God Maven Therapy

The following is a post from God-in-a-Box--Your inbox. It is short devotionals on Jesus life, covering his birth to death in a year. Jesus loves children, finding their pure openness and unaffected love refreshing. Little hearts are tender and impressionable, open to Spirit and strong to remember his stories--the kind of people he wants in his kingdom. If parents give them every opportunity to learn of God's love while they are young and their characters still adaptable, they won't grow up hard-hearted. [ 200 more words ] https://arlasoveralls.wordpress.com//08/jesus-loves-child/

I love it when things come together from five different places and make a whole clear picture. It happened this week. I was writing about David, and marveling again that someone who seemed to know God so well could just lose it and go off the rails, steal someone's wife and kill her husband! Suddenly words from my journaling on John 15 this week came to mind, "I no longer call you servants, I'm calling you friends..." coupled with my own experience of God's friendship plus a human best friend that I talk to most every day. [ 500 more words ] https://arlasoveralls.wordpress.com//are-you-afraid-to-be/

I love my Saturday morning Bible study. The questions go deep. You can ask anything, challenge anything. We will go back to the beginning if we need to. Nobody has to feel bad saying "I don't get that," or "Can you say that another way?" Or "This is the first time I've understood that!" This morning my close friend and co-leader said, "I just don't understand how we have a dual nature. [ 365 more words ] https://arlasoveralls.wordpress.com///split-in-the-middle/

Eustress is good stress. The kind that makes you feel alive and alert--excited about life. I've been experiencing both kinds of stress lately, but recently have been reveling in the good kind. Aging is not fun, one of my friends recently said, "Aging is not for the faint-hearted," and I agree, but I wouldn't trade the time I've been having for anything. [ 447 more words ] https://arlasoveralls.wordpress.com//eustress-living-in-a/

Probably not a lot of step-fathers get honored for being great fathers, but some do and my son-in-law deserves it. I'm so glad he has taken on the task of fathering his three step-sons seriously. And they respond. Some of his notable acts have been taking the middle one to the hospital when he broke his arm clean off, and staying with him there all night long to make sure he was ok. [ 261 more words ] https://arlasoveralls.wordpress.com//tribute-to-a-step-fa/

I thought I might skip the confirmation of last week's blog. It makes me feel so vulnerable, but I know vulnerability is a precious quality, and one I need. So at the risk of sounding crazy I'm sharing my journey--the experiment in making God real. Mother's Day was a fabulous day. I spent the day with Ruach (my name for the Holy Spirit if you are new to me). [ 609 more words ] https://arlasoveralls.wordpress.com//05/19/making-god-rea/

When your kids are far away or not in close relationship with you, Mother's Day can be a hard day. Maybe even a day of regret and sadness. Today is one of those for me on all counts and I choose to be happy because I can. We can do that! We can choose happiness! It's a gift God has given us--the choice to be happy and grateful when there seems to be no reason to be happy, or even evidence not to be happy! [ 280 more words ] https://arlasoveralls.wordpress.com//mothers-day-can-be-b/

I often say to people, "No one will ever love you like Jesus." (And Abba and Ruach.) And I mean it, but my experience of it waxes and wanes like all love relationships. There is always an ebb and flow. That's how I know love is more than feelings. It is a commitment. But it does have wonderful feelings at times, and this week I got to experience the true sweetness of God's love. [ 810 more words ] https://arlasoveralls.wordpress.com//04/the-sweetness-of-/

I just wanted to share my week with you. It has been amazing! I now know what it is like to feel protected under God's hand. I know I am, I feel it at times, but this was dramatic. My pastor's wife wanted to have a tea for the church ladies and asked if I would have it at my house and if I would speak for it. [ 886 more words ] https://arlasoveralls.wordpress.com//what-its-like-to-be-/

I learned that the best way to deal with anxiety is reframing it as excitement, then your mind stops looking for the threat your body is telling it about! Isn't that great? Who knew! Since I didn't know it after 30 years as a family systems therapist, I thought you might not know it either. Mel Robbins, who suffered 20 years from anxiety, managed hers with meds and therapy, but when her children started having anxiety she got serious about understanding it! [ 594 more words ] https://arlasoveralls.wordpress.com//03/29/a-new-view-of-/

My flowers have taught me something this spring. We've had so much rain in Southern California this year, more than in a decade at least. Everything is green, and the flowers are blooming profusely, but I noticed something very interesting. When I cut them and bring them in the house they aren't lasting like they normally do--two days tops. I wondered at this. [ 532 more words ] https://arlasoveralls.wordpress.com//a-lesson-from-flowers/

Writing about King Saul has been scary! He started out so well! He seemed so secure and teachable. But as he picked up his title and his power, things changed. The trouble is he didn't know it. It was a combination of parental modeling, not feeling good enough, and wanting to be what the people wanted and expected. He became addicted to approval and praise! [ 544 more words ] https://arlasoveralls.wordpress.com///16/how-you-lose-you/

I believe women were the best part of God’s creation. Think about itHe created us because something was missing, to meet Adam’s need, to be appealing and beautiful, the crowning finale of all creation. When I say all of creation we need to take a moment to realize what that means. In Genesis 2:1-4 God says four times that he was finished with creation, not just ours but the vast array of the heavens and the earth. 845 more words [ 843 more words ] https://arlasoveralls.wordpress.com//03/09/celebrating-wo/