will we choose? Will we exert our willfulness and demand our own way or will we exercise our will in a willing way driven by desire for freedom and transformation?

This exemplifies the skill we teach in counselling called 'willfulness vs. willingness' -- I know, such clever names these people come up with! It is a skill because it is a choice that we must make when we face the power of our will. Willfulness will always lead to relapse or some form of destructive behaviour. Willfulness insists on its own way. I DO IT MYSELF! (Humorous words from the mouth of a toddler yet destructive for a person recovering from addiction or destructive behaviour). Willingness is the choice to do whatever it takes to choose the wise decision in the moment. Willingness means "I will do what my treatment team is recommending" rather than what I feel like doing. Willingness says, "I will use 'the force' for good and not for evil!"

Willingness in spiritual terms, means that I choose to allow God to dwell in me and make my life exceptional. When Jesus breaks the stare of the snake, I will take flight and live as one who is liberated and set free!

Thanks a lot!

The woman took on a tone of disdain as she motioned her server over to the table. "Can you move a chair in between the tables for us?" "No, I'm afraid we can't put a chair in there." "Well, why on earth not?" "It would block access to the other table." "And that would be a problem?" 

We looked at each other and felt a moment's compassion for our server. "It's cold in here -- can you shut the door?" "No, sorry -- we have to leave it open." (And hello, you're in an open air restaurant!). "I don't like this meal!" "This is too salty!" "Give me something else -- but take this off my bill." "No, don't take it away -- I"ll eat some of it...just take it off my bill.""Hmph!"

Wow! We couldn't believe the audacity of this woman. Complain. Whine. Be rude. Snap at the server. Gripe about virtually every part of the dining experience. The crazy part is -- it was at one of the most breathtaking and wonderful restaurants, "George's at the Cove" in La Jolla, California! The picture to the left is the view we had! The food was amazing and the service was excellent! In fact, we went back the next day and asked for the same server because she was so good and so much fun! (I even messed with her by complaining that my tuna melt tasted fishy! :-) The sad part is -- this woman definitely suffered from a severe case of ingratitude -- potentially terminal!

In his book, "The Richest Man Who Ever Lived; King Solomon's Secrets to Success, Wealth and Happiness" by Steven K. Scott, we find a potent quote about gratitude: "It's impossible to be grateful and unhappy at the same moment in time. Any moment, hour, day, or week that you are unhappy, you have chosen to let your focus rest on something other than the gifts you have been given. Let your unhappiness serve as an alarm to redirect your focus and energy" (p. 98).

Psychology and the world of medicine have also started to document the incredible healing power of gratitude and having a grateful heart. Robert Emmons and his colleagues at the University of California at Davis, are leading researchers on gratitude, and Emmons is the author of "Thanks!: How the New Science of Gratitude Can Make You Happier" (Houghton Mifflin, 2007). In a recent research study, they discovered that those in the gratitude group felt better about their lives overall, were more optimistic about the future, and reported fewer health problems than the other participants. 

Summarizing the findings from studies to date, Emmons says that those who practice grateful thinking "reap emotional, physical and interpersonal benefits." People who regularly keep a gratitude journal report fewer illness symptoms, feel better about their lives as a whole, and are more optimistic about the future. Emmons conclusion is that gratitude is a choice, one possible response to our life experiences. (Counting Your Blessings: How Gratitude Improves Your Health by Bruce Campbell).

The Bible has a lot to say about gratitude/thanksgiving /gratefulness/appreciation -- beyond being a Christian virtue, we now see that gratitude has a tremendous impact on our being physically, emotionally, mentally and spiritually! Next time you find yourself being ungrateful or complaining, think of the many things in your life that you have to be thankful for. Adopt a grateful spirit and choose to appreciate the things that you have, can do, and experience. Not only will it drive out unhappiness but it will brighten the lives of those you come in contact with.  Make a list of things you are thankful for and keep it handy to remind yourself when you are tempted to be ungrateful and become discouraged. A gratitude journal can be a tremendous resource as well -- just writing down one thing that you are grateful for each day can help to transform your attitude. Look for the positives -- have a grateful heart and enjoy the life that God has given you!

Why not just check out?!

The perils of detachment! Although this picture is related to the bondage of the weigh scale -- it also depicts what detachment looks like! Disconnection. Not being whole. Not in unity with the 'whole self.' As the focus of this blog is related to 'Living Wholly!' I want to speak to the dangers of detachment.

Detachment occurs when we operate as though we can disconnect parts of ourselves from other parts -- for example, coming home from work and detaching through overeating, over-exercise, drugs, alcohol, zoning out in front of the TV or computer, etc. At those times, we are physically present but zoned out/disconnected from our thoughts and feelings -- our emotional, spiritual and mental pieces are disregarded.

This is where eating disorders, perfectionism and other ineffective coping skills grow. In order to disconnect and stay detached, a person has to keep engaging in the detaching behaviour -- that is because we are meant to be whole!

So what's the difference between 'checking out' and doing self-care that involves 'taking it easy?' The primary difference is awareness. If you are exhausted and/or overwhelmed at the end of the day, you need to take care of yourself. If you come home and say to yourself, "I don't want to think or feel anything..." Enter detachment -- which is unhealthy and only temporarily effective at best.

Instead, take a couple of minutes to acknowledge/identify what you are feeling. What's the day been like? How are you feeling now emotionally -- or how were you feeling during the day? Notice those emotions -- don't judge them. Just observe what's there. Take a moment to consider what you most need, based on what the emotions are telling you. We all have emotions and they are hardwired! They give us important information so that we can actually meet our valid needs.

For example, if your day has been full of pressure and left you drained from people contact, you may need some downtime/quiet time by yourself doing something that recharges you. Or if you are feeling lonely because you haven't had much people contact, you may need to reach out and have some connection. If a day has felt rather out of control and anxiety producing, you might need comfort and stability; this is a perfect time to do something soothing like take a relaxing walk, listen to music, soak in the tub or cuddle up with a big dog. Petting a dog or cat for 5-10 minutes a day is proven to reduce blood pressure!

The difference between 'checking out'/detaching and self-care is 'checking-in.' And it only takes a couple of minutes to check in with yourself -- notice what you are feeling and do something effective to meet your needs rather than trying to avoid thinking or feeling. Once you get the hang of it, checking in can be a very quick and routine habit that you do during the course of the day so that you are taking good care of yourself and staying attached to ALL your parts.

The Essential Nature of an Internal Locus

What do you think of when you hear the term, 'internal locus?' And no, that doesn't mean that I just ate a chocolate covered grasshopper! Locus is the correct term -- in Latin it means 'place.' In psychology, it is used in conjunction with having an internal or external locus of control. Every time I say it, I confess that I do tend to visualize a grasshopper -- and frankly, I'd rather have one on the outside of me! However, after living through the 1980's plagues of grasshoppers in Saskatchewan, I did NOT do well with the grasshoppers hitting the side view mirror on the car, propel through the open window and come zinging down the front of my shirt at 80 kilometres an hour! Nor did I do well with making my way through them (roughly 80 grasshoppers per sidewalk block) whilst wearing a dress and nylons on the way to work! (And did you know that nylons serve as a perfect net for catching hold of grasshopper feet?!?!?) Okay...now I'm getting shivers! Post-Traumatic Grasshopper Disorder kicking in!

I digress -- Locus of Control. Let's look first at the external locus of control. An external locus of control is where the determining factors for your choices come from outside sources. Picture a circle with a dot in the middle. You are the dot! Now imagine a bunch of arrows coming from the outside toward the centre/the dot. This is what an external locus looks like. These arrows represent different people or pressures -- trying to define what you are supposed to be like/do, etc. The problem with an external locus of control is that the person in the middle never knows for sure what they are supposed to be or do -- they keep morphing and masking, trying to please everyone in his/her life. This is a recipe for depression and anxiety. "Who do you want me to be?" is a common question here, and there is no anchoring point. The 'dot' in the middle gets pushed around and pressured by the external pressures/sources.

An internal locus of control looks different on a directional basis. Here the arrows go outward from the centre/the dot. The person defines from the inside out what kind of person they want to be/choose to be. They decide what kind of things they value, how they perform as an employee/student/professional, what kind of friend they are, how they want to interact with their parents or spouse, what they determine to be a priority, what energizes them, etc. The internal locus has an anchoring point. It assumes personal responsibility, which is something easily avoided through blaming in the external locus. The internal locus of control enforces personal choice and responsibility, which ultimately leads to wholeness.

An internal locus feels different than an external locus.  It is like the difference between driving your own life so that you end up where you want to go verses being in the passenger seat and allowing other people in your life to drive and determine where you end up. From a faith perspective, imagine yourself in the driver's seat and God helping you navigate (He's better than On-Star!). The ultimate form of health and wellness is an internal locus of control, anchored in the truth of who you are in Christ -- cemented in the truths found in Scripture. And frankly, it's a whole lot more fun to drive!

Purposeful Pain

Pain, pain go away, don't come back another day! That's what I think of pain! Whether it's emotional, mental, physical or spiritual pain. This is truly where we see the overlap of all 'our pieces.' As I have spoken about in Living Wholly before, we cannot separate our lives into parts -- we are integrated beings. What happens to us physically, effects us mentally. What effects us emotionally can impact our physical health and so on.

As I continue on this journey with chronic pain, I am trying to glean purpose from it. C.S. Lewis was quoted as saying that 'pain is God's megaphone.' It has a way of getting our attention! So what can I learn from my pain? What has my pain given me? Here are a few things that I have written down --

• Greater appreciation of life itself
• Greater appreciation of the gifts and abilities that I do have
• Gratitude/grateful heart
• Freedom to embrace life more fully
• Perseverance
• Greater understanding and compassion for those who are suffering
• Ability to identify with and empathize with those who are struggling through difficulties
• Pain reminds me of my desperate need for God
• It gives me a longing and desire for the hope that is to come -- pain-free heaven.
• It makes me humble -- more aware of my need for God and others.

It is a reminder to be practicing the principles that Jesus taught, to 'cast my burdens on Him because He cares for me,' and to yoke (join or unite) myself with Jesus. "Take my yoke upon you and learn from me for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light." Matthew 11:29-30.

In Bible times, this metaphor made total sense -- today, we don't often see a yoke of oxen -- two oxen walking together with a 'yoke' on. Typically one stronger ox was yoked with a weaker ox which allowed the pair to accomplish much more by decreasing the weight of the burden and leveraging the strength of the combined effort.

This is another positive of pain -- when you are yoked to something, it takes a little more effort to get away! You're not just going to wander off and end up a great distance from that which you are yoked to!

So perhaps the yoke is on me after all! :-) May we take up the very resources that are available to us -- the strength, love and support of Jesus. If God doesn't take us from it, He will take us through it.

Well, I'll Be!

The key learning I have received in the past couple of weeks is the power of prevailing prayer. The kind of prayer where we don't stop! Where we actually believe that what we say to God makes a difference! I have been keenly reminded that God IS moved by our prayers. God is relational -- and He hears our requests. He does not tune us out and pretend that our prayers are just 'blah, blah, blah...'  He listens to our prayers. He is moved by them. He answers our prayers. 

Sometimes it takes time. Often, our timeline does not line up with God's timeline, but that is not an indication that He is not listening or answering. It means that He does things HIS way in HIS timing because He actually and ultimately knows what is best. He desires the best for us!

Last time I wrote my blog, there was a heaviness -- an air of sadness as we stared death in the face on two different sides. Death doesn't always win! In fact, it is important to remember that death HAS been conquered! I Corinthians 15:55-57 tells us, "Where, O death, is your victory? Where, O death, is your sting?" The sting of death is sin, and the power of sin is the law. But thanks be to God! He gives us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ."II Timothy 1:10, "but it has now been revealed through the appearing of our Savior, Christ Jesus, who has destroyed death and has brought life and immortality to light through the gospel."

Our family member whose heart stopped for about 10 minutes, is home and continuing to heal.  We are Princess Bride fans, so refer to the quote where Billy Crystal reports that the man is 'only mostly dead.' We prayed, we petitioned God, we pleaded for Him to intercede and heal, and He did! My aunt who was on life support and headed rapidly towards death is now sitting up and off the life support -- she is aware and recovering. We prayed, we petitioned God, we asked for His mercy, and He answered our prayers.  Do not underestimate the power of your prayers.

Life is Fragile - Live, Love, Laugh

Life. It's so fragile! So easy to take it for granted. We forget that life is terminal. NO ONE gets out of this alive!

Not sure if you are familiar with this song by Tim McGraw but it's a powerful reminder to "Live Like You're Dying:"




"I was in my early forties,
With a lot of life before me,
An' a moment came that stopped me on a dime.
I spent most of the next days,
Looking at the x-rays,
An' talking 'bout the options an' talkin’ ‘bout sweet time."
I asked him when it sank in,
That this might really be the real end?
How’s it hit you when you get that kind of news?
Man whatcha do?

An' he said: "I went sky diving,
I went rocky mountain climbing,
I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying.
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."

He said "I was finally the husband,
That most the time I wasn’t.
An' I became a friend a friend would like to have.
And all of a sudden goin' fishin’,
Wasn’t such an imposition,
And I went three times that year I lost my Dad.
Well, I finally read the Good Book,
And I took a good long hard look,
At what I'd do if I could do it all again,
And then:

I went sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
And I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
And I gave forgiveness I'd been denying.
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."

Like tomorrow was a gift,
And you got eternity,
To think about what you’d do with it.
An' what did you do with it?
An' what can I do with it?
An' what would I do with it?

"Sky diving, I went rocky mountain climbing,
I went two point seven seconds on a bull named Fu Man Chu.
And then I loved deeper and I spoke sweeter,
And I watched an eagle as it was flyin'.
An' he said: "Some day, I hope you get the chance,
"To live like you were dyin'."

-- by Tim McGraw; dedicated to the memory of his father, Tug McGraw.

In my small circle of influence, the past 24ish hours have included my adopted sister's father-in-law dying suddenly of a bowel obstruction, a family member almost dying at the age of 41when her heart stopped as she valiantly fights cancer, and my aunt going on life support with no expectation that she will make it. Life is so very fragile and unpredictable. No guarantees. I challenge you, I urge you, to view tomorrow as your gift -- now what will you do with it?

May you live well, love deeply and laugh richly.  'This is the day that the Lord has made, let us rejoice and be glad in it.' Psalms 118:24

Really Didn't Need That!

Have you ever been at a place in your life where you thought, "Okay, I'm finally getting a handle on this" and then something else happened? Something worse?! Where there is just no escaping the consequences of what has happened in your life. That happened to us last weekend as we were stopped at a red light. We were rear ended by a woman who was distracted by some means as she barely hit the breaks before impact. After the reality of being hit sunk in, I looked at Glenn and said, "I really didn't need that!"

I just finished the Graston technique treatments and my back was just headed into a beautiful healing pattern. There was definitely hope at the end of the tunnel! And then -- whiplash, shoulder and mid-back injury, and lower back injury/re-injury. Sigh. Glenn has mild whiplash. I must confess that I had a conversation with God about why He didn't prevent this accident. He could have! Maybe He tried to -- maybe He spoke to her and she didn't listen (she said she was on her way to church!); or maybe our being there prevented her son from being killed as they would have been T-boned if she had sailed through the intersection. Or maybe it was just natural and logical consequences from someone's behaviour/choices -- God allowing free will to be worked out. No matter what the divine reason was, I don't like the consequences! Just saying!

I received an e-mail with a quote from Gary Smalley - 'Great faith is the confidence even during a trial that it will one day turn out for our benefit.' I like that! That is how I choose to live -- believing God to once again, take what was meant for evil and bring good out of it...just like He did for Joseph! Romans 8:18 says, "I consider that our present sufferings are not worth comparing with the glory that will be revealed in us." Then it goes on to some of my favourite verses in 8:35, 37-39 "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall trouble or hardship or persecution or famine or nakedness or danger or sword?" No, in all these things we are more than conquerors through him who loved us. For I am convinced that neither death nor life, neither angels nor demons, neither the present nor the future, nor any powers, neither height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God that is in Christ Jesus our Lord."

I really didn't need that accident last weekend! My body attests to that! (I would truly appreciate your prayers for healing). But what I do know for certain is that NOTHING separates me from the love of God and He will bring something out of this for our benefit! 

Age of Adonis

Are you familiar with Adonis? He is a figure from Greek mythology that symbolized 'handsome youth.' Interestingly, the name Adonis is a variation of the semitic word Adonai which means, "Lord." There is a new classification in eating disorders called "The Adonis Complex." It all has to do with fixation on the physical body and essentially, worship of the body.  One of my biggest frustrations in working with eating disorders is hearing how people HATE their bodies.  They don't just dislike little things like a muffin top or aging skin with a sag, they despise the very bodies which God has given them as a carrying case for their soul while living out physical life here on earth.

How many conversations have you had this week that included talk about dieting, exercising, or changing one's physical appearance in some way -- possibly even through extreme measures like surgery? Why have we become so focused on the physical body when it is only 1/4 of our being? Body, mind, soul and spirit.  Our culture is beyond obsession with physical beauty and cultural standards that we have assigned to what is beautiful and acceptable.  If you have not yet seen it, I encourage you to watch the movie, "America the Beautiful; America's Obsession with Beauty."  This cultural obsession with the body is destroying our society in so many ways!  Eating disorders, addiction, exercise addiction, etc.  All of which lead to a spiritual cancer called idolatry.

Idolatry is giving worship and adoration to something other than God.  Idolatry sounds so sinful!  Yet idolatry of the body is rampant in today's society.  Looking to something other than God for identity is never a good idea.  "But I just want to be healthy" is a common cry and defence.  What's wrong with being healthy?  Nothing! Providing your search for health is moderate and in balance, and does not consume you or become obsessional.

Accepting your body's natural weight range is the key, even if you don't like your body's 'plumb line.'    To the left is the best scale I've ever seen! It was at the International Association of Eating Disorder's Professionals Conference this year. Why do we let our weight define us?!  A number ought not to be God! God ought to be God!  The Bible does not spend reams of verses telling us how to care for the body.  Most references re: the body are that it is perishing, fading and that we get a new one in the next life (II Cor. 5:1)!  It is the housing for the Holy Spirit -- the temple of the Holy Spirit (I Cor, 6:19).

Don't get me wrong. I'm all for appropriate care of the body, revolving around moderate eating and moderate activity/exercise.  But we are not to hate/despise the body that God has given us and attempt to make it into something it is not naturally supposed to be (eating disordered, forced below its weight range, neglected through obesity and forced far beyond it's weight range, etc.)  We are not to be mastered by food and exercise but are to be the master's of our physical body and focused far more on the things of God than the things of the body.

The Scriptures tells us to be focused on the things of the heart and the spirit, not the body and external appearance (John 7:24, II Cor. 10:7, I Peter 3:3-4).  These scriptures help us to bring correction -- to give us a mindset that leads to freedom! Freedom from obsession. Freedom from idolatry. Freedom to know the truth of who we are in Christ, without the bondage of trying to make our bodies the ruling force in our lives.  Rather than Adonis, let's pursue Adonai and ask Him to help us accept our bodies and cherish them for the gift they are.

Memories...

I just got off the Skype with a friend in Senegal, Africa. It's hard to believe that our trip there was almost 2 1/4 years ago now! It is wonderful to see how God brings restoration and healing in His timing! What a joy to hear about how God is moving.

Since we are so entrenched in the physical realm in North America we often forget there is a very living, active spiritual realm where God is actively fulfilling His purposes and answering our prayers.  Some things that I remember from our trip to Africa -- bartering merchants who always had a 'special deal' for their Canadian friends, the trip to the Bandia Game Reserve where we ate pizza by the crocodile pond and got the best photo shoot with giraffes ever, teaching junior and high school kids about their identity and self-worth, equipping teachers & dorm parents about eating disorders and how to guard against them, spending time with families and being able to minister to them and be ministered to by them, and believing God's faithfulness for each person we encountered.

In the old testament it was called an 'Ebenezer.' A pile of rocks that was formed somewhat like a sculpture to mark a spot that people wanted to remember. A spot they could re-visit with their children in the future and be reminded to tell the story of what God had done in that geographical spot -- a remembrance/memory jogger. The Israelites did this when they crossed over the Jordan River into the Promised Land. God instructed the leaders to select a rock from the Jordan and to assemble them together -- one representing each tribe, so that they would remember that God had 'brought them safely thus far.' We need memories! We need things that symbolize and reactivate our memory of what God has done in our lives. We are truly a forgetful people! We think we will never forget when God does a powerful work in our lives, a miracle, or a direct and obvious answer to prayer...and yet, we do! We forget the faithfulness and love of God in our lives, especially when we encounter struggles or crisis. Yet God told us to expect troubles in this world -- John 16:33 says, "I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world." Is there something you could do to symbolize the faithfulness of God in your life? The fact that He has brought you safely thus far? Maybe you could build your own Ebenezer. Want to know what I named the first decent car I was able to buy after graduating from seminary? You guessed it, Ebenezer! And by God's grace, it was a cute little convertible so I could more fully enjoy the sun! (And the Son!)

Setbacks and Other Fun Stuff

Have you ever experienced a breakthrough that led you to have such joy and relief that it almost made you forget about the original problem? It's an awesome feeling! It's like the object that has been so prominent in the forefront of the picture of your life, fades into the background. I have experienced this recently with a breakthrough in my chronic pain. All of a sudden the past two years of pain drifted away to the recesses of my mind as I experienced a few days where the pain was essentially gone. Ever heard the phrase, "I got a new lease on life?" Well, I did, and I liked the terms of this lease way more!

The new treatments being used by my chiropractor and the acupuncturist seemed to be alleviating the pain cycle that was locked into my lower back. How do you spell relief? RELIEF! I started to move more freely and without pain. Made it 'til the end of the day and didn't need any medication. Hmmmm. Thinking I could get to like this! Even did some things around the house that I haven't been able to do for ages. And then it happened. The 'process' kicked in.

I went back to the chiropractor for another treatment with the new technique and this time he used instruments to do soft-tissue manipulation -- the "Graston Technique." Short-term pain for long term gain. That's the new slogan. He literally digs into the erector muscles in my lower back to break down the tissue damage and cause it to re-grow in a healthy manner. Result - pain again. Sigh. But that brief window of relief made me more able to accept this pain. The process is taking place. The tissues are breaking free of the scar tissue which formed during the past two years in response to being locked up with pain. The tissue needs to breakdown, re-grow and heal in the proper place.

Don't you hate process?! And even more - correction? Yet what if we need a strategic intervention in order to get to the root of the problem -- to assess the broken down junk in our life, to break it down further so it can be gotten rid of. To push through the process in order to bring correction and to allow healing to break forth? Ahhh, sweet process! It is there that I am reminded of my deep and unrelenting need for God! HE is my Source and my Refuge. 'They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles. They will run and not grow weary, they will walk and never faint,' Isaiah 40:31. I take courage from Philippians 4:12-13, "I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation...I can do all things through Christ who gives me strength."

Post-Easter Resurrection Blues -- PERB

Do you suffer from post-Easter resurrection blues? PERB? Do you ever get so excited about the resurrection and how all of our hope hinges on this historical event and the fact that Jesus Christ defeated death to bring about the possibility of eternal life with Christ in heaven -- yet it lingers!  This life -- and all its foibles, lingers.  The battle is over, yet the world continues -- waiting for the second coming of Jesus and the end to the sorrows, sickness and brokenness of this life.

That is why desire can be such a painful and wonderful thing. We desire the fullness of God's redemptive plan to come to fruition! We long for the healing and wholeness that comes from the completing work that Jesus did on the cross -- and yet, we wait.  Do you desire heaven?  Do you long for the things of heaven and full redemption beyond this fallen world? In Philippians 1:23, Paul says, "I'm torn between two desires: I long to go and be with Christ, which would be far better for me."  Revelations 21:4 says, "He will wipe every tear from their eyes.  There will be no more death or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away."  That sounds marvelous!  Something I long for.

I Thessalonians 4;18 tells us to "comfort one another with these words."  What words?  The hope that is to come -- eternal life in heaven -- raised from the dead into our new and glorified bodies (whoot whoot!).  The Bible also tells us that even creation groans for redemption (Romans 8:22).  Imagine if the best day of our lives on earth can't even come close to our "worst" day ever in heaven? 

To desire -- to long for -- to hope in.  Yes, that is definitely the cure for the post-Resurrection Easter Blues!  If we were totally content with our earthly lives, we would settle here, and this is not the "Promised Land!"  This is "not as good as it gets."  This is a fallen world that is tainted with the effects of sin.  It is good to long for, hope in, desire -- it keeps us aware that there is something more!  Something that we long for -- that is meant to be.  Everlasting life in heaven with God.  Proverbs 13:12 says, "Hope deferred makes the heart sick but a desire fulfilled is a  tree of life." 

Let us not grow weary of hoping!  Let us not lose sight of God's eternal timeline.

What does it mean to be whole?

Today I've been asked to be a guest writer/blogger for Lynn J. Simpson's "Connecting Stories." If you have ever wondered what it means to be whole, please visit this week's post at http://connectingstories.blogspot.com

You can also check out Lynn's writing and photos. Lynn is a writer and photographer with a heart for see people connect.

Blessings!
Beth


Photo by Laura Scheideman

Who Knew?!

Who knew I would be asked to be a guest author on another blog!  Next Wednesday, April 20, I will be writing a post for Lynn J. Simpson's blog, check it out at http://connectingstories.blogspot.com  What shall I write about? 

I saw my OBGYN today.  Perhaps I could write about that.  He asked me if I am having any menopausal symptoms.  When I told him what is going on in my life, he seemed happy and quickly made some notations on his laptop.  He has a perplexed look as I tell him that I am still experiencing chronic pain.  He defers quickly to muscular-skeletal issues.  Whew!  That certainly lets him off the hook! 

The problem is my medical doctor is convinced its not muscular skeletal.  In fact, they have plundered me with a vast array of tests -- x-rays, CT scans, MRIs, blood work, and sordid other tests involving long lengths of hose and a flashlight!  Sigh.  I've been to two family doctors, an internal medicine doctor, a rheumatoid specialist, two OB's, a chiropractor, acupuncturist, massage therapist, physical therapists and a dentist ...although I'm not sure that his involvement lends to an understanding of my pain but he did cause some so I thought I'd throw him in!  

The diagnosis?  A severe case of 'Pass the buck!'  "It's not my area; so not my concern.  Go see someone else."  Isn't it interesting that no one wants to be responsible for another person being in pain?  No one wants to be the one who says, "yes, I'm the one who can help (or not help) you.  And I don't know what to do."  What if it makes us feel incompetent?  Incapable?  Human?!  We'd rather refer to someone else -- pass the buck as it were, so we don't have to face our own lack of knowledge.  We don't know what is wrong and we don't know how to fix it.  And more frighteningly, we might not be able to.  We hate not knowing -- it makes us so painfully aware of our lack of control in a world that is so fraught with ambiguity.

The prescription? "They do not fear bad news; they confidently trust the Lord to care for them." Psalms 112:7.  Trust.  Such a simple word to say yet pointless unless put into action.  I choose to trust!  I choose to trust in the God who cares for me.  "Trust in the Lord with all your heart; do not depend on your own understanding."  Trust. 

Undercover Boss

I was at my small group study this morning and we were looking at the concept of how Jesus responded under pressure.  Jesus went through an insanely stressful 24 hour period!  He could have reacted in frustration or fear, yet He chose to trust God.  "You, Lord, give true peace to those who depend on you, because they trust you" Isaiah 26:3.

Jesus can relate to us.  He is able to understand our struggles.  He is fully aware of the scope of our emotions.  He went through some crazy, stressful days when He was here on earth!  It's amazing to me that He set aside His heavenly position and came down into the trenches to see how we live.  To struggle like we struggle.  To feel like we feel.  He experienced humanity fully yet did not sin.  It reminded me of the television series, "Undercover Boss."  This is a show where the head of the company works undercover -- sometimes even disguising himself -- at entry-level jobs in his company.  He isn't allowed to say who he really is.  He is treated like any other guy off the street who gets hired into an entry-level position.  Sometimes he even gets mistreated or fired!  At the end of the show, he meets with those same people and reveals his true identity. 

This inevitably leads to a changed boss.  One who has a greater awareness of how his company works at the grassroots level and a deeper appreciation for the struggles of his employees.  He can sympathize with his people.  He knows what it's like to be in their shoes. 

Wow.  God did that for me!  Jesus gave up His executive position in heaven -- dressed up in skin and entered into life as a human!  Why?  So He could totally relate to me.  So He would know what it's like to be stressed, and hurt, and disappointed, and...  He can empathize -- He gets it!  "Therefore, it was necessary for Jesus to be in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful High Priest before God.  He then could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people.  Since he himself has gone through suffering and temptation, he is able to help us when we are being tempted" Hebrews 2:17-18.

The problem with sticking your head in the sand is it leaves you wide open to get your butt kicked!

First entry -- Blogalicious!

Well.  Here it is!  My first blog entry.  I have been inspired by Lynn J. Simpson to get blogging.  In doing some conference and retreat speaking lately, it is apparent that I have much to say! :-)  And the feedback I am getting is reinforcing the need for the topic of wholeness to be discussed more often.  We need reinforcement!  As people our brains seem to vacillate between velcro and teflon.  Often velcroing to the things that are not helpful in our thoughts -- negative messages, misbeliefs, wounds and regrets.  While we seem to 'teflon' the positives that would be helpful for us to continue thinking about!  Ever had a positive affirmation or had something go well and then quickly dismissed it/"teflonned" it rather than soaking in its truth?

I think we need to reverse those two -- velcro the good and positive and teflon the bad and negative.  Philippians 4:8 says, "Fix your thoughts on what is true and honourable and right.  Think about things that are pure and lovely and admirable. Think about things that are excellent and worthy of praise."

Yeah, that sounds like a good idea.  You are what you think!  Thoughts and behaviours create feelings.  Don't wait to change something until you feel better.  Start by changing what you think about.