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Welcome to SOUL SCHOOL!
These installments come out each Wednesday (Hump Day – Midweek). Guest interviews come out each FRIDAY.
This week, I’m inspired to share a taste about the abundance of love and connection and some of my reflections, from one of my favorite broadcasters and authors, Krista Tippet, from her new book: Becoming Wise: An Inquiry into the Art and Mystery of Living.
* UPDATE: Krista heard this episode and sent me a note.
Today, I’m featuring a returning guest, my friend, Ray Hollenbach: teacher, blogger, writer, former pastor, and now a facilitator of the Deeper Seminars. Ray trains leaders and any one interested in deepening their spiritual maturity and walk of faith in the Fruit of the Spirit in small group settings so lasting transformation is likely.
Included in the show notes are FREE downloads of Ray’s exercises for you (scroll to the bottom to get those). We hope you enjoy them. Be sure to get his powerful book Deeper Grace.
If you appreciate what you hear today, if you enjoy it or benefit from it at all, please remember that just a few dollars from you helps a lot.
Soul School Lesson 9 includes selected excerpts of my new book on Discernment.
From December 9th-December 15th 2015, the Kindle book will be on special, starting at just 99¢ and increasing daily back to the original price. Snap up a few copies now and hand them out for the holidays or whenever you notice someone at a crossroads in their life.
Everyone gets forked in life…That point where your path comes to a split and you have to choose carefully which way to go.
Watch the new book trailer and get a taste of what it’s about!
Navigating the territory of crossroad or difficult decisions is also called, in many faith traditions, discernment.
My new book works like a practical pocket guide based on time-tested spiritual exercises that have helped people for over 400 years (The Spiritual Exercises by Ignatius of Loyola, originally written to help men make a wise decision about vocational priesthood).
FORKED: A Discernment Pocket Guide is a guidebook and an integrated process approach that includes all aspects of you: body, mind, and spirit in a prayerful way.
When we find a fork in our road we tend to dis-integrate from our whole and leave out key parts of us when we decide things. Keys things like the intuition, the imagination, the nature talents we have, or the godly passions of the heart that have been germination and waiting to sprout in fertile ground.
Seven key exercises in the book guide you through introspective questions that help you understand yourself and your situation better in a way you’ve never encountered.
There is no one way to accomplish the process. That means, you can progress through all of the the exercises, or pick the ones that make the best fit for you and your situation. Just grab a notebook and pen and begin.
Today’s guest is a blogger, author, musician and a woman who suffered a string of terrible events and decided to tackle the topic of grief to help others through the process.
If you’ve suffered a loss or know someone who’s grieving, this book will bring some needed comfort and give you helpful information to help better. Alise and I have an important conversation today. Please scroll down to the shownotes to access the important links mentioned in the show.
Min 2:00
What is a good first step when someone is suffering?
MIN 3:00
“I’m sorry you’re going through this.”
Saying less is more.
Really listen to the language the person is using and echo it back to them and not the language that is comfortable for (you).
MIN 5:20
Using faith or heaven language might not be welcome.
MIN 9:30
About the string of suffering and trauma that brought grief to Alise and how she needed to get better through therapy and medication.
MIN 14:00
Medication during grief to process properly.
MIN 17:00
Isolation in grief. The paradox of uniqueness and universality of grief.
MIN 20:00
How we can share our grief with memories or with others in some way.
MIN 21:20 Grief Share organization and places to develop new rituals and finding community of other bereaved.
MIN 23:00
“Grief helps us find our humanity.”
Grief pulls us together. It’s the event that strips us of our humanity.
MIN 25:00
Attaching morality onto emotion is doing ourselves a disservice because it doesn’t allow us to feel what we feel. The actions beyond those feelings can be moral or immoral.
MIN 26:00
Grief and separation anxiety:
Grief is the (normal) human emotional response to loss. It is a common part of human experience and may produce growth. We can lose people, places, objects, relationships, and even ideas. Some losses may not be actual, but anticipated, or a perceived loss. (25) Acute grief looks remarkably similar to a classic anxiety attack (same physical symptoms). It is similar to the feelings felt in fear. In grief one fears the loss of self through separation, and experiences separation anxiety. (28)
It is a function of attachment. It can be understood also as our emotions catching up with our reality. (38) The more we can love the more we can grieve. Our abnormal attachments show up (caused by an improper process of grieving) as permanent emotional detachment or heightened attachment. (30)
R. Scott Sullender, “Grief and Growth: Pastoral Resources for Emotional and Spiritual Growth” Paulist Press, 1985.
MIN 28:30
Stages of grief like a water cycle and forgiveness and grace.
MIN 31:30
Extending forgiveness during grief and the risk and humility needed.
MIN 32:15
Healing and time and doing our part and letting go once we’ve done what we can.
MIN 33:15
A mustard seed of faith that the story isn’t over yet. Reconciliation can mean we put our weapons down and that’s restoration too.
MIN 34:15
Recognizing progress.
MIN 35:00
Being more aware of grief in others so that you can have more grace during trying circumstances.
Thank you for listening! If you enjoyed the show please leave a review that will be helpful to would-be listeners on iTunes and don’t forget to sign up for the newsletter!
Mary is the author of thirty books, including her latest: The Day I Met Jesus: The Revealing Diaries of Five Women from the Gospels. She has spoken around the world about God’s ability to uncage a life, bringing needed freedom to her audiences. You can visit her website at MaryDeMuth.com
Scroll down for shownotes and be sure to see the news about Lisa’s new book on godly discernment and decision-making HERE.
allow you to take a peek inside too.
