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Stacey L. Lacik

~ Common Sense Christian Counsel

Stacey L. Lacik

Monthly Archives: January 2013

The Roar of the Accuser and the Silence of The Lamb

26 Saturday Jan 2013

Posted by Stacey in Uncategorized

≈ 2 Comments

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American Psychiatric Association, American Psychological Association, APA, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, DSM-5, Jesus, Obsessive–compulsive disorder, Personality disorder, Soul Healing

So I was informed tonight that my spiritual beliefs are ‘primitive’.  That I have not yet attained a high level of ‘Christ Consciousness’, and therefore, cannot accurately read and interpret scripture.  For myself.  That I have already lived several life times, and the life I’m living now is currently a mess because of bad karma, due to all of my transgressions in previous lifetimes.

I have a lot wrong with me.

I struggle with both depression and anxiety.  According to the DSM IV, (The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: the most holy and revered ‘bible’ of the mental health field) I meet ALL of the criteria for a personality disorder.  I’m not arguing with this one;  I’m hiding all the way in the back of the book.  Yup, Cluster C.  That’s me.  In fact, for years I’ve toyed with the idea of getting a personalized license plate that says so.  Personality disorders are grouped into three clusters based on similar personality traits:  Cluster A (odd, or eccentric), cluster B is the drama/hysteria gang, and then there’s C:  anxious and fearful.  (AKA:  Stacey.)

Afraid of pretty much everything;  heavy on the ‘avoidant’ traits, and, as had been said to me at every single place of employment I’ve ever had the honor of being fired from:  Extremely Insecure.  Lacking Confidence.  Afraid to get out of bed.  Pick up a phone.  Talk to people.  Etc., etc.  Oh, and those OCD features aren’t fun on the job, either.  At least not for my co-workers.

The DSM V is coming out this spring;  and as far as I know, from everything I’ve read from the APA,  there is still no hope for me.  Not really kidding about this; avoidant personalities don’t typically do well in therapy (duh);  hence: No Hope.  (APA, by the way, stands for the American Psychological Association;  you know, the Men in the Little White Coats.  Suits, actually.  Expensive ones.)

BUT                                                               

I know, that I know, that I know

In Whom I have believed.

And I am convinced that He is able;

To keep all of me [my life, my heart, my mind]

that I’ve committed [surrendered] to Him.

I don’t mind being called primitive.  Mentally ill.  Inept;  inadequate, unworthy, not normal, whatever you want to call me.   I have heard it all.  And seen the hairy eye-rolls. I might even have been it all, at different times and seasons.  (Hormones, anyone?)

Because when Jesus writes in the sand…..  Forgiven.  She Belongs to Me.  She is worth it all….. to Me. 

It is so much louder than the roar of the accuser.  The whispers of the Church.  The professional labels of Those Who Have Degrees.  Or those who don’t, but pretend they do.

The lies of the enemy.

And His silence speaks volumes into my life;  redeems, restores, heals.

Peaceful

And I am ever so grateful to be me.

Because of who I am to Him.

“He leads me beside still waters….He restores my soul……”

Psalm 23

Just A Thought

24 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by Stacey in The Journey

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Christian Living, God, Health

The famous set of columns from the Roman Forum...

Image via Wikipedia

The enemy always attacks a birth or a death.  He doesn’t care too much about the in-between because we mess that up pretty good on our own.  Grief and loss drive us to our knees faster than complacency does;  the initial excitement of birthing anything, whether it’s a baby, a business, or a ministry wakes us up and wipes the apathy out of our eyes, at least in the beginning.  Several sleepless months, or years later, and we’re pretty much zombified and harmless.  We run on coffee and anxiety.

Define your dreams;  write them down, and live intentional lives, but know this: once you begin this process, if you are serious at all, the enemy will also organize a counter-attack to keep that which is forming in the spiritual realm from coming into fruition in the natural realm.  And should we persevere and prosper, he will attack whatever is birthed and pursue it all the way to the wilderness.  Stay focused.  If deception doesn’t work, he will try dissention;  if that doesn’t work, he will use distraction.  His ultimate goal is always destruction.  You are God‘s answer to the enemy.

“This one step – choosing a goal and sticking to it – changes everything.”   Scott Reed.

New Year, Old Mindset

10 Thursday Jan 2013

Posted by Stacey in The Journey

≈ 6 Comments

Tags

Christ, Christian Living, Christianity, Disciple (Christianity), God, Holy Spirit, Jesus

Jesus Discourses with His Disciples

Jesus Discourses with His Disciples (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The holidays were difficult this year;  kind of happy-sad.  The last month has been an emotional roller-coaster.  And I don’t like roller-coasters.  And to top it all off, my grandfather passed away this week, before we could go to see him and take him his Christmas gifts.  None of it feels real, and probably won’t until the funeral, or shortly after.  But I am sad.  We didn’t have a family Christmas, either, this year, due to bad weather.  So I have a house full of uneaten cookies, and gifts not given, and a heart full of memories not made.

I was shopping in a local garden center several weeks before Christmas, and an ornament on a tree caught my eye.  I have always thought that the verse in Luke read “peace on earth and goodwill to all men.”  (Because Charles Schultz said so.  Ask Linus.)  On this ornament, however, it read “Peace on earth, and goodwill to those on whom God‘s favor rests.”  And right there, standing in the store, I thought, wow.  The obvious implication being that there are those on whom God’s favor does not rest.

What does it look like to have the favor of God resting on you?  On me?  What would my life look like?  What does favor even mean?  Somehow I resist the idea that it means (as we are taught) shiny new cars in the driveway, and miles of granite counter-tops in the kitchen; closets full of name-brand clothing and expensive trips in luxury hotels.

So where does the favor of God rest?  On whom?

I took a Discipleship class several years ago at our church.  I was so excited to take this class, as I had heard such good things about it.  Somehow, by the time I got to it, the course had been changed, and had little to do with discipleship as taught by Christ Himself.  He trained His disciples to go and change the world.  We train them to make us look good as a church, and protect our highly vulnerable reputations.

Another church I went to in the past required us to go out into the community as part of our counselor training.  We had to attend AA meetings, and actually go to the Department of Social Services, and report on what we observed.  Before we were allowed to minister to anyone.

As counselors, we are called to stand in the gap.  Much as the Holy Spirit does for us, as our advocate, and helper.  We are called to be people-helpers.  To ‘go about and do good.’  This is what Jesus modeled for the original disciples.  He spent time alone in prayer, and then touched lives.  It wasn’t about Him, or His ‘platform’.  The disciples were not his ‘staff’ enlisted to promote and protect Him.  They were students;  followers learning how to lead.  Going to the people, not being ushered away from them by a group of trained bouncers.  We have turned from wanting the favor of God on our lives to wanting the favor of The Pastors on our lives.  And in all honesty, those who get caught up in this do it largely because the lifestyles they’ve become accustomed to are underwritten by the church.

This is not what I want.  It never was.

I drove through a housing development last week, looking at all of the beautiful houses, and the lights and decorations, and had a small pity-party for myself that I am no longer welcome in the houses of some of these leaders.  But it’s not what I want.  It’s not what I am here for;  not what I am called to.  I haven’t been through hell just to sit and bask in the reflected glory of the few who know how to stir emotions and reward allegiance to the Vision.

Somehow I see Christ Himself pulling away.  Did people follow Him?  Of course.  In Mark chapter two, we see Him getting up early and going away to deserted places to be alone with God.  And the disciples also got up, and followed Him.  “Don’t you know everyone is looking for you?  Hurry up, Jesus, you have a ministry to run.  What are you doing way out here alone?  Come on.  The media are here, and they want pictures.  Maybe you could get a few shots with some of the kids.  Then we’ll take you out for lunch and then maybe do a book-signing for all those who bought your latest book.”

Is it just coincidence that the word favor has  largely been replaced by the word status in our culture?

What is it we really want?

Something to think about before we make all of our well-intentioned resolutions.

"The art of writing is the art of discovering what you truly believe." -Gustave Flaubert

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