DESTINY SCHOOL OF MINISTRY
Year 5 Term 1 – Relationships & Recovery
August 31st, 2009 – Week 4

I. Prayer for students and class Q&A
II. Discuss “Boundaries” text through chapter 9
III. Lesson “Knowing your limits”
IV. Assign Homework

Knowing your limits
Before you are able to teach others how to establish healthy boundaries with others, you first must know, and have expressed to others, your own boundaries. Last week we focus mainly on the primary boundary; that nothing should hinder your relationship with God, nor prevent you from passionately pursuing His will. This boundary deals primarily with your own heart, that no relationship or pursuit is worth more than the establishment of God as the center of your life. We don’t simply add a room for Jesus onto our house when we get saved. We recognize that the old house gets condemned and torn down. Then we give the deed to Jesus and build the new house ON Jesus together with Him.

Homework will be a reflection on your own boundaries. Where does the line between serving and protecting lie?
 

DESTINY SCHOOL OF MINISTRY
Year 5 Term 1 – Relationships & Recovery
August 24th, 2009 – Week 3

Prayer for students and class Q&A
Discuss chapters 4-6 of “Boundaries”
Lesson “Biblical Boundaries”
Assign Homework


We started this week off with a discussion of common (mis)interpretations of the marraige boundaries listed in Ephesians 5. We also talked extensively of Jesus' boundaries in putting his Father first in everything.
 

“Wives, submit to your own husbands, as to the Lord.” (Ephesians 5:22)
“Husbands, love your wives, just as Christ also loved the church and gave Himself for her…” (Ephesians 5:25)

First thing, let me appologize to my students for giving you the wrong address. If you are reading this it means you are smarter than I was and found the LJ entries anyway. Without further ado, the notes:

DESTINY SCHOOL OF MINISTRY
Year 5 Term 1 – Relationships & Recovery
August 17th, 2009 – Week 2

We had a great discussion on boundaries in class today. I look forward to continuing that discussion next week and perhaps online.

The homework assignment for next week was to write a 1-2 page paper summary of chapters 4-6. Also, each student was tasked with finding a mental health professional that could be used for referrals for when the mental health issues are beyond the abillity of a counseling minister to provide.

Peace in Christ.

So I spent the summer at the cabin and I got bit by the "make my own furniture" bug. Now I can hardly stop thinking about it.

I had lots of piles of old white cedar sticks and beams cut from a few years ago and I thought to myself, I'm going to make my wife one of those Inidan chairs. Which I then did, only it came out way more funky than I originally planned, which was great.. It was such a fulfilling experience to be able to salvage "scrap" wood and tun it into something beautiful. Now I can't stop thinking about stripping bark, whittling tenions and varnishing.

Has anyone else here ever built thier own rustic furniture?

Peace in Christ

Ephesians on Recovery, Relationships and the Counseling Minister

Within the book of Ephesians are many gems that can be applied to the topics of this class. We will be using the book of Ephesians as a primary source when looking into how to minister recovery and relationship help.

As we read through the book of Ephesians, “Boundaries” and various excerpts from other books, keep in mind a few things. How does God’s way of relating to us differ from most human father/child relationships? How did you recover from the relationship difficulties of your past? In what ways is God still healing those wounds? And how does God want you to guide others through that process.

When I was in High School I was friends with a few Mormon families. I was welcomed into homes, surrounded by love, and was sent several sets of missionaries to my house. Most of the conversations surrounded with my fixation on their beliefs of the afterlife (which I found fantastically bizarre) and their attempts to stick to the practiced routine of warm, fuzzy conversations about Joseph Smith and how much God loves me and wants us all to join the LDS. I have some friends who have recently begun to be courted by Mormons and it spurred me to do have another look at Mormon doctrine and the book of Galatians.

Here are some notes you might find helpful.

 I think the temptation comes when we are dissatisfied with our current circumstances. Our church isn’t exciting enough. My life isn’t going where I wanted it to go. My family doesn’t love me… etc. These nice looking welcoming families seem so inviting. All they ask is that you listen and consider joining them. I offer you this alternative. Remember the God of your youth.. or the God of your salvation.. or the God you met when you first got saved. If there is a disappointment, turn to Him for that solution. He has the answer and He loves you deeply. Law and man’s religions never had anything on that.

So far the review I’ve done with this book ("Making Peace with your Past", by Normal Wright)has included looking into your past to find the root of some emotional disturbances and learning a more effective self-talk for dealing with those disturbances.. or to put it plainly, the enemy of your soul lies to you constantly, especially for some through negative memories of their parents.

Grace is giving someone something they do not deserve. Forgiveness is allowing claims that you hold against others to no longer count against them. Love includes all of that.

In this way you can be ready to be the ambassador of God to those people that have hurt you and finally and completely recover from those wounds.

Peace in Christ.

Edit: I may be done with this book review I may have one or two more things to say about it. I will be teaching a class however on relationships and recovery and how being prepared for that sort of ministry. I will be using another dealing with emotional health in relationships, "Boundaries" and posting all my notes here in this same fashion. Let me know if you like them or disagree with them. J

Edit PS: I added a bunch of links. I think I will do this for all future entries. Enjoy!

Conflict Resolution & Diversity, Oliver Button

Standards/Benchmarks: A:A1.9, A:A3.1, A:A3.5, A:B1.7; C:A1.4; C:A2.5; PS:A1.9 PS:A2.1

Grade Levels: 3 - 5, (adaptable for K-2)

Time: 35 - 45 min

Materials: “Oliver Button is a Sissy” by Tomie dePaola. A pencil and paper for each group. (K-2 crayons and paper for each student)

  It was a great thing to see. A president had been set that being mean to somone based on "color" was unacceptable. The teacher was able to build off the lesson because the students bought into it and were able to refer to it.

Peace.

In the following chapters after the self assessments of past wounds, Wright deals with resentments, changing and how to deal with these discoveries. I found allot of it to be to be tried and true methodologies of both cognitive behavioral therapy and good Christian counseling.

The primary task after recognizing that you are still affected by misdeeds of parents and important people in your past is to learn to fight the lies that the enemy is glad you’ve adopted. This is a very rational exercise that pays off later on with an emotional reward.  

I've been praying for new music. There comes a time, seasonlly for me when my heart NEEDS new inspiration. My ears yearn for something that when I hear it, I know that's it. It's almost like hearing something absolutely unrefutably true. Your soul bears witness. I need new songs every now and then like that.

For  while I was in a big Phish kcik. For a long time NOMO was the bomb. Right now after being in a musical wasteland all of  a sudden it's springtime. Things are popping up all over the place and my sould bears witness that good things are happening.

God, thank you for the music that's been popping up all over. Thank you for the enw worship music, the prog rock, the jazz, all of it. You know me and I love that.

God, here are some things I'm looking for in the next house: [by the way friend/reader, this is how I pray.. I just open my desires and everything like a book. Open my hands up to him. It helps me not be stressed before Him and it's kinda like me saying I recognise this desire is there, let me know what to do with it. I'm not demanding him to gimmie everything. But I expect that He is in the conversation with me. He does want us to be anxious for nothing but petition him about anything that concerns us. (Phil 4:6) The Bible does say He will give us the Desires of our hearts (Psalm 37:4,5), but He knows exactly what's good for us at exactly the right time.]   
A space for making music.
A space to hide/read/study.
A big open dining room/kitchen that my wife will love and a in which our table will fit.
Enough bedrooms and bathrooms for my whole family and guests.
3 acres so I can have a bonfire whenever I want.
Space enough for some real good fellowship..

I know you've got this all planned out. Give me peace to be able to trust in you. I'm really sick of this current situation but I'm trying not to complain. Every need has been met, above and beyond. Help me jsut to be patient and trust in you. You are awesome Lord. You kindness to me is so undeserved.