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When I was growing up, my father worked at difficult jobs. These included heavy equipment operator at a lumber mill (Weyerhaeuser in Bly), and helping to build the railroad by Chiloquin (laying ties). He left early in the mornings, and arrived home just in time for dinner, usually exhausted.

Self-disclosure is the transparent sharing of one’s genuine inner state or experience. 

I recently had the pleasure of peppering therapist Ingrid Ord with many, many questions.  She graciously responded, and as a result I have sunk deeper into the pillows of grace.

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. 

I've written a whole book about the things I'm not good at... eye contact, small talk, receiving judgment, and always coming up short of perfection.

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..."