The Shack Movie: God and your Tragedy

18 March, 2017 by Leave a Comment

When this book was first published, I heard it was great, but wasn’t in a good place to read it because I had a five-year-old little girl at the time. As soon as I realized what could happen, I put down the book and finally picked it back up when she was ten.

Paul Young has written and incredible story and though it was initially self-published it for his family. Mainstream media caught wind of it and, well, you know the rest.

There has been much controversy over the movie on theology, though not clearly evident. It wasn’t until I looked back and thought about some of the scenes that I questioned whether or not Mr. Young was keeping biblical truths in tact.

One big question asked was “why wouldn’t God save Mack’s little girl?” or in general, (why do bad things happen to good people?”) Here’s my opinion on that one if you’d like to check it out: “Why Bad Things Happen to Good People”

The following is an article written by a co-writer who has published quite a few books and is a good Christian man. I’ve heard him speak and taken several classes from him. He offered this article to be shared with the release of this movie to answer some of those shaky theological questions.

Hope the article sheds some light on the good and the bad in this fictional story. Any conversation starter about God is a good thing in my book.

The Shack movie: God and your tragedy

By Rusty Wright

 

When your personal tragedy strikes – and it will – is God good?

Millions wrestle with that question. The Shack, a bestselling novel and now a movie, uses fanciful fiction to help people process age-old intellectual and emotional struggles about evil, suffering, and divine character.

Did a loved one just die? Maybe your marriage is failing, your boss showed you the door, your lump is malignant, or an earthquake leveled your home.

Perhaps an important business deal collapsed or false gossip torpedoed a treasured friendship.

“God, how could you allow this?” comes the cry. How could God be all loving, all powerful, and all just?

From Office Depot to a theater near you …

Author William Paul Young first self-published fifteen copies of The Shack at Office Depot as Christmas gifts. It’s now sold 19 million copies and been translated into 50 languages. Clearly, the story has hit a nerve. Film stars include Oscar-winner Octavia Spencer (The Help), Sam Worthington (Avatar), and Grammy winner Tim McGraw.

(Spoilers ahead.)

Mack, the protagonist, has submerged much of his childhood pain from his abusive, alcoholic father. He now enjoys life with his wife and family, until a serial killer abducts and murders his young daughter Missy, sending him into deep depression. Through some curious happenings, he revisits the murder scene, a decrepit shack deep in the woods.

There he spends a fascinating weekend with … God. Actually with all three members of the Trinity: God – a large, loving African-American woman named “Papa” (the story explains this); Jesus – an actual Jewish carpenter; and the Holy Spirit – an Asian woman with a Sanskrit name, Sarayu, meaning “wind.”

Processing pain

The four enjoy sumptuous food, starlit nights, and lots of conversation. The three guide Mack through processing the painful “if only” questions related to Missy’s death, and in forgiving his adversaries.

They also help with the intellectual questions: God gave humans free will, hence human evil. Jesus came in love. By his death and resurrection, humans can be reconciled to God and enjoy the relationships – divine and human – for which they were created.

Multiple resonances

Many may find The Shack emotionally/spiritually therapeutic and intellectually satisfying. The story resonated with me on multiple levels.

I agree that God, though sovereign, gave us freedom to follow or disobey him. This does not answer all concerns (because he sometimes does intervene to thwart evil) but suggests that the problem of evil is not as great an intellectual obstacle as some imagine.

Pain’s emotional barrier to belief can be formidable. Jesus understands suffering. He was scorned, beaten, and cruelly executed, carrying the guilt of human rebellion.

When I see God, items on my long list of questions will include a painful and unwanted divorce, betrayal by trusted co-workers, my second wife’s tragic death last year from cancer, and all sorts of disappointing human behavior and natural disasters. Yet in Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection I’ve seen enough to trust him when he says he “causes all things to work together for good to those who love God.”

Serious conflicts

That said, The Shack book has some serious conflicts with a biblical view of God, and some with simple logic. (The movie avoids some – but not all – of these.) Others have detailed such issues, so I’ll mention just a few.

The book seems to indicate that Jesus’ death and resurrection will bring all humanity back into a relationship with God, regardless of individual decisions. The biblical documents maintain that individuals must personally accept divine pardon for it to be effective in their lives. The film only hints at this issue.

The book’s Sarayu and Papa say rules like the Ten Commandments were given not to make humans good but to reveal their flaws and their need for God. Fair enough. It took me nineteen years to understand that important distinction. But the two also believe rules and expectations harm relationships, which should be our focus. (The movie touches this matter tangentially.)

I would stress the proper emphasis. Biblical expectations (about love, service, forgiving, spousal faithfulness, etc.) can be tracks for healthy living once we’re plugged into divine power for living.

In the book, Sarayu perplexingly claims the word “responsibility” is not found in the Bible. A simple search disputes that. The film omits this mistake.

The book’s Jesus maintains that all mental turmoil and anxiety are related to religious, political or economic institutions. Including concern for tsunami deaths, for instance? “Allness” claims invite rebuttal. Better “much,” or something similar. The movie omits this overstatement.

The Shack film will get people thinking about important issues. If you view it – or read the book – I encourage you to do so with discernment, discuss it with friends, and measure it by the Good Book.

Rated PG-13 (USA) “for thematic material including some violence.”

www.TheShack.movie Opens March 3 (USA) International release dates

Rusty Wright is an author and lecturer who has spoken on six continents. He holds Bachelor of Science (psychology) and Master of Theology degrees from Duke and Oxford universities, respectively. www.RustyWright.com

Copyright © 2017 Rusty Wright

The Shack movie: God and your tragedy. When your personal tragedy strikes – and it will – is God good? Millions wrestle with that question. The Shack, a bestselling novel and now a movie, uses fanciful fiction to help people process age-old intellectual and emotional struggles about evil, suffering, and divine character.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mack (Sam Worthington) and “Papa” (Octavia Spencer)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mack and his family

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Jesus, Mack, Papa, Sarayu

Filed Under: BLOG POSTS, Guest Posts, Living in Faith, Living with Purpose, Movie Review, Real Relationships Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Thought #6: Forgiveness is necessary for a life of freedom

6 January, 2013 by 1 Comment

Forgiving someone who has done you wrong is very difficult for some people. Our human instinct tells us to hold a grudge against people who have hurt us. But we are all sinners, and we have all hurt someone in one-way or another. What if no one ever forgave? The world is bad enough as it is, but what if we held a grudge against every single person who’d wronged us; and what if everyone who we’ve ever hurt held a grudge against us? Would there even be any relationships left?

The Bible is very clear on our forgiveness of others and God’s forgiveness of us:

And whenever you stand praying, forgive, if you have anything against anyone, so that your Father also who is in heaven may forgive you your trespasses. (Mark 11:25 ESV)

If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9 ESV)

Then Peter came up and said to him, “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him, “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven. (Matthew 18:21-22 ESV)

But if you do not forgive others their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses. (Matthew 6:15 ESV)

Bearing with one another and, if one has a complaint against another, forgiving each other; as the Lord has forgiven you, so you also must forgive. (Colossians 3:13 ESV)

For all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. (Romans 3:23 ESV)

A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. (John 13:34 ESV)

For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. (John 3:16 ESV)

Anyone whom you forgive, I also forgive. Indeed, what I have forgiven, if I have forgiven anything, as been for your sake in the presence of Christ, so that we would not be outwitted by Satan; for we are not ignorant of his designs. (2 Corinthians 2:10-11 ESV)

If anyone says, “I love God,” and hates his brother, he is a liar; for he who does not love his brother whom he has seen cannot love God whom he has not seen. (1 John 4:20 ESV)

Blessed are the merciful, for they shall receive mercy. (Matthew 5:7 ESV)

Let all bitterness and wrath and anger and clamor and slander be put away from you, along with all malice. Be kind to one another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, as God in Christ forgave you. (Ephesians 4:31-32 ESV)

Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written, “Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good. (Romans 12:17021 ESV)

…And I could sit here typing all night and still not cover all of the verses instructing us on forgiveness.

We are to forgive those who sin against us. Period. Not to mention the fact that we MUST forgive others in order for Christ to forgive us! Now if that’s not reason enough…

When we hold a grudge against someone, we think about it. We give attention to it. We nurture that little grudge until it grows into a giant. And usually the person we are growing the grudge against doesn’t even know it! We are only hurting ourselves. When we harbor sin in our heart, we squeeze God out.

I worked for Wal-Mart Pharmacy for almost fifteen years. We’ve all been in Wal-Mart. It’s one place that provides plenty of opportunities to exercise our forgiveness ability. When I first began working behind that pharmacy counter, I was immediately taught one of those life lessons everyone must learn: You cannot please all people all the time. (Now you know you want to tweet that one Wink). As a perfectionist, that realization did not sit too well with me. But I had to adapt. My solution? Kill them with kindness. I’m not sure at the time that it was the Godliness in my heart that came up with that solution, but it worked. I figured if I was kind  to Mr. or Mrs. Rude Customer no matter what, they’d either change their ways and decided to calm down, or they’d go home and have a big ‘ole cloud of guilt hanging over their head. Like I said, my motives may not have been completely pure, but I do hope that by always showing kindness, I reflected Christ in that crazy Wal-Mart world.

As Christians and sinners and humans and spouses and friends and children and parents and employees and employers we have many relationships. We inevitably screw them up here and there. And there and here. And all over the place. God is the only true judge and he tells us to forgive. So who are we not to obey? When we can finally wrap our goofy little brains around the fact if God forgives us when we screw up, we should be able to hand out forgiveness to other who screw up too. After all, none of us are perfect, but hopefully we all have the same goal in mind: eternity with Jesus.

So let’s just allow God do his job as judge, forgive other as he tells us to, and make our lives so much easier!

Forgiveness saved my marriage…several times as a matter of fact…and it really is a necessary trail on the path to freedom.

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Oh and P.S.~Don’t wait for them to ask for it. Just give it freely. It’s much better that way!

Here’s a YouTube video of a Matthew West song that sums it all up. Enjoy!

Filed Under: Freedom in Christ, Ten Thoughts for a Happy, God-centered Life Tagged With: , , ,

Thought #3: Stuff is just stuff

3 January, 2013 by 2 Comments

This lesson has been a hard lesson for me to learn. We moved into a new house in April of 2007. A big, clean, empty house. Our forever house. To fill with children and grandchildren…and of course the Vaughan Zoo.

So how is it that a mere five years later you’d think we’d lived in this house through at least three generations? But the closets and drawers are full, and my hubby’s business is storage warehouses, so naturally we have plenty of extra storage space for all of our necessities!

As we grow in age and experiences, both joyful and sorrowful, we gain wisdom as to what is important and what is not. For the first 40 years of my life I’ve spent accumulating those “treasures” that fill my closets, rooms, and warehouses. I’m certain I may be spending my last 40 years to getting rid of the “stuff” and laying up some treasures in Heaven instead. Only I really don’t want it to take 40 years. The word “simplify” has become a very important word in my life. If you click on that link you will see a prior blog post including some photos of a messy house that needs much purging. It’s not a quick job but it’s getting there. The biggest challenge to simplifying your home is simplifying your mind. {Care to tweet that?}

I was all about the Southern Living Magazine and Parade of Homes when I begin building my “life.” I wanted the American Dream. But the American Dream if full of empty promises. Just look at our government! (Okay, I won’t get started there). But you get my point. In 2007, I moved into my dream house, but it was the most miserable time in my life. The “stuff” solved nothing.

Now, the “stuff” just takes away my time and energy that I should be spending with my husband, my children, and my God. Not necessarily in that order. The “stuff” brings frustration. It’s constantly about making room for the new stuff. And what if something tragic happened? Like the horrendous event in Connecticut? None of the “stuff” would matter. A photograph, a toy, a few special memories to cherish…but that’s it.

Stuff is just that…stuff. It means nothing. After all, you can’t take it with you. 

Finding time to clean out is not easy. But once you start, it’s amazing how much thought you put into future purchases. T.J. Maxx used to be a dream store for me. ALL OF THAT GREAT STUFF AT DISCOUNTED PRICES! Now? I can honestly go in and get only what I’m looking for, because I know it will just be cluttering my mind and I’ll be trying to figure out what to do with it in a year.

Now remember, when I introduced you to my Ten Thoughts, I told you I wish I could write them on the back of my eyelids so every time I blink I’d get that subliminal message. That hasn’t changed. I must remind myself of these thoughts every day. But each day, they get a little easier.

Don’t let the “stuff” in your life get in the way of what’s important. There are many books and blogs out there about how to simplify your life…just google it. I have.  They are all a little different, and you can find one that’s right for you. But believe me, when you get in the mindset that stuff is just stuff, you can see the blessings in your life so much easier!

http://parentables.howstuffworks.com/nesting/54-easy-ways-declutter-and-organize-your-home.html

Organized-Simplicity-small

 This Organized Simplicity is a great book that I’ve used, and if you jump on over to Tsh’s site at www.simplemom.net, you’ll fine many more resources.

 

Another great blog post I found was at TLC Parentables: 54 Ways to Declutter and Organize Your Home. Lots of great information and advice there.

Good luck! And know that we’re in it together. Please share any resources that you happen to love!

  Thanks Bunches  Smile

Filed Under: Making Changes, Simplify Your Life, Ten Thoughts for a Happy, God-centered Life Tagged With: , , ,

The Great Depression, the Road to Freedom

4 July, 2012 by Leave a Comment

I’ve often said that anyone who has not experienced true depression cannot really understand it. 

About four years ago, while still in the midst of my depression, someone recommended The Shack by William P. Young. As soon as I realized the youngest daughter in the story disappears, I put down the book. Marlee was five at the time and it was more than I could bear to read. But since God lifted my depression, I picked it back up and finished it. I’m so glad I did.

As I describe my years of depression as The Great Depression, this author refers to it as The Great Sadness. When I try to describe the way depression feels, I suppose the pharmacist comes out in me, because I always describe it as “all of the nerve endings in my body were heavy and weighing me down.” I think William Young’s description in The Shack is more understandable: 

“Emotions are the colors of the soul; they are spectacular and incredible. When you don’t feel, the world becomes dull and colorless. Just think how The Great Sadness reduced the range of color in your life down to monotones and flat grays and blacks. “


The dictionary defines “dark” as the absence of light. Depression is darkness. God tells us in John 12:46 that he has come into the world as a light, so that NO ONE has to live in darkness. 

When Isaac Newton was dabbling in his many scientific experiments, he used a prism to see what exactly made up the color “white.” What he found was that white light is the effect of combining the visible colors of light in certain proportions. In other words, white is the combination of all the colors of the rainbow. 



God came as the light. He also gave us a promise when he created the rainbow. 

I think being raised with religion all around me, I took the light for granted. I couldn’t see the colors in the relationship. As a friend of mine explained it well, those were my “ivory tower” days. I lived in the white tower but I couldn’t see the colors that it contained. 

During my depression, a black tunnel lay before me. Now I see that Jesus was my “light at the end of the tunnel.” Now that I have experienced darkness—the absence of light—colors have a whole new meaning for me. 

My Great Depression led me to freedom. It painfully guided me to the color that Jesus provides in my relationship with Him. My world is no longer shades of gray. Whether you feel like depression is an obstacle for or not, Jesus can make your life into the most beautiful rainbow you’ve ever seen. 

Jesus is the light. Seek Him. Read about Him. Talk to Him. Have faith in Him. 

Religion will always let you down. A relationship with Him will never let you down. 

From my heart,
Celeste
Filed Under: Beating Depression, Brain Functions, Freedom in Christ, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , , ,

Make-a-change Monday~Freedom to Fly

18 June, 2012 by 1 Comment



I’ve written a few blog posts recently about freedom. With Memorial Day just behind us and July 4th ahead, we see much in the news about the freedom of our country. I’m thankful every day for the soldiers who fight for our country’s freedom. But for each of us personally, what good is the freedom of our country if we aren’t free within ourselves? 

Freedom is a big word. 


Personal freedom is like a hot air balloon. There are so many factors that affect whether or not it will be able to fly…. or be free. 


Some factors cannot be controlled. Wind and precipitation for instance. Then there are other factors which can be controlled, and are actually used by the balloonist to keep the balloon from flying—tethers and sandbags.  


Satan uses as many circumstances as he can to keep us from freedom. We many not be able to control the state of the economy, war among nations, poverty, or natural disasters, but we can control the sandbags and tethers in our lives. 


Let me rephrase…with Christ, we can control the sandbags and tethers in our lives. 




What are our sandbags and tethers?

  • Addiction—To television, pills, work, sex, pornography, food, etc.
  • Animosity—Holding a grudge against someone
  • Greed—Constantly feeling the need to hold on to your possessions
  • Worry—About the future, the economy, your children, poverty, war, etc.
  • Abuse—Verbally or physically by someone close to you
  • Pride—Defining success by your own understanding and accomplishments
These are all burdens we bear unnecessarily. Just as the balloonist might feel safer and more in control with a few sandbags in the basket, we get comfortable with things in our life that keep us from true freedom. 

I held tightly to my sandbags for seven years…some of them most of my life. Pride, addiction, and worry were the tools that Satan used to keep me from freedom. 

You know that verse in the Bible that says everything is permissible but not everything is beneficial? Read this translation from The Message:

Just because something is technically legal doesn’t mean
that it’s spiritually appropriate. If I went around doing whatever
I thought I could get away with, I’d be a slave to my whims. 
(1 Corinthians 6:12 MSG)

There is no freedom without boundaries. God gives us some boundaries in scripture. Some are created simply by the law of our land. Most boundaries, however, are left up to us. 

When I was battling addiction and depression, I was a complete prisoner to my medication. Whenever we would plan to go out of town, I panicked when I thought there was a possibility I could run out. One year we planned a family vacation to Park City, Utah to go skiing, and all I could think about was, “What if I run out of medication?” Sad.

I was a prisoner. 

My {make-a-change} Monday challenge today is to identify the things in your life that keep you from complete freedom. What are your sandbags? Pick one, and see how you can change it this week. It may be as simple as keeping the television off for a week; it may be as hard as seeking help to get out of an abusive situation. It may just be looking inside your heart and finding forgiveness for someone who has hurt you. 

I promise God can handle whatever sandbag you’re trying to throw out of the basket. He has it under control. We can fight for control, knowing we will eventually lose, or we can let him have it and begin to live a life of freedom in Christ. 
Be still, and know that I am God. 
(Psalm 46:10 ESV)



Throw off those sandbags and fly! 

From my heart, 
Celeste
Filed Under: Freedom in Christ, Make-a-change Mondays, Making Changes Tagged With: , , , , , , , ,

Freedom

7 June, 2012 by Leave a Comment
What does the word “freedom” mean to you? 
  •      You’ve just been released from prison? 
  •      You are finally out of that abusive relationship you’d been in? 
  •      You are free from the bonds of an addiction? 
  •      You’ve finally paid off those student loans from school? 
  •      You finally got out of your three year old daughter’s room that she locked you in            with the lock you put on the door to lock her in? (Yes, that really happened…but thank goodness not to me!) 
One of the worse traps people put themselves in from childhood to the grave, is worrying about what other people think. Someone once gave me some very good advice, and at the time I never realized how much I would cherish it. “What other people think of you is their problem, not yours.” 
There are hundreds of ways we feel trapped, and I want to share with you the way to freedom from everything. Twenty-one months ago, I was trapped. Once God freed me from a seven-year struggle with my health, he has shown me how to have freedom in everything. Now stick with me here, I’m not saying it is EASY, but once you get a taste of how sweet freedom in Christ is, you’ll never want to turn back. 
    
Freedom in forgiveness—In Matthew 18:21-22, God tells us to forgive those who have wronged us. How many times? Seventy times seven. When you can let go of a grudge…truly forgive the person who has wronged you and let God be their judge, you would be amazed at the weight lifted from your shoulders.
Then Peter came up and said to him,
 “Lord, how often will my brother sin against me, and I forgive him? 
As many as seven times?” Jesus said to him,
 “I do not say to you seven times, but seventy times seven.”
He also tells us in Mark 11:25, in order for God to forgive our sins, we must forgive those who have sinned against us. Now if that isn’t enough reason to forgive, I don’t know what is! 
And whenever you stand praying, forgive,
 if you have anything against anyone, 
so that your Father also who is in heaven 
may forgive you your trespasses. 
Freedom from worry—God tells us not to worry. By worrying about something does it do you any good? Does the situation change by worrying about it? No. Action may change it, but worry doesn’t. 
Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you will eat or what you will drink, nor about your body, what you will put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing? Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add a single hour to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin… (Matthew 6:25-34 ESV)
Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made know to God. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. (Philippians 4:6-7 ESV)
Freedom from fear—Everyone is afraid of something. But just like worry, does fear really do us any good? An action that helps us with that fear is good, but the fear itself is in vain. In a previous blog (Life is good, Eternity is better) I shared a story about Jeff Strueker faced with a life and death situation during the gulf war. He could fear death, but instead he chose to look at it like this: If he died in battle, he would get to receive his award in heaven and begin his eternity with Jesus. If he survived, he would gain his reward here, go back home to his wife and continue God’s work. Win-win.  
For God gave us a spirit not of fear 
but of power and love and self-control. 
(2 Timothy 1:7 ESV)
 So have no fear of them, for nothing is covered that will not be revealed, or hidden that will not be known. What I tell you in the dark, say in the light, and what you hear whispered, proclaim on the housetops. And do not fear those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Rather fear him who can destroy both soul and body in hell. Are not two sparrows sold for a penny? And not one of them will fall to the ground apart from your Father. But even the hairs of your head are all numbered. Fear not, therefore; you are of more value than many sparrows. So everyone who acknowledges me before men, I also will acknowledge before my Father who is in heaven, but whoever denies me before men, I also will deny before my Father who is in heaven. (Matthew 10:26-33 ESV)
Fear of the Lord himself is the only fear that should drive our actions. He is our creator, our judge, and our savior, and is the only one who decides our eternity. 
The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge; 
fools despise wisdom and instruction. 
(Proverbs 1:7 ESV)
In the prescribed verse of the day, God tells us that we will have troubles in this world. We know that. The part we need to remember so well is “I have overcome the world.” We get so easily caught up in our troubles of this world. And while we must deal with them accordingly, if we can remember that someday this world will be no more and look at the bigger picture, maybe our grudges, worries, and fears will be a little easier to let go. Freedom in Christ is an amazing way to live.
I have a little leather bracelet that helps me remember not to let my thoughts imprison me. Embossed in the leather are the simple words, “Change your thoughts and you will change your world.” 

Freedom. 
From my heart, 

Celeste
P.S. If you are a blogger and post a blog about freedom, be sure to enter to win a free blog design that Ashley and George are offering over at Tekeme Studios. Click here for the link 😉 Just by commenting on this blog post you’ll be entered for the drawing once! Just be sure and leave your e-mail address in the comment. (No spam, I promise!)
Filed Under: Fighting Your Fears, Freedom in Christ, Living in Faith, Living with Purpose Tagged With: , , , ,

Tips to a Happier You in 2012~What are you afraid of?

2 June, 2012 by Leave a Comment

There really is an app for everything. My kids were playing with my phone the other day asking me things like, “Do you know what Astrophobia is? Or what about Didaskaleinophobia? Katasaridaphobia?” They found an app that listed all known phobias. A smorgasbord of all of the crazy—and not so crazy—things people are afraid of. Did you know there are over 500 identified and named phobias? Here’s a small sample:

  • Astrophobia– Fear of stars or celestial space.
  • Katsaridaphobia– Fear of cockroaches (Who isn’t?).
  • Didaskaleinophobia– Fear of going to school (I had this one in 6th grade).
  • Amnesiphobia—Fear of amnesia (Wouldn’t you just forget you were afraid of it?).
  • Hexakosioihexekontahexaphobia—Fear of the number “666.”
  • Mageirocophobia—Fear of cooking (This is a current one for me!).
  • Alektorophobia—Fear of chickens.
  • Osmophobia or Osphresiophobia—Fear of body odors.
  • Consecotaleophobia—Fear of chopsticks.
  • Vestiphobia—Fear of clothing. 
  • Disposophobia—Fear of hoarding (Now I NEED this one).
  • Gymnophobia or Nudophobia—Fear of nudity (I’m thinking the Gymnophogiac wouldn’t get along too well with the Vestiphobiac)
  • Asymmetriphobia—Fear of assymetrical things (If you ever saw the show “Monk,” you know it was one of his top fears). In fact….
Enjoy this clip from “Monk,” one of my faves 😉

Now some phobias are a little easier to understand: 

  • Thanatophobia—Fear of dying or death.
  • Ochophobia—Fear of being in a moving Automobile.
  • Ichthyophobia—Fear of fish (Miranda has this one).
  • Hadephobia, Stygiophobia or Stigiophobia—Fear of Hell.
  • Dementophobia or Maniaphobia—Fear of insanity. (I experienced this once when I had a drug interaction. I thought I was going to end up in a straight jacket staring at four white walls!)
  • Aviophobia or Aviatophobia or Pteromerhanophobia—Fear of flying. (I recently overcame this one!)
If you are fascinated, amazed, or just want to find the name of your phobia, they are ALL listed on The Phobia Index for your convenience 😉
I’m thinking there are a LOT of people scared of a LOT of things for there to actually be crazy names for this many fears. 
Why? 
If we say we believe in an almighty God, the creator of the earth and everything in it, can we not take him at his word? One of my life verses is John 16:33:
In this world you will have trouble.
But take heart, I have overcome the world.
And in today’s prescription verse from Philippians, Paul (who experience trouble and persecution around every corner) tells us not to be anxious or afraid of anything. Just let God handle it. He has it all under control, even though it’s beyond our understanding.
That’s where our faith comes in. 
I know I have quite a few blogs about fear, but I didn’t realize the prison of fear I lived in until God showed me that He has it under control. I had to learn the hard way, and I’m hoping I can take what I learned and make things a little easier for someone else. 
So today’s {tip to a happier you} is to let go of fear. I realize that’s easier said than done. Just think of the song we sang in Sunday school when we were little…
It’s a good video, I promise…these guys must have created it? 
He’s got this! All of it! 
We just have to let Him have it…
From my heart, 
Celeste
Filed Under: Fighting Your Fears, Freedom in Christ, Living in Faith, The Power of Prayer, Tips to a Happier You Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Does our sin separate us from God?

30 August, 2011 by 1 Comment


Two years ago, I attended a “Women of Faith” conference, and was very intrigued by one of the speakers. Her name is Ashley Smith. A few years ago in Atlanta, she was instantly place in the spotlight as she was abducted and held hostage by Brian Nichols, a convicted killer. Her book, “Unlikely Angel: The Untold Story of the Atlanta Hostage Hero,” was an amazing account of every thought and action that took place during the seven hours she was held hostage.

I listened to her speak, and while she was very humble, her “miracle” was very fresh, and I wondered whether or not she could maintain a drug free life and uphold the promises she made to God that night.

In her book, she reveals she had tried and tried to become free of drugs, and she was reading and studying “The Purpose Driven Life” by Rick Warren. While she had told God time and time again that she was done with drugs and ready to straighten her life out, she always kept a little stash “just in case.”


I think when we are in sin and are telling ourselves that we won’t do “whatever” again, and we still have that something on the back burner available if we need it, we are separating ourselves from God. I think of it as an invisible shield between God and me. In our head, we think we are doing the right thing. We talk ourselves into it…we justify. But at the same time, we know in our heart and in the back of our mind that we are keeping that sin on standby. 

Other than our prescription verse above, scripture also tells us when we justify our sin, we don’t have truth, which is the light in Jesus Christ. 

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. 1 John 1:8 ESV

Ok, back to Ashley Smith. I picked up her book to read (after having it for two years) and after finishing it, decided to Google her to see how she’s doing now. I was so happy to see that she is doing great. I’ve included a video here (part 1 and 2) of a show she was interviewed on not too long ago. I hope you will enjoy it.


For me, my sin was addiction. Yes, I had an issue with Lortab, and that was awful, but that is not the big picture. As the title of my story reflects, I was addicted to the chase…the chase to cure my migraine headaches; the chase to cure my seizures; the chase to be happy; the chase to grab my mask so no one would know how miserable I was; the chase to constantly isolate myself from family and friends because I felt such guilt when I was around them. Instead of focusing on God and what he could do, I focused on myself. On my misery; my search for a cure; my guilt. During that time, I missed an opportunity to let Christ minister to me. Thank goodness he rescued me from myself!

When I finished reading “Unlikely Angel,” and I thought about how I’d held on to my sin, I realized something important. When you make a promise to God that you will no longer give a home to your sin, and you truly have made the decision to put it behind you, the best way to stay on course is to use your experience to help others. I know blogging and writing is not the right avenue for everyone, but when we begin to help other people in similar situations, God gives us strength. When we can share with another person the covenant we’ve made with God, we will hold ourselves more accountable to it. When we can really be transparent, and realize that we are not perfect and neither is anyone else, we will find great freedom. It’s amazing to find out how common your struggle is…whatever it is. 

If you have read my story and my blogs, you know how truly happy I am. I’ve always had a heart for people, but for the seven years of my illness and “chase,” I lost my focus. I couldn’t see others very well, only myself. Now that my vision has been corrected, there is nothing more rewarding that sharing the amazing love that God has for us…and actually feeling it first hand. 

From my heart, 
Celeste

Filed Under: Living in Faith, Living with Purpose, Your Relationship with God Tagged With: , , , , , , , , , , , , ,