Hi friends,
It has been a while since you last heard from me. So much has taken place in these last months following my father's death. I am so grateful I could be home with mom and dad during the two months of his illness, as well as his death and the weeks that followed with all the paperwork and legal stuff needed. I have written some thoughts about my two months with my dad and what a gift that was to me personally. You can see it on the pdf file attached here if you are interested.
I also wanted to share a couple youtube videos on vulnerability and shame by Dr. Brene Brown, given on Ted talks. Just so aware of how our lives have to do with relationships and our deep connections with others who are significant to us. We are wired for connections and closeness but so much in our lives keep us from that and from being true to who God made us to be.
I am in South Africa at the moment for two weeks of intensive classes in Studies program I ma taking with the University of the Nations on discipleship and Christian formation. This module I am in has to do with understanding humanity, how we are made from a relational God to be relational, to him, others and to have the right understanding of ourselves. (Most important of a llm Jesus said: To love God, love others like we love ourselves). In order to do all three we need to re-visit our life story and recognise the good and the bad that have contributed to forming us and to involve God and others in the process of moving forward in our lives, to being wholesome and fully human, free of shame, guilt that so hinder us.
This two weeks intensive is about connection/ going deeper in intimacy, vulnerability, dealing with shame, learning about family Systems and how that is the foundation of our lives in how we are shaped, through our experiences within our families, especially with our parents. So you can imagine what is surfacing and how deep God wants to go with us.
Anyway, this first week of class already has been a gift to me as my emotions are so fragile and I am still very much in the process of grief. Two of our main speakers are professional counsellors who are in YWAM and have had decades of experience in helping people grow. So I appreciate your prayers this week, especially in this season I am in.
I wanted to share two Ted Talks with you that we watched earlier this week. This woman is amazing and incredible truth.
This should be seen first, on vulnerability: http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html
This one is on shame and was given after she talked on vulnerability: http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_listening_to_shame.html
I think these two topics are so important to know how to grow in ability to connect with others, overcome our awkwardness in relating, become who we are meant to be which all happen in the context of relationships. That's why God put in in "the Body of Christ" because we need each other to grow, become, and bear fruit and only when we are walking in truth, paying attention to what is going on in our lives, willing to live without secrets, involving others we trust in our journey, allowing the Holy SPirit to have his ministry in us in connecting us with God, others and ourselves… then we will become who God intended for us to become, true humans, like Jesus was when he became a man on the earth - we are to become sons and daughters of God, living in security of the Father's love, being free and in deep dependency to the Holy Spirit =)
It has been a while since you last heard from me. So much has taken place in these last months following my father's death. I am so grateful I could be home with mom and dad during the two months of his illness, as well as his death and the weeks that followed with all the paperwork and legal stuff needed. I have written some thoughts about my two months with my dad and what a gift that was to me personally. You can see it on the pdf file attached here if you are interested.
I also wanted to share a couple youtube videos on vulnerability and shame by Dr. Brene Brown, given on Ted talks. Just so aware of how our lives have to do with relationships and our deep connections with others who are significant to us. We are wired for connections and closeness but so much in our lives keep us from that and from being true to who God made us to be.
I am in South Africa at the moment for two weeks of intensive classes in Studies program I ma taking with the University of the Nations on discipleship and Christian formation. This module I am in has to do with understanding humanity, how we are made from a relational God to be relational, to him, others and to have the right understanding of ourselves. (Most important of a llm Jesus said: To love God, love others like we love ourselves). In order to do all three we need to re-visit our life story and recognise the good and the bad that have contributed to forming us and to involve God and others in the process of moving forward in our lives, to being wholesome and fully human, free of shame, guilt that so hinder us.
This two weeks intensive is about connection/ going deeper in intimacy, vulnerability, dealing with shame, learning about family Systems and how that is the foundation of our lives in how we are shaped, through our experiences within our families, especially with our parents. So you can imagine what is surfacing and how deep God wants to go with us.
Anyway, this first week of class already has been a gift to me as my emotions are so fragile and I am still very much in the process of grief. Two of our main speakers are professional counsellors who are in YWAM and have had decades of experience in helping people grow. So I appreciate your prayers this week, especially in this season I am in.
I wanted to share two Ted Talks with you that we watched earlier this week. This woman is amazing and incredible truth.
This should be seen first, on vulnerability: http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_on_vulnerability.html
This one is on shame and was given after she talked on vulnerability: http://www.ted.com/talks/brene_brown_listening_to_shame.html
I think these two topics are so important to know how to grow in ability to connect with others, overcome our awkwardness in relating, become who we are meant to be which all happen in the context of relationships. That's why God put in in "the Body of Christ" because we need each other to grow, become, and bear fruit and only when we are walking in truth, paying attention to what is going on in our lives, willing to live without secrets, involving others we trust in our journey, allowing the Holy SPirit to have his ministry in us in connecting us with God, others and ourselves… then we will become who God intended for us to become, true humans, like Jesus was when he became a man on the earth - we are to become sons and daughters of God, living in security of the Father's love, being free and in deep dependency to the Holy Spirit =)