John Loppnow(0/0)
Steps to interactive gratitude
Step 1) Gratitude from me to God Take a moment right now and prayerfully ask the Spirit to help you remember a moment of gratitude. This memory can be anything that comes to your mind. It can be something simple that happened during the day or a theme you have encountered many times. When something comes to mind, take time to write down what you are thankful for in a conversational manner with God.…
Doing right things can lead to wrong things when our relational circuits are off
Our solution to solving problems with our [relational circuits] off is to do the right thing rather than restore relationships. Doing many right things with your [relational circuits] off can lead to doing very wrong things when it comes to restoring relationships in the Kingdom of God.
Relational circuits checklist
Relational Circuits Checklist (Are our RCs on or off?) I just want to make a problem, person or feeling go away. I don’t want to listen to what others feel or say. My mind is “locked onto” something upsetting. I don’t want to be connected to [blank]. (Someone I usually like) I just want to get away, fight, or freeze. (verses Calm + Connect) I more aggressively interrogate, judge and fix others.…
Thought rhyming sequence
Thought rhyming takes participants through five steps from God’s perspective as God offers attunement to His children. In distress, God helps us restore our [relational circuits] and peace. Through the Immanuel journaling process, God brings healing to the broken interactions (misattunements) we experienced in life. Suppose we need to start our thought rhyming while we are feeling upset about something; we can use the following sequence. I can see you I can hear you I can understand how hard this is for you I am glad to be with you I can do something about what you are going through (steps and order borrowed from Exodus 3:7-8a)
When we do not expect god to listen we treat him as though he is an idol
When we do not expect God to listen to us, we are inadvertently treating the Living God as though He was an idol made by our human hands.
Without interaction we become hardened or indifferent
Without interaction, many of us become hardened or indifferent to God altogether. After all, God seems indifferent to our suffering or incompetent or even cruel.
Memories of God's goodness give us a sense of being loved
We tend to spend a lot of energy focusing on resolving traumas in the hope that we will be free from the pain trauma brings. What we often miss or overlook is the power of building memories of God’s goodness that give us a sense of being loved. Noticing God’s goodness and appreciating His gifts can be viewed as depositing money in our “Immanuel” savings accounts, whereas focusing on painful evens in life can be like withdrawing money!…
Our thoughts can rhyme with our Heavenly Father's
In Ephesians 2:10, Paul uses the Greek word poiema, which literally means God’s poetry. When poiema is translated as “handiwork” or “workmanship” it misses the following important point. Poetry in scripture does not rhyme sounds; it follows the Hebrew pattern and rhymes thoughts. This means that as God’s poetry, our thoughts can rhyme with our Heavenly Father’s.