Revealing the False Self

Seth has been teaching a great series on identity over on his blog, this is from todays post “Escaping a prison of my own making”.

Brennan Manning does a good job of describing the impostor in his book Abba’s Child:

“Impostors are preoccupied with acceptance and approval. Because of their suffocating need to please others, they cannot say no with the same confidence with which they say yes. And so they overextend themselves in people, projects, and causes, motivated not by personal commitment but by the fear of not living up to others’ expectations…

Our false self stubbornly blinds each of us to the light and the truth of our own emptiness and hollowness. We cannot acknowledge the darkness within. On the contrary the impostor proclaims his darkness as the most luminous light, varnishing truth and distorting reality. This brings to mind the Apostle John’s words: ‘If we claim to be without sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us,’ (1John 1:8).”
The first step in detaching from your false self is to recognize reality.

Pray and ask God to reveal where and when you began to put on this mask. Seek the help of a mentor or counselor. Life is too short to live as someone God never intended you to be.

Dream: Jail and Airport

I guess continuing my strange dreams, I had this one on Sunday morning.

It started off with Ari and I this place that was like a jail, it wasn’t one but it seemed like one. Ari was in charge of the place and I was hanging out in the lobby, but behind this glass door with iron bars were a bunch of guys in holding. I don’t remember much else, but that scene is still pretty vivid in my mind.

Afterward Ari and I were checking in at the airport, but she had forgotten her license. We left the ticket counter pretty disappointed, but as we are leaving her Uncle shows up with her license. The license itself was pretty banged up but it was her license none the less. After checking in we were out in the parking lot getting our bags and her Uncle and Aunt show up again to give us boxes of supplies for our trip (lots of food and bug replant). As we start to open the boxes and put foodstuffs into our bags, we took out junk (Indian symbols or other mysticisms). We put the good stuff in our bags and our two kids bags. 🙂

Dream: House w/Spring

This dream was rather long, what follows is what I can remember.

My dream followed a full day of me hanging out with these two guys, I don’t know who they were nor can I remember their faces, but we spent the whole day together hanging out having lots of fun. Towards the end of the day we arrive at a house, and inside of the house is a spring like something you’d see at a state park. The left side of the house was normal and the right side of the house was this spring in almost like a cave. We swam around for awhile, and at one point the two guys I was with started sword fighting with these really long poles (jokingly, really up to this point the dream was filled with lots of laughter and joy). At some point Ari showed up with the baby, she gave the baby to me and we went for a little swim. As I explained before this spring was in a cave in the house and it was really dark (like any cave) but people were up on the beach area sun bathing, which I didn’t quite get. It was at this point that I lost sight of the guys I was with and Ari. I assumed they were all off doing what ever, but after awhile of swimming I got out to go and look for my wife. I climbed up the ladder to the second floor of the house, past a lady who kind of scared me at first, and then ventured down the hall towards the only door I saw. When I got to the door, I opened it and inside Ari was laying on the ground wrapped in a dark sheet, and the two I guys I had been hanging out with were standing next to her. She didn’t say anything at first but the look in her eyes tore me apart. I started to come in, but she yelled at me and told me to go away. I knew that she wasn’t mad at me but rather she was trying to protect me, but I was hurt and angry, angry that I had failed her. I stomped down the hall at the end of the hall was a turn to the right, rather than turning I punched the wall with both fists and walked right through. I kept going down the next hall and came to a door again I punched it with both fists and blew it to smithereens. I kept going down another hall but before I could get to the next door, it swung open on its own. It was like God was sending me a reminder that he was still there. As I rounded another corner and came to another closed door, I through the tears I cried out to God and told him that I needed his help. Thats when the door began to creak open all by itself. I found myself outside staring at a really green yard, and I could hear Pastor Joe commenting that finally his yard was green. I stood there for a few moments talking to God and realizing that I still had the baby in my hands, and then the strangest thing happened (lol like the rest wasn’t strange) it was if God rewound time, I went back inside, back to the spring, back to the lady who had scared me before and asked her to hold the baby. Then I went back down the hall towards the door that stood between me and Ari. At the door, I found a long metal pole I grabbed it as I opened the door.

As I charged into the room I woke up, but almost in protest I finished the dream in my imagination beating the crap out of the guys in there.  I don’t think that’s the ending God was looking for maybe thats why I woke up, but in the end I had His assurance that Ari was safe and that’s what counted for the most.

With Every Fiber

Reflecting on his Navy SEAL training with his CO:

The training is brutal and unjust.

It has to be that way.

It is the only way we can find out if a man just likes the ideal of being a SEAL [Husband, Father, or a true Son of God] or if it is in his heart and every fiber of his being to be a SEAL [Husband, Father, or a true Son of God].

One other ideal struck me:

If a man ever entertains the ideal of quiting… He is done for. What we do externally to the candidate exposes what he thinks internally. Waiver for a moment and the pain will make the call for you.

The places in bold are the areas that God is working on me.

Posted on Mike Paschall’s Blog Site

The Anthem

The Anthem

I can hear the footsteps of my King
I can hear His heartbeat beckoning
In my darkness He has set me free
And now I hear the Spirit calling me

He’s calling wake up child it’s your turn to shine
You were born for such a time as this
He’s calling wake up child it’s your turn to shine
You were born for such a time as this
Such a time as this

And I can hear a holy rumbling
I’ve begun to preach another King
Loosing chains and breaking down the walls
I want to hear the Father when He calls

He’s calling wake up child it’s your turn to shine
You were born for such a time as this!
(x4)
Such a time as this

This is the anthem of our generation
Here we are God, shake our nation!
All we need is your love,
You captivate me!
(x4)

I am royalty, I have destiny,
I have been set free, I’m gonna shape history!
(x8)

I’m gonna change the world! (x7)

Embracing the Glory

Embracing the Glory

Our deepest fear is not that we are inadequate. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness, that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, “Who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented and fabulous?” Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small doesn’t serve the world. There’s nothing enlightened about shrinking so that other people won’t feel insecure around you.

We were born to manifest the glory of God that is within us . . . And as we let our own light shine, we unconsciously give other people permission to do the same. As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others. (Marianne Williamson)

When I first read this quote, I thought, No, that’s not true. We don’t fear our glory. We fear we are not glorious at all. We fear that at bottom, we are going to be revealed as . . . disappointments. Mandela is just trying to make a nice speech, like a sermon, to buoy us up for a day or two. But as I thought about it more, I realized we do fear our glory. We fear even heading this direction because, for one thing, it seems prideful. Now pride is a bad thing, to be sure, but it’s not prideful to embrace the truth that you bear the image of God. Paul says it brings glory to God. We walk in humility because we know it is a glory bestowed. It reflects something of the Lord’s glory.

(Waking the Dead , 87)

Via A Revolutionary Love

Win a Pre-Release Copy of Priceless

Priceless

Over on his blog Tom Davis is giving away a pre-release copy of priceless.

Readers and friends, this week I am giving awayone pre-release copy of Priceless to one lucky winner. I have just received a few of my author copies – this will be the very first book anyone has seen. My publicist doesn’t even have copies!

Priceless is not due to release until June 1–but you can get this exclusive copy next week. I will even personalize and sign this copy for you or someone you’d like to give it to.

If you want to read the first chapter of Priceless, just visit SheisPriceless.com for a free download.

Click here to Enter

All in God’s Timing

On 4/19/2009 we (Ari and I) received a prophetic word about our next house along with that came a word that by this time next year my ministry would be in full swing.

A little over one year later we received a call that the bank had accepted our offer, on a house and that just happened to be the same weekend I was leading our Men’s group on a camping trip.

I can’t tell you how excited I am to be entering into a new stage in life, as homeowners and in ministry. At the time we didn’t think much of it, we were so excited about the prospect of moving into our new home, thats really all we focused on. When the move didn’t happen according to when we thought it should we were a disappointed, but it’s great looking back and knowing that God had a plan all along. That realization gives me hope for the future and a renewed trust in God and his Word.

Want to Get to Know Somebody?

I’ve always had a tough time starting conversations. Not just that, but verbal communication in general for me has always been difficult. So whenever I see good conversation tips, I try to make a point to read them and put them into practice. Here are some good ones from Donal Miller’s blog post entitled “Want to Get to Know Somebody? Understand Their Story”.

A story is a character that wants something and overcomes conflict to get it. So next time you meet somebody, delve into their story, not their job or the weather they experience where they live. To find out a persons story, you have to find out what they want or have wanted in life, what conflict they endured in getting what they wanted, and what great moments of celebration they have experienced. Questions like this:

A CHARACTER THAT WANTS SOMETHING:

1. Why did you come to America?

2. What drives you?

3. What do you hope for for yourself and your family?

AND OVERCOMES CONFLICT:

1. That couldn’t have been an easy transition to America. What was the most shocking thing you endured?

2. Was that a lonely journey?

3. Did you ever think it wasn’t going to happen for you?

TO GET IT:

1. When did you realize you were happier than the average man?

2. If there could be a moment in the future when you’ll realize that you made it, what would that moment look like?

3. When the credits roll, what do you think is most important in life?

If you ask these questions, I promise, you will be entertained for the next hour. Not only will you hear stories, but you will watch as a person truly reflects on their life, and you’ll learn a great deal about what most people find important. You’ll be amazed that most people don’t really care about money or prestige, they care about love, about weddings and funerals, about children, about dignity and integrity.