Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God's Voice Above All Others

I love how humble, willing to be vulnerable, candid, humorous, and honest Pastor Steven Furtick is in sharing examples from his own day-to-day struggles with the chatterbox, the internal monologue that goes on in our minds that can keep us from living in the fullness of God’s love and freedom.  The lies we believe keep us from hearing, heeding, and accepting the Truth about God, how He sees us and others.  Identifying the lies is an essential step in order to “Crash the Chatterbox.”  Furtick explains that the lies we believe often fall under one of these four categories: insecurity, fear, condemnation, and discouragement.

    
Furtick offers Biblical truths about the children of God as proof that many of the thoughts we have that fall under one of the four categories mentioned above are contrary to who God says we are and how Our Creator sees us.  The importance of daily prayer and ongoing Scripture study are emphasized as keys to combating lies.

    
If you voiced aloud to someone else some of the exact same things that go through your mind about yourself, would they be horrified, offended, or hurt?  Probably.  The thing is the lies we believe not only affect us and our openness to God, but they also affect those around us in big and small ways.

    
Furtick doesn’t suggest that any negative emotion we have is a lie.  Sorrow, guilt, and regret are all very real, truth-based, and can be indicators of sinfulness for which we need to repent and accept forgiveness.

    
It’s rather freeing to find out that some things are intended to be part of our daily struggle to grow closer to the Lord and become more Christ-like.  There’s not some point at which we’ll have overcome all fears, temptations, lies, roadblocks and can coast along without any more obstacles internally or externally—at least not this side of Heaven.

    
I can identify best with people who are down in the trenches still fighting spiritual battles, though able to see and share some of the insights and grace God has given them to keep fighting.  I prefer to read about and hear from a fellow prayer warrior who may be a bit frazzled, but who continues on confident in Christ. 

    
Through humor, personal stories, and pound the chatterbox nuggets, Furtick reminds us that the negative influences, thoughts, and feelings in our lives aren’t going to disappear.  We’re in this battle against darkness and evil, but Christ has already conquered everything we’re fighting against.  We’re given the mercy, grace, forgiveness…all of the tools we need to win every fight we have with fear, discouragement, insecurity, and condemnation.  We just have to admit that we need these blessings and stock up on them through study and prayer. 

    
When a thought goes through my mind, it can be helpful to ask myself whose line is this, anyway?  If it’s of God, I may be called out and asked to change in some way, but, ultimately, I will be lifted up and affirmed as a beloved child of the Lord.  If the line of thinking is governed by fear, insecurity, condemnation, and discouragement without an ounce of hope or freedom in sight, then it’s time to suit up.  When all else fails, go get your armor!

    
I highly recommend Crash the Chatterbox: Hearing God’s Voice above All Others by Steven Furtick.  It’s one of the few books that I have read twice in a row, because there are so many powerful truths and reminders about how to recognize and combat the lies Satan tries to feed us.  I received a free copy of this book from Blogging for Books program in exchange for an honest review.  For more information about the book, or to order your own copy, click here.

    
There are some great links, interviews with some of the experts that are quoted in the book available on the www.crashthechatterbox.com website.  It’s another really good resource that will help you get the most from this book.

Salt and Light: The Commandments, the Beatitudes, and a Joyful Life

I enjoyed this detailed explanation and reflection on the Ten Commandments as the foundation of the faith and the Beatitudes as the crowning moral pillars that lead us towards the love of God.  The writing is interesting as well as accessible.  As someone who has studied and read a fair amount about God’s Top Ten, I still found new, refreshing insights into these basic requirements for living in the Lord’s love.  The reasons why these guidelines are important and some specifics about how they are meant to be lived out in this day and age keep the reader engaged. 

    
Current events and modern-day examples of the Ten Commandments are given, and in most cases are ones with which the general population of practicing Catholics would be familiar.  The Fifth Commandment and the Fifth Chapter of the book are “Against Murder.”  Here’s a taste of the laying-it-on-the-line statements this man makes based on what’s in the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and various papal encyclicals: “…one who favors just war or the legitimate application of the death penalty while always opposing abortion and euthanasia is no more ipso facto a hypocrite than a surgeon who cuts into living flesh to save a patient is the moral equivalent of Jack the Ripper” (pg. 46). 

    
There are quite a few pop culture references that people will easily recognize from their widespread coverage in the mainstream media.  What not as many people might pick up on is the actual teachings of Scripture and those upheld by the Catholic Church since its inception that are built on the foundation of laws found in the Old Testament which were expounded upon when Jesus came to the disciples in the flesh.      

    
Chapter 8 which is titled “The Eighth Commandment Against Bearing False Witness” brings up some hot topics.  For example, Mark Shea claims that it is always wrong to lie, which is why he doesn’t condone the undercover sting operations that Live Action has been conducting under the leadership of pro-life advocate Lila Rose. 

    
Lying is wrong.  I can understand that using deception isn’t right, but isn’t that what people are doing when they go undercover as policemen, detectives, spies, and such?  Is it acceptable on some level if it ultimately serves a greater good or prevents a greater evil?  I agree that there are some situations we can’t really say for sure what would have happened or how someone would have handled it if the aspects of the story were true instead of fabricated for purposes of proving a point.  However, if a couple reasonable, very specific concessions are made for murder, particularly when it comes to “just war” or “legitimate application of the death penalty,” then aren’t there a select type of isolated incidents when lying is acceptable?  Hiding Jews during World War II comes to mind.  Lots of people lied to the Gestapo, but that was for a justified reason and a greater good.

   
Popular speaker and author Mark Shea illustrates how striving to live out the Ten Commandments as well as the Beatitudes leads to joy in life.  Through a look at the values espoused by these rules and how they lead to a fuller, more loving life, Shea makes clear how the basics for a morality on stone tablets given to Moses and Christ’s Sermon on the Mount link together to provide clear ethical guidelines for God’s Chosen People.  Through a close look at Scripture and the Catechism of the Catholic Church, Shea lays out what it takes and what it means to be the salt and light of the earth in today’s world. 

          
This review was written as part of the Catholic book reviewer program from TheCatholic Company. Visit The Catholic Company to find more information on Salt and Light. The Catholic Company is the best resource for all your seasonal needs such as First Communion gifts as well as ideas and gifts for the special papal Year of Faith.  I receive free product samples for writing reviews.

Bilbo's Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of The Hobbit

I haven’t read The Hobbit since I was in middle school, so reading Bilbo’s Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of The Hobbit has been a great way of slipping back into the fascinating world of J. R. R. Tolkien.  It’s also made me quite intrigued and excited about reading The Lord of the Rings trilogy from beginning to end.  Yes, I must admit, there are many amazing books out there, some very important literary works, I haven’t yet read from cover to cover.     

    
Honestly, the most recent experience I’ve had becoming absorbed in Tolkien’s creations before reading this book was watching The Lord of the Rings Trilogy on DVD along with countless hours of behind-the-scenes footage.  If you already appreciate this trilogy, then you will find it hard to contain your excitement when you hear and see all that went into the filming of it. 

    
Being a bit removed from my first time reading The Hobbit and discussing it in a public school setting, I thoroughly enjoyed the in-depth look at the Christian meaning and significance of Tolkien’s epic adventure as well as his wildly popular trilogy which Joseph Pearce provides. 

    
No one is completely immune to the “dragon sickness” of selfishness and pride, but those who respond to “luck” as it is called in The Hobbit are given all they need to overcome each encounter with it.  Pearce’s close examination of the special set of circumstances required for Elrond to even be able to see the letters on the map shows that the mere “chance” of this

happening is highly improbable.  To chalk so much up to chance would be absurd.  Providence and grace are at work.    

    
A “Divine Will” involved as a higher order is the only reasonable explanation for things coming together perfectly, literally down to the last second. The pitfalls of pride, the dangers of materialism, and the necessity of self-sacrifice in order to love and forge true friendships are seen more clearly through the eyes of this Tolkien scholar.  The virtues and values that matter most don’t change.  The pursuit of power, pleasure, and promoting lies leads to destruction, despair, and death for those in the human realm as well as those in fairy tales. 

    
Bilbo’s Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of The Hobbit is the perfect book to get your ready for the soon-to-be released movie The Hobbit likely coming to a theater near you this month.  For more information about Bilbo’s Journey: Discovering the Hidden Meaning of The Hobbit or to get your own copy of the book, click here.  I received a free copy of this book from Saint Benedict Press in order for writing an honest review of it.     

Extreme Makeover: Women Transformed by Christ Not Conformed to the Culture

 Extreme Makeover is a thorough overview of the truth about contraception, abortion, and the teachings of the Catholic Church. Author and radio talk show host Teresa Tomeo lays out the Catholic Church’s main teachings regarding the dignity of human life from the moment of conception, the sacredness of sexuality (and the proper context for such interactions), as well as the special role of women.

    
Woven through a slew of statistics, facts, and figures about the prevalence and negative effects of contraception and abortion in the US and abroad, is the story of Teresa Tomeo’s own experience of having her basic beliefs about herself, her marriage, the Catholic Church, and her role in the media turned upside down and inside out.
     
This book provides some good guidelines for learning more about the how and why behind Catholic teachings, a clear delineation of what they actually are (when it comes to sexuality and the expression of it) and why these tenets of the faith aren’t going to change because of public opinion or popular trends. Several papal encyclicals are quoted and referenced in order to explain controversial Church teachings on a deeper level with Scriptural background and a Christian context.
    
Not only is it important to understand Catholic teaching, but it’s also essential to compare what comes from the Church versus the slant that is placed on what’s been said by the mainstream secular media. Tomeo suggests a number of websites and practices that will help the reader begin a detox from the many cultural lies that are presented as emphatically as gospel truth by many journalists and newscasters.
    
Much of the information included about contraception, abortion, Natural Family Planning, and the pro-life practices will be a review for those who are already involved in the movement. The same is true for those who have been keeping up with Catholic teaching and papal encyclicals—they’ll have seen quite a bit of this before.
    
Extreme Makeover is a good summation of the Church’s truth versus our culture’s lies about sexual morality, reproduction, and how to respect and protect the dignity of human life. In addition to a number of resources that are included as proof of the scientific research that’s been done, Tomeo has incorporated some personal testimonies of women whose lives have also been dramatically changed since they learned about and embraced the Catholic stance on contraception and abortion.   
     
I wrote this review of Extreme Makeover for the free Catholic book review program, Tiber River. Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases. I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Wrongly Accused

No one likes to be accused of committing an injustice or crime, but it’s always much worse when the person publically blamed is completely innocent of the charges brought against him or her. 

     
I can still remember rather vividly the incident that occurred at my elementary school when I was in second grade.  A popular girl received a really mean anonymous note, and the teachers were questioning each “suspect” individually at tables in the library.
    
I hadn’t written the note and explained that I wouldn’t do something like that.  I was really insulted and offended when they had me come back a second time for questioning.  The arguments against me were 1.) The handwriting on the note was messy.  (Apparently I wasn’t the only second grader with poor penmanship.)  2.) I didn’t really like the girl who’d been given the note.  (Being outgoing, blond, and popular weren’t traits that (in and of themselves) would win me over as a friend.)
     
I couldn’t and didn’t deny that I had/have sloppy handwriting, nor did I lie and say I was friends with the girl when I wasn’t.  My anxiety, aggravation, and anger escalated, because I was telling the truth and people didn’t believe me.  Eventually they caught the real culprit, who was probably given whatever the appropriate punishment was at that time for a second grade meanie with poor penmanship in a public school. 

Fast-forward to fourth grade, and I was wrongly accused again of writing a hateful note to a popular girl who turned it in to the teacher.  Yet again, I was suspected due to my sloppy scrawling and my refusal to join the popular girl’s fan club of followers.  I told the truth, which was eventually discovered by the teachers involved.  After that, the proper perpetrator was punished in whatever manner was acceptable at that time for a fourth grade bully in a Catholic school. 

     
How did it feel to be wrongly accused?  I felt frustrated, angry, insulted, and offended both times it happened.  It really upset me that the teachers and classmates I thought knew me pretty well would suggest that I would do something so hurtful and mean.    
     
Thinking back on how upset I was over wrongly being accused of actions that now seem rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things has given me a different perspective on Christ’s suffering.  Jesus was wrongly accused of many serious crimes throughout his life, but He didn’t lash out in anger or take out a few Pharisees with the intention of proving His power.  Instead, He let His love, healing, generosity, and eternal wisdom speak for themselves as sufficient proof of His identity, integrity, intentions, and mission. 

Lord, help us to reconcile with those we have wrongly accused and with those who have unjustly blamed us.  Remind us how honesty, integrity, and truth can and will always overcome lies, deceit, and falsehood.  Lead us to be Children of the Light. Amen.   

Excellent Advent Advice Part III: Hold on to Hope

Last Friday, Kevin and I went to the Ultreya held at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Richmond to reconnect with our Cursillo family, support the person giving the witness talk, who was my awesome Team Member at Table (TMAT) when I made my weekend back in June 2006 at Mary Mother of the Church Abbey, and see one of the spiritual divas from my group reunion who was going to be helping with the music for the evening. 

     
Though I had gotten to know the witness to some extent in my years involved in the Cursillo movement, nothing could have prepared me for her witness talk.  This strong woman shared openly about a time in her life when the darkness had descended, depression had settled in, and living the lie that everything’s fine became the rule instead of the exception. 

     
I’m still utterly amazed that she made it through such a difficult period while hiding some very painful secrets by holding on to a pinpoint of light and hope.  Her story is further proof God never gives up on us or stops seeking to have a relationship with us that allows us to walk in the Truth.  Others who have known this person longer and gotten to know her better were also surprised at the depth of the trauma she and her family had suffered. 

The very powerful experience Friday evening definitely fit my description of Ultreya and what they’ve meant to Kevin and me over the years.   The term Ultreya comes from a Spanish word meaning onward and suggests the purpose of these gatherings, which is to help us persevere and get encouragement for our spiritual journey. 

To me, an Ultreya is a mini retreat and Cursillo family reunion all rolled into one.  It’s a time when your fellow Babe Chicks, your spouse, your sponsors, and the many people who made your weekend possible and prayer-filled gather with many other Cursillistas for Scripture reflection, prayer, spiritual growth, fun, fellowship, and food.

When I served on my first Cursillo team for the Women’s Weekend in October 2009 when our theme was “Harvesting God’s Abundance,” I gave the talk on the weekend about Ultreya, the Friday evening gatherings usually held the 1^st and 3^rd Fridays of the month at local parishes.  Already known in the community as a spiritual diva, I decided to end my talk with an Ultreya version of this popular TV show theme song.  I called it Cheers for Ultreya, and it fit perfectly.  Actually the witness and some other Cursillistas linked arms and sang it with me after the Ultreya held at Sacred Heart a few years ago. 

Have you had a dark time in your life when you could only see a pinpoint of light?  Do you know someone who is in a dark period right now?  What could you do to offer that person hope and share the light God has given you?

Sons of Cain

     Sons of Cain is an action-packed page-turner with spiritual and political intrigue that hits eerily close to describing our world’s present culture of death.  There is definitely a sense of darkness and evil versus goodness and light that goes far beyond the usual conflicts addressed in most of the high stakes adventure novels I’ve read over the years (which, by the way, are also too numerous to count).

Flywheel

     The makers of Fireproof and Facing the Giants produced another great movie full of moral messages, conversion, and healing. 

     My husband and I really enjoyed Fireproof, both the film and the corresponding Love Dare book, which we read and did together for the forty days, as is mentioned in the movie.  Earlier this year we were impressed by the movie Facing the Giants, so when Kevin was making his wish list for his birthday, he made sure the Flywheel DVD was on it. 

     We ended up bringing the movie on vacation with us since there’s no cable TV at the cottage, and yet again, the timing of us watching it was certainly a God-incident.  My husband and I had been praying about and discerning about

Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures

Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures is a very intellectual, academic book in its approach to treating different theological questions as well as in the type of philosophical questions raised by science and technology. Joseph Ratzinger, Pope Benedict XVI first delivered this lecture at the School of Catholic Culture in Santa Croce, in Bassano, Italy, not too long before he was elected pope.

    
Most of the piece focuses on the tendency in Europe to move away from traditional Christian values towards what Pope Benedict XVI describes as a “modern Enlightenment philosophy,” which insists beliefs should be able to be proven through mathematics and science. This decomposition of morality and ethics leads to a violation of the very freedom of the individual it presumes to protect when the rights and preferences of certain people reign while those in poverty, without a voice, the unborn, the elderly, the marginalized…are at the mercy of those who exercise and protect liberty inasmuch as it applies to the convenience of those in power.
       
The work addresses three main topics: “The Crisis of Cultures,” “The Right to Life,” and “What does it mean to believe?” In the first section, we are shown the contradictions present between the Christian culture, now and throughout history, and a contemporary culture which prizes rationalistic philosophies. The second part discusses how this perspective leads to conflict that undermines both individuality and democracy, because “when man’s conscience loses respect for life as something sacred, he inevitably ends by losing his own identity” (pg. 60).
    
Through the discussion of other major world religions, agnosticism as a solution, and the likely implications and morality upheld when the dignity of every human is respected, Pope Benedict XVI provides a treatise for how those who become and teach holiness and a love of truth will be the ones to give hope to a culture that has seemingly become self-centered enough to self-destruct.          Adding God back into the equation, even if His Existence hasn’t been sufficiently proven or denied for some focused on mathematics, sciences, and technology is the best possible scenario our world has for upholding that which is true liberty, freedom, and hope for all.
    
You can purchase this book here.
    
I wrote this review of Christianity and the Crisis of Cultures for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.
    
Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

unPLANNED

I’d been looking forward to reading unPLANNED by Abby Johnson since I first heard it was coming out. My husband and I were listening to the webcast Abby Johnson did with Shawn Carney and David Bereit, among others, the night before her miraculous true story hit the shelves.
    
Since my mom, husband, and I have been involved in 40 Days for Life for a few years now, I received some e-mail updates a while back from David Bereit and Shawn Carney about a major conversion that had taken place in a former Planned Parenthood director. It seemed poetic justice that the very abortion clinic where 40 Days for Life began is where Abby Johnson was the director. She began volunteering with Planned Parenthood near the same time in college that Shawn Carney, co-founder and current national leader of 40 Days for Life, helped the Coalition for Life just being formed in Bryan, Texas take off.
   
The book is remarkably well-written and very authentic. When Abby shares her experiences, friendships, beliefs, and passions, she does so openly, about her time volunteering, then working for Planned Parenthood and becoming a star employee and director. She describes just as candidly how she felt and what she thought from the time she began volunteering at the abortion clinic until she got to the point several years later at which she had to resign, no longer willing to participate in what assisting with one ultrasound-guided abortion made her certain the taking of innocent life.     

This is a very compelling account of what Planned Parenthood teaches its employees, clients, and the media to believe wholeheartedly: that they want to make abortion rare and that they make business decisions based on what’s best for women more than on what’s going to be most profitable.
    
It’s very powerful to read about how Abby, who was raised in a Christian home, and whose parents have always been pro-life, was talked into and for a time completely believed that she was working for an organization that was helping women and that the pro-lifers praying on the other side of the fence were the real enemy.
    
Truly God’s grace, forgiveness, love, mercy, and compassion are evident in Abby’s conversion. The Lord placed people in her path very early on who ended up being the ones she ran to when the truth of being responsible for so many deaths completely overwhelmed her. Now they are the ones she works with to share her story, to educate everyone about what really happens inside the fenced-off, locked-down Planned Parenthood buildings.
    
Many aspects of the past eight years of her life clearly show the Lord working to bring Abby Johnson and many others closer to Him. She’s now reaching out in prayer, understanding, and compassion from the other side of the fence, the one that respects and promotes the sanctity of human life.
    
Her story is remarkable, the blessings amazing, and the light shed into utter darkness is striking. Whichever side of the fence you’re on, you will find part of this book speaks to your mind and your heart. Reading about the other side from someone who lived it and believed it for years has been quite an education for me, very eye-opening.
    
I have spoken with, ministered to, and prayed with women who have had abortions, but I hadn’t read anything that gave as much insight and detail about what working at a Planned Parenthood is like. What an incredible miracle has unfolded thanks to the Lord working in the hearts and minds of His children!
    
You can purchase this book here.
    
I wrote this review of unPLANNED for the Tiber River Blogger Review program.  Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases. I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Exposing the Lies, Accepting the Truth, and Experiencing Healing

Many of the women and men who have been hurt by abortion, which is the #1 moneymaker of Planned Parenthood, have come to those of us who are praying for an end to abortion in order to share their stories about what happened to them, how it's affected them, etc. A major part of our ministry, prayer coverage, and practical support is in providing healing from the hurt they've experienced as a result of a choice they made.
    
Now many women who have had abortions and who later came to aid in performing abortions have experienced profound transformations when they've been honest with themselves and others about what they were thinking, feeling, what others did and said to them, what they chose, and what it's been like since that choice. I was thoroughly amazed by the courage of the women and girls, scientists, lawyers, and civil rights activists who speak out in the documentary BloodMoney.
    
There are few people whose testimonies and experiences with Planned Parenthood are more powerful than those who have had an abortion, worked in a clinic where they've led others to have abortions and/or assisted in the procedure itself, and have since seen the Truth about the sanctity of life.      No one wants to be lied to. No one wants to be told that what they experienced and have felt isn't valid. Well, many who are coming forward now, some whose stories I've heard because we're close friends, are proving to be incredible wounded healers once they've received the forgiveness God wants to give them for their sin.
    
I know that any time in my life when I've been open to the promptings of the Holy Spirit, that the Lord has continued to show me the lies I have believed that have caused me pain as well as hurt others. I'm never going to have it all figured out. I'm always going to be in need of mind renewal this side of heaven. That being said, there are some Truths that I have experienced in such profound ways through the grace of God, that I've been completely transformed from the inside out.
    
Lies and deception are the devil's playground. They are where he operates. If each of us acknowledges that we don't have all the answers, but that God's Divine Truth supersedes all of our thoughts, arguments, and experiences to the contrary, then we realize the only way to discover the Truth and even attempt to live in it is to be willing to allow Him to replace our lie-based thinking, in every and all areas of our lives.
    
This reminds me of one of my favorite Brooklyn Tabernacle Choir songs which includes the lyrics: "we are not fighting flesh and blood, but principalities of the dark." What needs to be exposed most goes way deeper than Planned Parenthood or abortion, it goes much deeper than individuals, it can be traced back to basic lies that we have believed about God, humanity, how we're to treat one another, and what is truly good versus evil.

Bloodmoney: A Documentary narrated by Alveda King

BloodMoney is a documentary I would also classify as a nonfiction horror film in which the most gory graphic images are left to the viewers’ imagination while the cold, hard facts are given outright by scientists, lawyers, historians, and former abortion clinic workers. Far scarier than fiction are the accounts of blood, dirty instruments, infant body parts, cash-only for quick death transactions, and a long list of life-long side effects.

    
I don’t watch horror films. I don’t like haunted houses. I don’t enjoy being scared, frightened, or terrified, but I have a passion for uncovering the truth, even if it leads me to conclusions and evidence that is extremely disturbing.
    
This documentary on the high profitability of abortion clinics, the conception of Planned Parenthood and its current work, the scientific research showing when life begins, and the scientifically and medically verified devastating side effects of abortion is narrated by Alveda King, Martin Luther King Jr.’s niece. It’s quite fitting that she has taken a strong stand against abortion that is as radical to some as her uncle’s was when it came to civil rights.      There were a number of times watching this film that I cringed or gasped aloud, not usually because of what I saw, but because of the scientific, medical, historical, even legal facts given. Some of them I’d heard and read elsewhere, others I was learning about for the first time.
    
What affected me the most was hearing the details about the practices and business plans of an abortion clinic from a clinician who spent a number of years in the industry. She plainly described the many unregulated, immoral, unethical, and often even illegal tactics and procedures she, the doctors, and staff other staff carried out .
    
Also very powerful are the testimonies of women who have had abortions talking about the experience, some of them a number of years after having had the procedure, sharing about the physical, emotional, and even spiritual scars this supposed “quick fix” has caused them.
    
If you are just learning about the ways we are called to respect and protect human life from conception to natural death or you have been in the pro-life movement for years, this documentary will educate you, move you, and likely inspire you to prayer and action.
    
Watch the movie trailer here. Find out more about the film and/or order your own copy at Bloodmoney Film.

Healing Life's Hurts Through Theophostic Prayer

   I became interested in Theophostic Prayer when a friend of mine and her family who are Charismatic Catholics talked with me about it in the context of being a powerful method for healing. My friend shared with me the experience she had during her first Theophostic Prayer session, and I immediately wanted to hear more about the ministry which focuses on prayer as a means of mind renewal and experiential healing of lie-based beliefs with the Holy Spirit’s Truth.
     My friend’s father, who is a trained spiritual director and one of the leaders of our parish’s Charismatic Prayer Group, loaned me two books on the topic of Theophostic Prayer. The first book entitled Healing Life’s Hurts through Theophostic Prayer was written by the developer of this ministry, pastoral counselor Dr. Edward M. Smith. Theophostic is a word that comes from two Greek words Theos (God) and Phos (light). “These two words describe God illuminating a previously darkened area of one’s mind and thoughts with His truth. Theophostic Prayer Ministry is God’s true Light, the Spirit of Christ bringing divine truth experientially into one’s historical life experiences.” (pg. 10)      The thinking behind this method of prayer and healing is that oftentimes our present reactions and emotions to experiences also include those from our past, whether we’re conscious of it at the time or not. Because we have this emotional baggage from the past that we carry with us, we react to current events in our lives in certain ways. Dr. Smith has found that by identifying the earliest memory when the emotion or thought process first was experienced, that healing can come through prayer and inviting the Holy Spirit to come and heal the pain caused by the lies the person came to believe at that time by replacing them with His Infinite Truth.
     I find this idea quite intriguing. I have been acutely aware for years that many of my childhood experiences have heavily influenced my reaction to people, places, and circumstances in my present life. Though I can go back through what I thought and felt at the time and logically think through my current reactions and where they came from, why they don’t really make sense in the present situation, etc. I still held on to many of the lies I came to believe about God, myself, and others during those traumatic events. It makes sense that freedom and healing come when, through prayer, we open ourselves to having the lies we’ve believed replaced with the Truth that comes to us from the Holy Spirit.
     Far from being a one-time cure for all your problems, Dr. Smith emphasizes that Theophostic Prayer Ministry is a process that helps us to heal deep emotional pain throughout life. We will inevitably have people, situations, places, and events that will trigger our memories. The most troublesome emotions we experience can often be traced back to a particular memory in our lives when we first adopted what we can now identify as being a lie-based belief. Our behavior since that time reflects the belief is still deeply ingrained in us. Only through prayer, identifying the lies, and through God’s grace accepting the Truth that comes from the Holy Spirit are we likely to be healed on a level deep enough that the memory remains, but the raw pain it caused us and the lies we came to believe at the time are replaced.
     Since reading Healing Life’s Hurts Through Theophostic Prayer and experiencing my first Theophostic Prayer Session with ministers who were trained by Dr. Smith himself, I have become even more interested in studying and using this method of healing.

The Loser Letters: A Comic Tale of Life, Death, and Atheism

This sassy, intellectually savvy, lingo-loaded satire turns theism and atheism inside out and upside down. Through a series of letters written by a female atheist to the leaders of the “New Atheism,” author Mary Eberstadt creates a character who’s ready to tell it like it is and how it should be. The heroine, who refers to herself in The Loser Letters as, A. F. Christian (A Former Christian), mixes present –day pop culture references to Facebook and YouTube trends, hit TV shows such as Project Runway and What Not to Wear, and plenty of texting/instant messaging shorthand, with a hard-hitting critique of key players in both the theistic and atheistic traditions across history.
   
Some reviewers have compared this to C. S. Lewis’ The Screwtape Letters, and I can certainly see some similarities in the satirical approach to winning more people over to the “dark side.” However, this series of letters all written by A. F. Christian to the powers that be in the Atheist world are more conversational, edgy and so deeply steeped in contemporary culture that youth and those up on technology and the latest fads will get the references to current trends and perhaps some of the historical ones. Others who are well-read in religion, literature, and the pro-life movement will likely find the strategic name-dropping and prominently placed academic references easier to identify with than the latest lingo. Those who are well-read and consider technology a BFF will be left reeling, writhing, and, at times, LOL.
    
Regardless of your religious or literary leanings, A.F. Christian is likely to press your buttons as she waxes philosophic about the hot topics of our time. Eberstadt digs deep to uncover the weak points of the arguments on both sides of the line. If you don’t find your mouth dropping open or your temperature rising at some point while reading this book, then you haven’t been paying attention.
    
Eberstadt gives new meaning to the term femme fatale. I highly recommend you read this book to find out why, how, and for what greater purpose she does this.
    
You can purchase this book here.
    
I wrote this review of The Loser Letters for the Tiber River Blogger Review program. Tiber River is the first Catholic book review site, started in 2000 to help you make informed decisions about Catholic book purchases.  I receive free product samples as compensation for writing reviews for Tiber River.

Living the Lie that Everything's Fine

You can fool some of the people all of the time and all of the people some of the time, but you can’t fool all of the people all of the time.

I used to be much better at fooling people than I am now. I got so used to burying my thoughts and feelings that there were times it took me quite a while before I could go below the surface of what I did during the day to access how it made me feel and what I thought about it. Most of these thoughts and feelings I wouldn’t have dreamed of saying out loud.
  
My mom, who was my only real confidante for many years, still remembers how it would take me half an hour of talking with her about superficial things, then a half hour of crying without being able to say anything before I’d finally open up and tell her what was going on inside.
  
Looking back, I find it hard to believe that I held so much in for so long. My middle school and high school years were often tumultuous and sometimes downright hellish, yet rarely did my closest friends know what was going on in my life. Part of the reason I didn’t talk about illnesses, injuries, addictions, disagreements, embarrassments were because I didn’t want to cry in public. I didn’t want to be seen as vulnerable or weak. Plus, as is customary of dysfunctional families, we had an unwritten law that you just don’t talk about it to other people.
  
It surprises me now how deceptively good I got at acting like everything was fine. I earned good grades, was involved in clubs, hung out with friends on the weekends, and went to church, but on the inside I was deeply unhappy, stressed, afraid, and worn down from living the lie.
  
A song that came out in 2005 whose lyrics and the theatrical singing performance amused me because of how well they portrayed the duplicitousness of people. In the song, “Mother, Mother” off of The Secret Life album by The Veronicas, the following lines are sung in such a way, they’ve stuck in my head for years as a prime example of what people say versus what they’re really feeling:
  
“I’m hungry. I’m dirty. I’m losing my miiiiind!”  “EVERYTHING’S FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!”
“I’m freezing. I’m starving. I’m bleeding to death!”  “EVERYTHING’S FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINE!”
  
There's only One who always knows if what we're saying is truly in line with what's in our heart and on our mind.  Others may think they know, but sometimes they're wrong.  We don't always say what we mean or what we think.  It's rather ironic that so often we crave intimacy, wanting so much to be known, accepted, and loved, yet we fear the vulnerability required to let others get to know us.
  
Lord, You who knit us in our mother’s womb, have known us from the beginning of time. You know each word and action, every thought and motivation behind it, yet You love us infinitely and desire to have an intimate relationship with us. You alone know us inside and out and can, therefore, love us more completely than anyone else. Lord, open our hearts, minds, bodies, and souls to such a profound intimate love, as Yours was, is, and ever shall be.