We hear a lot of people using the phrase, “Speak the truth to power”, but it is only the one who is ultimate power who wholly speaks the truth, and God always does this out of “hesed” steadfast love, for the purpose of connecting us to Him and with each other…Psalm 62
Category Archives: Joy Starts Here
Do you want to experience more of God’s love?
Do you want to be a more loving person?
Do you want to know how you can make progress being more caring to those people who bug you the most?
We explore how the central biblical themes of love and joy are also wired into our brains.
What does this mean for us as we are living our eternal life now?
Joy…
“Sticky” Love…
Identity…
Character-building…
Come and explore!
Dana Hanson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Be Your Best True Self: Wired for Transformation
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/7536741239
Meeting ID: 753 674 1239
Phone only: Dial this number and follow instructions.
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
Hey, brothers and sisters in Christ, why don’t we see more transformation in our lives and the lives of Christians around us?
Bible study, spiritual growth classes, lots of prayer, being in a small group, “going to church”… Why doesn’t my life or the lives of so many around me look more like what Jesus would look like if he were me in any given situation?
What’s missing?
We will spend four Mondays@ 6 PM PST exploring this together. Video, teaching, discussion, and exercises…We will join in a zoom meeting and make progress in transformation.
Joy…
“Sticky” Love…
Identity…
Character-building…
Explore with me.
Zoom invitation for the sessions Monday@ 6 pm for the next four weeks
Dana Hanson is inviting you to a scheduled Zoom meeting.
Topic: Be Your Best True Self: Wired for Transformation
Join Zoom Meeting
https://zoom.us/j/7536741239
Meeting ID: 753 674 1239
Phone only: Dial this number and follow instructions.
+1 669 900 9128 US (San Jose)
Notes for session one
Notes for session two
Watch this to find out more…
What if you could experience the gladness of God being with you and you being with God, whenever you wished? What would it be like to have joy on demand? You can….like this
(More insight from Dr. Jim Wilder on holiday blues and what can be done. Read the prior posts)
God designs ways that make it possible to join with him and make progress in addressing attachment pain. For instance, if you are missing someone, try doing the things you think they would want to do during the holiday. Fir example, if grandma has died, bake her favorite cookies. Decorate like she would decorate.
Remember, all good attachments are an expression of God’s love to us. As I receive the love of God, I can become the love of God for others, and I can carry on the love and goodness that God placed in that person, the one I miss so much, even if they are no longer here. When I share the love and joy they shared, they are here.
Whatever was good about them can be shared by me.
And when your dreams don’t come true with some of those around you who aren’t glad to be with you, take that to God. Ask him. God you made me. How are you dreaming for me, God? Who do you want me to be? Who do I want to be? Listen to how he answers. Get a sense of what he might be saying.
Now, if you are being physically hurt or damaged you will need to remove yourself from the relationship for any healing to occur.
But, if it is just an unhappy relationship, it is mainly because you are not being the person you really like to be.
Just be who you are. Your best true self. Go back to acting like the person you would be if you were loved and cared for. How would you act if you were treated like you want to be treated?
Be that person. Go ahead and act like yourself.
Oh, and one more thing. If your pain isn’t too overwhelming, then what if your dream is to start joy in low joy places? That is God’s dream for every one of us. Grace is when God puts his people in the middle of the parts of the world that could use extra joy.
If our dream is to show up in some low joy places where we bring a bit of joy to the world, there’s a chance to grow joy in a way that people don’t really ever dream of. And when you think about it, some of the people we admire most are those who bring joy in low joy places…
ME
When we act like we would act if we were treated like we want to be treated, how might that change the way others see us?
Yesterday, we looked at attachment pain. Because of how our brains are wired, there is no built in solution to turn off attachment
pain. When we try to just forget about it and pretend it doesn’t matter. This is the Bah humbug approach.
Sure enough, you can eventually convince your brain that you don’t care. Trouble is, your brain will disconnect the thinking part from the feeling part. You will still have attachment pain, but you won’t know it. Then you’ll ask yourself, Why do I feel so blue this Christmas?
With attachment pain, we have little or no control over our defenses. So, we still dread getting together and we look for ways not to meet.
This also, has something to do with our dreams. We all have dreams about what life should be like. We have been dreaming since we were little.
“I am going to dream about having joy when I grow up. I’m going to be happy. Jesus puts joy in my heart. Everyone will like everything about me. I will be popular and people will be happy I am there.”
Nothing bad happens in those childhood dreams.
But, when we grow up, our dreams don’t all come true. If our joy is dependent our dreams coming true, we will be disappointed. And when we have a high degree of attachment pain, everything is filtered by it.
We see kids having joy during Christmas and are full of joy…usually.
But, what about if your child dies or your child is sick? What if you want children but are having infertility issues? What seems to bring everyone else joy, those happy children, isn’t bringing joy for you.
Alright, nice bit of Christmas cheer I’m bringing, huh? Well, God gives us a way to experience joy even during the pain. Next…
ME
Have you or someone you know, had a hard time at Christmas when every around you seems happy? What was it like?
Is there going to be somebody missing this holiday season?
Are there people who will not be glad to see you?
Are there people you won’t be glad to see?
Using some helpful insights from neuroscientist and theologian Dr. Jim Wilder, I look at why we may have difficulties with holiday times, “Blue” Christmas and such, and what can be done about it.
Can we be a joy to the world?
Great to have part of Helen’s clan here on Sunday!
“We are a low-joy nation. And what happens in low-joy places? Problems are bred. This low-joy has reached the highest levels. Our national leaders have finally succumbed to being almost pure predators.” (PD)
What is a predator?
What can be done?
How God wires us for joy and shalom…
How you might be the best true hope….Listen
DAILY DEVOTIONS BASED ON THIS SERMON
Joy is a key theme in the life of Jesus and his teaching. Yet, we rarely speak of this in the Christian community. According to brain science, a high-joy environment is absolutely necessary for healthy brain growth. Considering a baby grows 2/3 of their brain in the first 90 days, dare I say, from the beginning, we are designed to be filled with joy.
As Christians, we are uniquely called to be the world’s “joy starters.” How?
First podcast in a series of how we can make progress in becoming the kind of people Jesus has in mind…