all is grace

This week some of our teammates traveled to take a seminary class about addictions! The class was taught by Sharon Hersh. Sharon is a counselor, author and speaker who took time out of her busy schedule to come half way across the world to teach us! We learned about substance abuse, people pleasing, sexual addictions, perfection, workaholism, eating disorders and much more. Sharon has such an incredible testimony of redemption and God's pursuit in her life. I was so thankful to hear her story while learning from God's Word about addictions. I loved every bit of it! We were in class from 9-5 Monday through Friday so I am worn out but luckily now I have a week of relaxation before leaving for Thailand!

a city full of sunshine, it was a really nice change

enjoying good food with friends

just shopping, trying to be trendy

me and Sam on New Years Eve

Overall, I learned that whatever we are ultimately concerned with, is god for us. Addiction is a person, place, substance or activity that supplants God as central. An addiction is the momentum of life and the central activity of life.

"For ever since the world was created, people have seen the earth and sky. Through everything God made, they can clearly see his invisible qualities- his eternal power and divine nature. So they have no excuse for not knowing God. Yes, they knew God, but they wouldn't worship him as God or even give him thanks. And they began to think up foolish ideas of what God was like. As a result, their minds became dark and confused." 

Romans 1:20-21

Every addiction is saying, "I WANT CONTROL! God, you didn't do it right so I'll take over." Sharon said, "The deepest relief that addiction provides is that it destroys passion. Addiction opposes love. It imprisons us in self-hatred. When we are addicted we cannot love. Attention and love are intimate partners. Attention must be free for love to be present. Attention is kidnapped by addiction." How do I try to control my life and escape from a fallen world? During the class we had "process groups" lead by a counselor to talk through everything we learned. This was really helpful. I've been trying to search out my heart and ask myself what are the things I idolize? How do I try to take the control of my life from God? 

"They traded the truth about God for a lie. So they worshiped and served the things God created instead of the Creator himself, who is worthy of eternal praise! Amen."

Romans 1:25

 

Sharon talked a lot about Brennan Manning- an author, priest, speaker and addict. He wrote The Ragamuffin Gospel and his story is inspirational. Brennan said, “At the age of sixteen, Sunday mornings still looked the same.  I still showed up on Sunday mornings, went to mass, experienced the same distant God.  But something different began on Saturday nights.  I started drinking.”

 

 Manning said, "God loves you unconditionally, as you are and not as you should be, because nobody is as they should be."