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I recently watched a documentary on Warren Jeffs, former president of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was horrifying and left me sick to my stomach.

This morning I did a search on my bible app for the word “despair.” The first verse that popped up was from Psalm 88. I slowly read through the verses… yes, wow, that’s most definitely despair.

Humans are the only creatures who tell stories about our lives. We are made in God’s image, and a significant component of God’s character is acting, and then judging those actions.  

Shame is best described as “an internal state of inadequacy, unworthiness, dishonor, regret, or disconnection” (read more about shame at Psychology.com). Shame is global self-judgement- or as a child might state it- “I am bad.” 

After a delightful spring break, I am now amping up for my third term of teaching Psychology at our local community college. I have noticed something about many of my students.

This February, I have been absorbing messages of “law” like there’s no tomorrow. By law, I mean- anything that defines and measures good. 

The birth of Jesus was the beginning of the end  for religion. The story starts with a helpless infant born in humble circumstances to a pair of nobodies. And it ended with a spirit/man ascending to heaven, His final words echoing throughout all of Creation "... you will receive power..." 

Everybody has a blind spot. In psychology, this is called a section of the Johari window (named after its inventors Joseph and Harrington). It's the stuff others know about you that you don't know about yourself.

So here's the thing about parenting: nobody says it, but deep down I think we get it. WE DON’T KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING.  I mean, think about it. Virtually every step of parenting comes with absolutely no previous experience. 

This recently happened to me. A good bit of criticism. I actually paid people to do it, but still. :) I entered my book in the Published Nonfiction category in the 2017 Oregon Christian Writer's awards contest.