By Chaplain Joy Le Page Smith

A “fellow” chaplain who is also a treasured friend called after reading the post of titled, “At what age do you think you daughter will be ready to read this?  She said, “Your article could help extend some ‘candlelight’ for young people, but you can’t stop there. What about readers who have difficult memories arise as they read what you wrote for the woman whose story you promised to “get it published.” Can they trust you to be there for them?” 

Yes.  She is right. I had to deal with my own triggered memories of a bad experience in keeping my promise to write the woman’s story. The truth of old, buried pain can surely arise to hurt once again when it is triggered. Whether it is something sudden, abusive or alarming that happened to us–or to a close loved one–we don’t want to be forced to revisit it. We feel assaulted again. And we do not like the moldy-mildewed feelings that arise.

Some of us do some self-blame. For some reason we seem to always have “what ifs,” thinking we could have done something to keep “that” from happening. This is false guilt. It does not serve us well. There is no help whatsoever in thinking “It was my fault.”  And, it is not fair to ourselves.  We all make mistakes. We cannot “do” this life without them. Mistakes teach us what works well and what does not work well.

Scripture is very specific about this: God does not want us to live with guilt or shame. The Scriptures show us the need for repentance when we have chosen to do something wrong. The way forward is bringing everything that concerns us to Him through prayer.

One of the most beautiful passages is in Matthew 11: 28-29, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.”

Everything we ever do or experience is in “cold storage” in our brain. It is in our subconscious mind and can arise. This, at times, helps us when memories come up. And at other times it is for sure a memory can hurt us. The files of Jeffery Epstein that have in part been opened have brought up very difficult memories for many people.

Many years ago the Lord gave me a way of coming to Him, allowing Him to relieve me of a painful memory, about a plaguing situation that had me stirred up. It is a visualization that works with what is currently happening or what is coming up from my subconscious mind:

I call this “An Inner Healing Exercise” and use it when the experiences of life are difficult or painful. For best results, lie down (or sit quietly) envisioning the entirety of your torso covered by a huge sponge. See the Lord Jesus placing this sponge on your body, holding it there (or sightly over your body). Envision Him as sending love into your soul.

Next, purpose to let go the difficult feelings while visualizing them being released from your body and soul into the sponge. (I visualize vapors leaving my body while releasing the feelings.) Do this as long and as often as you need to while letting go of the pain you are feeling. At points, envision Jesus coming alongside and with His big hands He squeezes the sponge dry, then gently extends it again so we can do more releasing.

The subconscious mind works with pictures, images created by dreams, or by our creating them consciously. For this reason, an exercise such as this allows the message of healing to be received by the subconscious mind where healing is needed.

If tears flow, this is good. It will help you release the painful emotions and bless your body with relief. Tell yourself that love is flowing like a river into your heart and throughout your entire body, replacing the pain. Offer thanks to God as you receive healing. This is a process; it takes varying degrees of time, depending on the depth of the pain.

I find the exercise even more helpful when it is possible to fall asleep within the process of releasing the pain. This allows the healing to move deeper into the subconscious mind where restoration is needed.

We learn how to defeat false guilt by recognizing it, then releasing it. We can say, “My spirit is done with that” when we feel responsible for something that is out of our control–or carries false guilt.  

“False guilt comes from saying no to people . . . . The only true guilt comes from saying no to God.” From Paul Tournier’s Guilt and Grace.

Visit Healing-with-Joy.com for many articles dealing with the difficulties and uncertainties of life.

By Chaplain Joy Le page Smith, MA

Most people are exclaiming concerns as to “the way the world is going.” Change is exceedingly apparent. Yet, a YouTube lifted my spirits today; so, I will share this amazing short video, here, in hopes it does the same for you. I found it to be exceedingly worthwhile.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gS3V0qc5wpU

Within Jesus’ teachings while He was on earth, He urged His followers to know that in the future there would be an exact right time for Him to return to the earth.

He spoke of consequential signs that will prepare us to realize the time of His return is getting close.  The video above shows events taking place now that are definitely among those signs of which Jesus spoke. These events are unfolding currently throughout the earth. Is His return immanently close? For sure, He wants us to watch and be prayerful. Why? So those who believe in Jesus as their Lord and Savior can be ready for His return to the earth. 

Jesus’ parable of the five wise and five foolish virgins found in Matthew 25: 1-13, serves well in underscoring the message of this above video making it exceedingly clear what Jesus wants of His people when His return takes place:

“Then the kingdom of heaven shall be likened to ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. Now five of them were wise, and five were foolish. Those who were foolish took their lamps and took no oil with them, but the wise took oil in their vessels with their lamps. But while the bridegroom was delayed, they all slumbered and slept.

“And at midnight a cry was heard: ‘Behold, the bridegroom is coming; go out to meet him!’ Then all those virgins arose and trimmed their lamps. And the foolish said to the wise, ‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are going out.’ But the wise answered, saying, ‘No, lest there should not be enough for us and you; but go rather to those who sell, and buy for yourselves.’ And while they went to buy, the bridegroom came, and those who were ready went in with him to the wedding; and the door was shut.

“Afterward the other virgins came also, saying, ‘Lord, Lord, open to us!’ But he answered and said, ‘Assuredly, I say to you, I do not know you.’ Watch therefore, for you know neither the day nor the hour in which the Son of Man is coming.”

Revelation Chapter 1 assures us that no one is going to miss seeing His return, as “every eye shall see him.” He will come in the clouds. He is coming to gather and reward “the church” meaning those who are His–those who seek His guidance daily through prayer and reading the Holy Bible. Those who are in a love relationship with Him for our hearts are His home. The “church” is not about a building or a denomination. Rather, the word “church” rightly describes God’s people –those who seek to serve on earth in ways that generate the life that lights our souls (seen by Jesus as “oil in our lamps.”). The “light” that shines in our lives is the Holy Spirit of Jesus Christ. We share that night among our families, friends and all who the Lord nudges us to reach out to and help. Being aware, listening and watching enables us to serve where help is needed in the world. Our watching for His return comes naturally when reading the Bible is a frequent practice.

Revelations 1: 5-8, “To Him who loved us and washed us from our sins in His own blood and has made us kings and priests to His God and Father, to Him be glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen . . . I am the Alpha and the Omega, the Beginning and the End,” says the Lord, “who is and who was and who is to come, the Almighty.”

Upon the Lord’s second coming He expects to see “light in our lamps,” as the fire of our love for the Lord shines brightly in our souls.

Credit for this link shown above goes to John MacArthur and Crossroads.com.

About the author: Chaplain Joy Le Page Smith is a Board certified clinical chaplain. She is reaching readers with her books and websites in up to 32 countries. View her children’s book as a YouTube at healingwithjoy.blogspot.com Also, find many helpful articles addressing life’s difficulties at this site.

By Chaplain Joy Le Page Smith, MA

People chose evil due to doubting God and thinking their way is better–not caring what God would want or even caring what the conscience is saying. The conscience can be burned away through constantly choosing to ignore it. Eventually, it quits talking.

There is an enemy of our souls. He works through our lusts and cravings telling us we are entitled to have what we want and to do as we please. It is not that we lose our souls through making wrong choices. The Lord is our Shepherd. He has a hold on us, even when we make horrible choices. The danger of losing one’s soul comes when we determine that God has no place in our lives and that we will live it just as we wish. Given enough time on that path, common sense gets lost and love for others bleeds off. Many have reversed that course by turning to God and asking for forgiveness. This is what it means to say “the soul is saved.”

Murderers, rapists, drunkards, robbers and addicts who persist have in their ways give over their souls to one who is out to kill and destroy. A person may hardly notice they are cooperating with the schemes of the devil who hates God’s people. It is a gradual process. At any point they can turn to God.

The story of Genesis portrays God extending beautiful intimacy with the humans He created. All was well until Satan got Eve, and then Adam, to doubt that God knows best. Once that lie was accepted, these two took the next step: believing that God was keeping something good and blessed from them. Firmly planted, this lie took hold and resulted in a great loss for them–even the loss of eternal life.

God’s intention was for them to live forever in the beautiful place He created for them. This was lost, as they could not live forever. Now, they would know death. Meanwhile, everything would not be given to them; they had to earn their bread through hard labor. What joy comes through seeing the full truth! An amazing part of the story of Adam and Eve is that God still has them firmly in the grasp of his love, even after bad choices cost them so much.
Sorrowfully, their intimacy with God was cut short. The light of God which surrounded and enfolded them was gone, replaced by the darkness their disobedience brought. They now stood naked before God. Love prevailed, as God makes coverings for Adam and Eve. God’s mercy causes Him to slay animals so their skins can clothe His loved ones.
This is a foreshadowing of Jesus Christ who would come to the earth, in due time, to lay down His life for all humanity. Through His teachings and his actions, Jesus portrayed the heart of His Father to us and showed us God’s will. The core of Christian truth is that Jesus sacrificed His life for us, and that His very own blood was shed to cover our sins.
All of us will encounter countless temptations in this life. We can yield, if we want, as God has given us the great gift of free will. Or, we can surrender our lusts and our cravings–our prideful desires for amassing wealth or having power and control over others. Another choice is to keep our hearts ensconced in Scripture and bath our lives in prayer, seeking God’s will for our lives. In this way, God, our Creator, will be at the center of our souls. We can walk clean knowing that through Christ’s offering of His blood to cover and redeem us from our sins, we are lifted out of our failures. It is through our trust in Him that we can be whole, free from the entrapments the enemy of our soul weaves around our feet. (James 4:7 instructs us well: “Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.”)
It is astounding, even hard to grasp, once we know that Jesus chose to die for us. The whole scene could have been different. For when the Roman soldiers came to arrest the Lord, Peter decided to help Him escape. Jesus quickly stopped Peter, saying, “Put your sword back in its place. Do you think I cannot call on my Father, and He will at once put at my disposal more than twelve legions of angels?” (Matt. 26:52-53) In view of so great a sacrifice make for our eternal benefit, is it so hard to study Scripture in order to truly know–and hold in mind–what He has taught? Doing so will see us resisting pride-driven desires and selfish reasoning.
Knowing that God loves us against all reason, gives us the power to resist the temptations that perpetually come our way. This creates a longing in us to follow God’s will. This very longing is initiated within us by God–through the Holy Spirit.
It is a fact that when we read the teachings of Jesus Christ day-by-day, loving and serving the Lord becomes our foremost desire. And, as we continually yield to God, His will is portrayed through our lives. It is certain that once we have set our will to belong to Him, God will not let go of us. Our souls are safe.