Religion, Relationship and God

God uses religion to put us in relationship with him. God had a covenant people in the people of Israel. Baptism is part of the new covenant God revealed in the New Testament.

We can bind ourselves to God through covenants. Weekly communion is a renewal of our covenants. It allows us to declare before God and our community neighbors that we want to live after the manner of happiness that God directs us to do. We can be renewed every week.

We can privately renew our relationship through prayer each day. We can ask for His grace, His strength to live after the manner of happiness, following God.

What are we creating in our relationships?

We create our own heaven or hell in our relationships (or somewhere in between).

Am I making our dreams come true? Or are they nightmares?

https://youtu.be/YoFJgLmbYZE

Why We Forgive

Bonds of Anguish, Bonds of Love

Years ago I read Bonds of Anguish, Bonds of Love. A 1995 Manuscript by C. Terry Warner.  I learned invaluable life lessons from it.

I have decided to read it again. Here is a quote that I really love from the beginning of chapter 1.

There are two different ways of being a person. One of these precedes the change of heart, and the other follows it. The first is fearful, anxious, resentful, and alienated from other people; the second, open resonant with others, buoyant, straightforward, and secure.

To the extent that we live the second way, we care about others. We do not see them merely in terms of our own interests, as helping or hindering us. They are real to us; we are as sensitive to their feelings and hopes and needs as we are to our own.

Here is the the published book that came from the manuscript, "Bonds that Make Us Free: Healing Our Relationships, Coming to Ourselves"

Emotional Bank Account

My good friend Buzzz shared this recently.  I don't want to forget it.

"For any relationship to succeed, five positive things need to be said to every one negative. There are NO exceptions!"

Another friend said that this particularly applies in conflict.  I have also heard it described as an emotional bank account.  You need to be focused on deposits and withdraw less.  Not that you use it as a score board.  Just thinking about what can I do to make this experience more meaningful and positive.