New EL LogoEmbracing Life Journal
September/October 2012 

  Living Courageously ~ Transforming Lives

 

 

Greetings!  

Jono Journal Intro 9/10 2012
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 After viewing the greeting, return here to the Journal for articles covering the latest news from Embracing Life Ministries. Various members of the ELM team will be contributing each month.

Check it out.    

  

MORE GLORY!
Announcing the new booklet, 
More Glory! God's Healing Voice for Shame and Self-Hatred 
by Jonathan Hunter & Gwen Gibson

Just released by Xulon Press.
Info & order: Click Here

Also available through our "Order" page at: www.embracinglife.us

 

                   Quote of the Month

"Most people think that prayer is asking God for what we need and telling Him what we want to tell Him. In listening prayer, however, we wait on God to answer." Dave & Linda Olson, Listening Prayer, My Sheep Hear My Voice.  


Shame and Self-hatred
Excerpted from the new ELM publication:
More Glory! God's Healing Voice for Shame and Self-Hatred
by Jonathan Hunter and Gwen Gibson 
 
Cause and Consequence

To stand naked, fully aware and without shame, is for many of us a distant reality. Predators, mean-spirited peers, and our response to unexpected trauma and emotional disappointments have seared our innocence and threatened our safety. As a result of our childhood wounding and neglect, shame and self-hatred have become a polluted seedbed of destructive thoughts, self-accusation and blame.

Vulnerability: weakness or strength

...Our damaged souls may regard the Lord's healing with suspicion, our hearts hardened from too many broken childhood promises. At best we may mentally embrace what the Scriptures promise, leaving our hearts constantly on the alert for disappointment. We do not believe in real change; we exchange living faith for skepticism disguised as mature perspective. We consider childlike trust and abandonment the place of dangerous exposure. Faith in God becomes a measured and cautious choice rather than a dynamic living force.

Going home

The journey to relinquish shame and self-hatred begins with faith in something better, the Lord Jesus Christ. Not hope that things will get better, but the substantive assurance that He is better. No one gives up what is comfortable and familiar for what they do not know or believe is unattainable. In relinquishing shame and self-hatred we come to know the truth of love that surpasses our comprehension. We apprehend it by faith, that is to say we abide in the truth He's given to us. We abandon ourselves to the One whom we know loves us unreservedly and live by faith on what He's spoken to us, even when we cannot yet fully grasp this breadth of truth.

Restoration

As we grow in our ability to hear God's voice, the destructive internal thoughts will diminish. The truth of who Christ is and who we are in Him begins to transform old ways of thinking as we perceive His truth through listening prayer.

    
 "The foundational scripture for Embracing Life Ministries is John 10:10 where Jesus says: 'I came that they may have life, and have it to the full.' Ever-increasing life in relationship with Jesus Christ is the focus and goal of Embracing Life Ministries."
In Gary's Words
Gary Greeno 2008
One night in Embracing Life someone mentioned OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder). Suddenly, I understood...Obsessive Compulsive Disorder. That was what had been manifesting itself when I was a child. I believe I loved God, but I had some bad misconceptions of Him.
  • I did not know the difference between a thought going through my mind and an intentional prayer. Therefore, I had buttoned and unbuttoned my shirt repeatedly. The thought had gone through my mind that I would do it, so I was afraid I had prayed and told God I would. I did not want to break a promise to God. That would be sin.
  • I had my mom come into the bathroom when I bathed so she could tell me I had washed a body part enough. I was afraid I might say I had taken a bath and be lying if I had missed one small part of my body. Lying was sin.

So, my parents took me to visit my Aunt and Uncle while they (my Aunt and Uncle) were camping and let me stay with them for a few days hoping that would help me. This was a positive time, and was a good change of environment. My parents just had no idea of how to help me.

They also took me to see our pastor who told me 4 "truths" which I wrote down so I could look at and reread them when one of these fears or lies would start bothering me. The only one I remember now is, "We don't pray unless we know we pray."

Eventually my fear and compulsive behavior subsided for the time being.

Now back to the present. With the understanding that this was OCD behavior came freedom from the shame associated with that time of my life. I had been afraid of other people knowing what I had done, as if I had done something wrong. I had been ashamed of myself.

Suddenly I was free of the shame.

 

We hope you will consider sharing this email with friends and loved ones whom you think would benefit from the ministry of Embracing Life. This is a good way to introduce the material and we would appreciate your passing it along. Thanks!
Sincerely,
 
Jonathan Hunter
Embracing Life Ministries
(626)798-7398
 

"HEALING PRESENCE" NOW AVAILABLE ON iTUNES

 

Produced in 1994, this album benefits Embracing Life and features Marty Goetz, Wendell Burton, Alice Echols and Rick Norris among others. Hard copies sold out early on, but now you can download it digitally and take a journey of faith, prayer, forgiveness, thanksgiving, encouragement and worship.

Healing Presence more than lives up to its name.

 

SoCal News:
MARK THE DATE !!

Encounter Weekend
More Life! Intensive

Saturday,
November 10th
HRock Church Offices
9am-9pm

"Something to Say" 
Corinne Kershaw
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Featured:
Corinne Kershaw
Embracing Life Leader
Pasadena, California
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Testimonies from Embracing Life Series Participants
Session 9: Shame & Self-hatred

Before renouncing self-hatred, I felt so unloved inside; but I didn't understand my part in it all. I didn't realize how harsh my feelings were toward myself. After renouncing it, at first, I felt nothing at all. I thought, "Nothing happened." But soon I had a growing sense at the core of my being that my Heavenly Father loved me. For the first time, I felt I truly belonged to Him. - David

I had been fearful because I thought God had stopped speaking to me because He was so disgusted with who I am. And I have been constantly tormented for months (years?) with hate-filled and accusing thoughts. When asked to write down all the deadly things we hear in our heads, I couldn't write fast enough to complete my list. Then the instruction was to place the cross over all those things. That in itself was very meaningful; I felt like I was pounding a stake into the soil of my soul, saying, "The cross covers all these things, and it stands for me." When I asked God what He thought about me, this time I couldn't write down fast enough all the completely marvelous things that my Heavenly Father, my Prince and Bridegroom said about me. I was humbled and blessed beyond measure. Amazing! - Renee