Tag: Spiritual Awakening

Tetelestai Recovery

Be Patient With Yourself

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As we release our addictions with the words of Jesus, “It is finished!” and settle comfortably into our new normal, we feel gratitude beyond words. The dysfunctions we struggled with in the past are fading in the distance. We are on firm footing and making solid progress.

Sometimes we make really good progress and are pleased with the distance we cover in such a short time. We feel that our relationship with God is in great shape, and we are motivated by our sense of accomplishment.

At other times, however, we feel as if we were trudging through mud, putting one foot in front of the other, lacking any drive or inspiration. We feel inadequate, overwhelmed, and disinterested. During these times, we don’t feel so great about our relationship with God. We assume He is disappointed with our lack of energy and enthusiasm.

These times are rare, but they happen often enough to make us question our stability and resolve. We wonder if one of these periods might last so long that we will just give in and give up.

We don’t want to lose what we have gained, and we don’t want to miss the joy of the journey, so the thought of trudging through the marshy swampland of doubt, discouragement, and disagreement feels very threatening.

We love the mountaintops and the flowery meadows, but we must face the fact that dry deserts and muddy bogs are also part of the expedition. We must make peace with both if we want to get where we are going.

When the roads are easy, we feel joy in looking back to see how far we’ve come. When the roads are difficult, we seem to take one step forward, two steps back. Sometimes we slip and fall. Sometimes we just stand still and shrug. Even when we do finally get on firm footing again and start to move forward, we scold ourselves for not being stronger, more resilient, or more determined.

Chapter 4, Be Patient With Yourself

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Tetelestai Recovery

Empowered to Succeed

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“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.” Jeremiah 29:11

Waiting on God and being certain of His blessings is not pie-in-the-sky or wishful thinking. This faith choice is not presumptuous or improper. Blessings are the divine energy of God empowering us to succeed because we choose to believe in His goodness. He has equipped us with a divine destiny. He wants to see us succeed as much as we do.

And so, we wait for what God has promised, in the same way we might wait at a bus stop, in eager anticipation. We aren’t sitting at some random corner, hoping a bus might drive by. We are positioned at the right place at the right time, waiting for what we know is on its way. We aren’t waiting to see if a hopeful future will appear. We are waiting with confidence, certain of it.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Unmet Needs

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These needs keep us running from one relationship to another; one career path to another; one church to another; one substance to another. We play the blame game, accusing our parents, our partners, or our culture. We know we have unmet emotional needs, so we are naturally drawn toward people and situations that promise to meet them. Of course, it is only a matter of time before they fail us. No human can fully meet our deep emotional needs. It is a painful lesson we have to learn time and time again, until we begin to understand what it means to level up.

We must accept the fact that no human being is equipped to completely fulfill another human being’s emotional, spiritual, and psychological needs. It is just not possible. And it is not their fault.

To level up, we must set aside our petty resentments about how others have failed us. We must admit, we are foolish to think they won’t. They are human too!

 From this new perspective, we begin to see Philippians 4:19 much differently. God promises to meet all our needs. Not just physical and spiritual, but emotional as well. So, we must now ask ourselves, “What are some of my emotional needs?”

  • The need to be needed.
  • The need to be loved.
  • The need for relationships.
  • The need for encouragement.
  • The need to love without fear.
  • The need to be significant.
  • The need to be useful.
  • The need to be content.
  • The need to feel worthy.
  • The need to have a sense of purpose.
  • The need to have a sense of direction.
  • The need for boundaries.
  • The need for security.
  • The need for approval.
  • The need for respect.
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A Date With Destiny

Who Are You?

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What does your birthday reveal about your spiritual gifts, character, and calling?

This unique devotional uses your birth month and day to guide you through key scriptures—from Genesis to Revelation—using the chapter and verse numbers that match your special day.

What’s inside:

  • Bible verses matched to your birthday [Month] = chapter, [Day] = verse
  • Reflections on your spiritual personality, strengths, and values
  • Encouragement and inspiration for your walk with God
  • A powerful tool for self-discovery and faith growth

Perfect as a birthday gift, personal devotional, or keepsake.

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Tetelestai Recovery

Stop the Madness

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After escaping Crazytown, David finds a cave to hide in, alone (1 Samuel 22). It is a safe place, where he no longer has to answer difficult questions or pretend to be someone he is not. However, his alone time to power down and reboot doesn’t last long. Members of his family hear of his whereabouts and come to join him.

We find that nothing spotlights our dysfunctions quite so vividly as when family shows up to help! Granted, it is a blessing to have family who care enough to show up, but we also know the risk. For those of us, whose tendency is to shut down emotionally when family dynamics are in play, our emotions become glitchy and start to malfunction. We say the wrong thing, blurt out secrets, wear the wrong clothes, belong to the wrong social groups, and vote for the wrong candidate.

It has been said that family is everything. Families can teach us about loyalty, behavior, and self-preservation. They can teach us work ethics and responsibility. Families also teach us how to be manipulative, sarcastic, and selfish. All families have their own layers of drama, chaos, and distrust.

Some families are quite ordinary. Some families are quite extraordinary. All families have dysfunctions, traditions, trauma, and mixed messages.

Family members know too much about each other and the history they all share. Family can push our buttons like no one else. Family can make us feel included or rejected; loved or despised; powerful or weak. Although family dynamics are messy, they are God’s plan for a place to start. Unfortunately, each generation has an ancestry made up of humans, so we all possess some elements of dysfunction within our family code.

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Eventually, David enlists the help of a neighboring king to look after his family so he can heal. We can’t help but notice that this sounds an awful lot like an Al-Anon topic. Family members can be part of the recovery process, but it is not appropriate to become cave dwellers too, just to show their support.

Chapter Seven – Don’t Get Too Cozy In Your Cave https://a.co/d/gU3iw9Y

Tetelestai Recovery

Don’t Get Too Cozy In Your Cave

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In 1 Samuel 22, we read about David, the would-be king who is making decisions clouded by dysfunction. The story begins with rejection, danger, and drama. David is at risk. He has experienced trauma. He is out of his element, all alone, and without clear direction. His life has come down to a series of geographical moves and his only reason is simple, “I am here because it was not safe there.”

These words ring true for us as well. We have experienced trauma. In response, we run, we tell lies, we act crazy, and in the end, we finally find a cave where we can hide.

We enter our caves carrying something that makes us feel fierce. We carry memories of times when we weren’t so weak. Despite our insecurities and weakness, we also know there is resilience, tenacity, and charisma woven into our DNA by the Creator of the Universe.

In David’s story, he had the sword of Goliath strapped to his side, reminding him of his greatest victory. But, later, after experiencing his own trauma, it seemed his glory days were over. He is hiding in a cave which he refers to as his stronghold. Battling anxiety, depression, and loss, the cave becomes a makeshift fort for David and his absent army. Bringing an abrupt end to his promising career, his entire future has been destroyed by one man. The grief was too much to bear.

The man who once killed a giant with a rock, got hit between the eyes with trauma and it took him to a dark place. Everything changed. Nothing will ever be the same. He is alone. He is unprepared. He is in self-defense mode, and his behavior becomes irrational and unpredictable.

We too have experienced moments of trauma, laying the groundwork for our current dysfunctions. Whether we can remember them or not, each of us has heard, seen, or experienced things that made us feel unsafe, forcing us into unhealthy coping patterns. For some, the trauma was a single event, such as an accident, an illness, or a loss. For others, the trauma came gradually in waves, due to chronic pain, devastating disappointments, years of neglect, indifference, or abuse from a parent or spouse, or the emotional baggage of living in a deeply dysfunctional environment.

Chapter 7, Don’t Get Too Cozy In Your Cave https://a.co/d/gU3iw9Y

A Date With Destiny

Help

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Mark 9:27

But Jesus took hold of the boy’s hand and helped him to stand up.

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The Lord cares deeply about you and comes to your rescue whenever you ask for His help.

God sees that some of the things you go through are difficult. You know that help is required if you are going to be able to withstand the pressure and come through to the other side, unscathed.

With the calm reassurance of Jesus at your side, these struggles do not leave you weakened. Instead, you emerge from difficult predicaments with a newfound awareness of your position of power in Christ.

You sense His presence of with greater intensity during times when you are down and finding it impossible to stand on your own.  Because of this, you have learned to be grateful for your struggles, because they generate a new level of intimacy between you and your Savior.

Because you know He is there to carry the heaviness you feel after having been wronged, He enables you to move freely into forgiveness where healing can be found. 

Assured that the Creator of the universe is interested in what happens to you, and is willing to help whenever you ask, your confidence is solid and no earthly problem can shake it.

https://a.co/d/4a536Xc

Tetelestai Recovery

Internal Dialogue

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Although introspection is important to growth, it is not the main purpose of our spiritual awakening. We are moving into a new position of authority in Christ. We are leveling up. We are no longer human beings having a spiritual awakening. We are awakened spiritual beings affecting the realm of human existence.

Admittedly, human nature can often get in the way, so we frequently ask the Holy Spirit to show us where we need to improve. We ask for help in making the necessary changes. We believe we receive that help and start thanking God for the results even before we see them. We use the words of Christ, “It is finished!” (Tetelestai) to call an end to our obsession over shortcomings and our continual dialogue of negative self-talk.

Empowered by the Spirit of God, and emboldened by the words of Christ, we let go of the things that trip us up. We release our grip on perfectionism. We dismiss the internal committee in our head who sits in judgement of our every motive, thought, behavior, or attitude. We stop auditioning for the lead role and find our proper place in the supporting cast. With the spotlight on Jesus and what He is doing, we take our eyes off ourselves and are relieved of self-consciousness.

Chapter 1, Leveling Up https://a.co/d/bQ7ZwiO

A Date With Destiny

The Winner’s Circle

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1 Corinthians 9:24

Surely you know that many runners take part in a race, but only one of them wins the prize.  Run then, in such a way as to win the prize.

You do not consider your life to be your own. Your know that your life is set on a specific course designed by God. Your existence holds significant implications for future generations and you do not take this responsibility lightly.

This knowledge doesn’t indicate an attitude of presumption or arrogance, but rather, a position of humility. You know that your role is one of duty, rather than comfort or self-indulgence.

You know that without God’s guidance, you would be wandering through life, unsure of your purpose. Without knowing your purpose, you would be subject to life on the proverbial hamster wheel, struggling to find meaning for your existence.

As it turns out, God has given you a special direction in life.  He has chosen you for a journey which takes you far beyond your wildest dreams.

You appreciate this call. You are grateful for the destiny you have been given and you know that there is nothing you lack in order to fulfill it.

Contentment comes easy to you because God has enabled you to see through the deception of greed and envy to find the true meaning of life. You do not get entangled with the past, but you press on toward the goal.

God has provided you with clarity of mind and purpose. You are content with what you have and enjoy the pursuit of something greater than personal happiness.

Your desire to follow God’s plan is evident in the paths you take. There are times you inadvertently veer off course, but you recognize it immediately.  When this occurs, you listen for the Holy Spirit’s voice, like a spiritual GPS, and get quickly back onto the right road. 

God has given you a creative mind which empowers you to press on with enthusiasm and fervor.

When your time on this planet has ended, and your soul is released into the spirit realm, you will be greeted by your Creator. Having run the course and finished your race, He will welcome you home with open arms and proudly declare, “Well done!”

https://a.co/d/ajFafzm

A Date With Destiny

Tools of the Trade

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So, Moses raised his walking stick toward the sky. And the Lord sent thunder and hail. Lightning flashed down to the earth. Exodus 9:23

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Moses’ walking stick was a common tool of the trade for shepherds, but when lifted at the Lord’s command, supernatural power was ignited. In the same manner, you too are called to divine destiny, using the tools of your trade.

Every day, as you perform your regular duties, you are fulfilling your call, and ushering in the power of God. This power brings freedom and deliverance to you as well as your friends, family, and co-workers. The skills and experience you hold as ‘tools of the trade’ in your daily operations are the elements God infuses with divine energy. He is able to show Himself powerfully as you function in your daily tasks.

You often experience overwhelming gratitude to God for being such a loving Creator who takes interest in the struggles and challenges of His children.

You watch as God’s miraculous power is unleashed to bring deliverance and freedom to those who have no voice. You are honored to be a part of it and you are grateful to have been chosen for such an exciting and fulfilling calling.

https://a.co/d/em78Um5