forgiveness Archives

Accepting Consequences and Finding Paradise

Accepting the consequences is a repentant heart saying ‘Yes’ to what has been done, praying for mercy, and possibly discovering grace. A few years ago I was caught speeding. I was going too fast. The police officer pulled me over and asked if I knew what speed I was traveling. […]

Mental health Relationships

I Want to Make Amends

We do something we regret and want to make amends for, but what about the heart. Come as a servant but don’t become a slave. I was working in a garden the other day when I accidentally knocked over a small pot plant. It toppled over and fell onto a […]

"A conceptual image illustrating the 'inward curve' of the soul, representing the struggle of being locked within one's own thoughts and ego."

Faith & Mental Health

What to do with your Curve – Incurvatus in se

There is a self-centeredness to ourselves, a turned/curved inwardness, incurvatus in se, but there is one that shows how to break the gravity, the pull of the curve. There is a pull on me all the time. It’s in the lyrics of the eighties pop hit. What about me, it […]

Relationships & Connection

How to Stop Being the Scapegoat. Six Keys

Are you tired of being the Scapegoat but don’t know how to stop it? Six key steps to stop being the dumping ground of other people’s rubbish. She felt like they were making her a scapegoat. They were saying she was responsible for all the terrible things that had happened. […]

Getting Well Staying Well Spiritual Formation

There’s a Gum Tree Shadow Hanging Over Me

We can live warped lives because of a shadow hanging over us, but that shadow can be removed if we face what’s causing the shadow and allow the light to flood in. Have you ever walked in a shadow? Of course you have, but you probably didn’t take much notice […]

Helping Others

When the Confessor Goes Rogue

We need to share the pain of life with someone, but what happens when the confessor, the one we are exposing our heart to, goes rogue. We need to be careful with who we share our heart with. What they thought was being said in private was now being passed […]

Uncategorized

Learning to Detach Helps with Anxiety

Anxiety can make you want to control, but learning to detach can bring peace. Perhaps you care too much and it’s time to let go. She was holding on tightly. Too tightly. It was care, it was love, but in that embrace, she was suffocating the life out of the […]

Helping Others Mental health

Stop ‘Shoulding’ and Start ‘Coulding’ Yourself

‘Shoulds’ can pile up on the shoulders and shape our thinking. But we have efficacy. We have the power to make a change and stop ‘shoulding.’ We don’t have to live under the slavery of a ‘should.’ It was always the same message. ‘You should be doing better.’ ‘You’re not […]

Mental health Spiritual Formation

Washing the Memories Free of Trauma

Some trauma memories keep us locked into our past. But there is a cleansing that can happen. We need to bring ourselves to the presence of one who will wash us pure. I didn’t know what to do when they were sharing some of the stories of their past. I […]

Getting Well Staying Well Mental health

Your Failures in Life Need Love

One failure in life seems to collect another failure, but love can cut through any collection of failures. We need to listen for the shame that has been collected then meet it with heartwarming arms. If you can talk about failure, you can talk about anything. As he opened up […]