Spiritual Sounding Board – This is your place to gather and share in an open format.
-by Kathi
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Acts 1: 1 – 11
In my former book, Theophilus, I wrote about all that Jesus began to do and to teach until the day he was taken up to heaven, after giving instructions through the Holy Spirit to the apostles he had chosen. After his suffering, he showed himself to these men and gave many convincing proofs that he was alive. He appeared to them over a period of forty days and spoke about the kingdom of God. On one occasion, while he was eating with them, he gave them this command: “Do not leave Jerusalem, but wait for the gift my Father promised, which you have heard me speak about. For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.”
So when they met together, they asked him, “Lord, are you at this time going to restore the kingdom to Israel?”
He said to them: “It is not for you to know the times or dates the Father has set by his own authority. But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.”
After he said this, he was taken up before their very eyes, and a cloud hid him from them sight.
They were looking intently up into the sky as he was going, when suddenly two men dressed in white stood beside them. “Men of Galilee,” they said, “why do you stand here looking into the sky? this same Jesus, who has been taken from you into heaven, will come back in the same way you have seen him go into heaven.”
Psalm 63
O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.
I have seen you in the sanctuary and beheld your power and your glory. Because your love is better than life, my lips will glorify you. I will praise you as long as I live, and in your name I will lift up my hands. My soul will be satisfied as with the richest of foods; with singing lips my mouth will praise you.
On my bed I remember you; I think of you through the watches of the night. Because you are my help, I sing in the shadow of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand upholds me.
They who seek my life will be destroyed; they will go down to the depths of the earth. They will be given over to the sword and become food for jackals. But the king will rejoice in God; all who swear by God’s name will praise him, while the mouths of liars will be silenced.
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May the peace of the Lord Christ go with you: wherever he may send you;
may he guide you through the wilderness: protect you from the storm;
may he bring you home rejoicing: at the wonders he has shown you;
may he bring you home rejoicing: once again into our doors.
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Feel free to join the discussion.
You can share your church struggles and concerns.
Let’s also use it as a time to encourage one another spiritually.
What have you found spiritually encouraging lately?
Do you have any special Bible verses to share, any YouTube songs that you have found uplifting?
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Photo credit: Kathi – Snow day in Portland!
Spiritual Sounding Board 
Kathi,
I see you have a JJ Heller song already! Great song. (What a great musician and singer, right?) Okay, so here’s another one, and thanks for the post and the cool pic…and the great Bible passage.
And thanks for your great posts and bravery for taking on all these life-spoilers, Kathi (and Julie Anne).
Have as blessed week now.
“What love really means” (JJ Heller).
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Thanks Boston Lady! Wishing you (and everyone else) a wonderful Sunday.
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Long ago, I wrote a comment (which turned into a post) about being stuck. I’ve gained great understanding since then. I understand many of the defense mechanisms I’ve used to maintain self-control and be “productive” in life. I understand more and more how the defense mechanisms have become barriers to recovery, and been able to be more real about where I really am. Yet, I’m still afraid of what will happen if I even try to crack open a box of decades of rotting mistreatment.
Last week, my counselor recommended EMDR to help me process many traumatic memories in my past. I’m wondering if anyone here has tried that and whether it was helpful. I feel like I’m barely holding a boulder up at the top of a big hill. At this point, the boulder is not growing any bigger, but I’m concerned that the wrong shockwave might loosen my grip and send the boulder hurtling down the hill, crushing me in the process.
The first step of the therapy was trying to remember some of the most traumatic memories, and the past few days I’ve felt like an emotional mess.
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Mark,
Read this; it may help you.
https://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/emdr.html
http://skepdic.com/emdr.html
Be careful, Mark. There are people out there who pounce on the vulnerable at every opportunity that presents itself. That, in my opinion, is just about as low as one can go.
Surround yourself with people who are in the same boat as you are; that way, you won’t sink or panic.
It’ll get better, Mark. Always keep one eye on our Savior, our help, and refuge, and then, strangely enough, the other eye automatically follows.
There are good and solid scientifically/medically methods out there, but it takes some digging around to ascertain which ones are the bogus ones. The two sites I have supplied (one guy is an atheist and the other a medical doctor) are great resources to tell apart a genuine dollar bill from a fake.
I’ll be praying for you; I don’t want you to be an emotional mess. It is not necessary.
God bless you, Mark.
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Boston Lady, she came highly recommended, is state licensed, and this is after a significant amount of time. She’s recommended other things, and even this, she asked me if I would consider it, then explained it and how it had worked for her.
I appreciate the articles. I also appreciate that they aren’t saying that people are “damaged” by EMDR, just that the eye movement isn’t demonstrably better than without. That leads me to think that there may be a significant placebo effect, and that the “real” benefit is the controlled exploration of traumatic memories. I’m not 100% sure that my memories work quite that way.
I’ve had difficulties forming healthy relationships, and especially ones where I’m vulnerable in the way you seem to recommend. I grew up within a very Pharisaical church with a similarly distorted view of God, so that is another area of my life I’m working through.
Thanks for your prayers.
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Mark – I have not personally gone through EMDR, but I know a lot of people who have and I have read a lot of research on the method. Everyone that I know who has used it to process trauma has reported success with the therapy. Please make sure you trust your therapist and know that you can stop the process at any point that you think it is not working for you.
Wishing and praying for continued strength, healing and peace for you.
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Thanks, Kathi!
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Yes, I am with Kathi, Praying for you just the best, of course, Mark!
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A therapist trained in EMDR is an excellent resource. The science is clear.
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You are a Nutt case for sure. Even King David did like Saul but would not even speak against him because he knew God put him there. You r a Nutt case!
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