Nine Lies You'll Never Hear from God (But Others May Tell You)

/ REL Consultants (Roland Legge)/
Nine Lies You'll Never Hear from God (But Others May Tell You)

Faith can be inspiring, hopeful, full of love, and change the world. Great movements of transformation, inspired by all religions, have made the world a better place. In this article, we will focus on Christianity.

Christians responded to a crisis during the Industrial Revolution. People of faith ensured that all children could receive an education no matter how much money their families had. Today, what we call public education originated from denominational schools that sought to stop the abuse of children. 

During the Slave Trade in the United States, many Christians came together to create the Underground Railroad that helped African Americans to escape to the freedom of Canada.

Christianity has been a mixed blessing. It has brought hope, love and justice to many who were denied it, and it has also killed many people in the name of God.

Our job as followers of Jesus is to shine the light on the shadow side to prevent these tragedies from happening.

Here are nine assertions you’ll never hear from Jesus that I hope will help to stay accountable to him.

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Recovering from Spiritual Burnout: what it is and how to handle It

/ REL Consultants (Roland Legge)/
Recovering from Spiritual Burnout: what it is and how to handle It

You are a spiritual being, whether or not you consider yourself religious. Spirituality is all about connecting with a unifying loving force more significant than you.

Anytime you are out of balance with Spirit, you will not make the best decisions.

Spiritual burnout is when you start to feel depressed and hopeless and have the feeling that God has abandoned you. You begin to wonder if life is worth living. You walk around with a sense of heaviness. You find it more and more difficult to do anything.

Spiritual burnout builds up over time. If you are not aware of your gradual decline, you will start to get used to it, and the longer you stay in it, the harder it will be to get out of it.

The only way out of it is to learn to be more self-aware. The Spirit sends wisdom through the sensations of your body, the emotions of your heart and a quiet mind. Your work is to become more familiar with your three centers of intelligence.

Paying attention to your centers will help you find liberation.

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Calling, Caring, and Connecting: Burnout in Christian Ministry

/ REL Consultants (Roland Legge)/
Calling, Caring, and Connecting: Burnout in Christian Ministry

 Remember when you felt the strong call to go into Christian Ministry?  Testing your call through your denomination and theological school was a long process. Can you remember the day you were ordained or commissioned? 

Seeing the increasing pressure church leadership faces in mainline denominations today is concerning. With the shift in cultural values, where the church is no longer the focal point of communities and congregations are dwindling, it seems ministers are too often the target of blame. This trend is worrying and deserves our attention. You are now at a higher risk of burnout in Christian ministry.

First, you need to remember that you are not God.  You cannot fix your congregation. If your community wants to grow, it needs to work with you. It needs to be open to new ways of being church.  It would be best if you got beyond “We have not done it this way before.”

Establishing and maintaining healthy habits and lifestyle is essential to perform your tasks effectively. Here are eight ways to keep you healthy:

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Five Ways to Cultivate a Healthy Masculinity and Femininity

/ REL Consultants (Roland Legge)/
Five Ways to Cultivate a Healthy Masculinity and Femininity

We live in a complex world, yet we want to divide people into two genders. We expect men to be masculine and women to be feminine. 

With modern psychology, we have learned that we have both within us. It is a like a continuum with masculinity and femininity at either end of the spectrum. Most of us land in the middle of the continuum. We all need a healthy masculinity and femininity.

Until recently, children have been raised to behave in specific ways depending on their gender identity. Girls were brought up to be caring, maternal, gentle and obedient to parents, particularly men.

Boys were considered tough, assertive, violent, and controlling. Boys grew up with the belief that they were superior to girls. You still hear the excuse for male violence with the saying, “Boys will be boys.” We still see signs of this in our society with a high rate of violence against girls and women.

Women and men are both hurt by this sexist divide. We are forced into being people we are not. When women are not permitted to be strong, assertive and outspoken, they often take out their anger on other women. 

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Finding God Within Ourselves

/ REL Consultants (Roland Legge)/
Finding God Within Ourselves

What is God

God is a big word. You and I have different images of God. When I refer to God, I am talking about an energy/force within and around you that connects everything, both animate and inanimate.

It is the higher power within us that speaks to us through our bodies (sensations), hearts (emotions) and heads (quiet mind).   

God is a loving force that seeks to bring out the best in each of us and sustain a world where all life has a chance to thrive.  

There is the spark of God in each of us. It is not something we earn. It is a gift given to us to be used wisely and with compassion.

The good news is that God is within all of us.

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The Value To Your Heart Found In Connecting With God Through Nature

/ REL Consultants (Roland Legge)/
The Value To Your Heart Found In Connecting With God Through Nature

God is a big word! What does God mean for you? There are many ways to refer to God:

· Father

· Mother

· Oneness

· Allah

· Goddess

· Mother Earth

· Friend

You can probably think of many other names for God.

For me, God is the divine energy that connects all of life, both animate and inanimate.

God connects through your heart. Listen for the yearnings of your heart to discover what God is calling you to live out. Every time you respond to God, your heart will feel a little softer.

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7 Ways To Navigate The Seasons Of Your Life With Grace & Joy

/ REL Consultants (Roland Legge)/
7 Ways To Navigate The Seasons Of Your Life With Grace & Joy

Remember when you were young, and summers seemed endless. It always felt like there was time to do anything you wanted. Nothing ever felt rushed.

As you got older, it felt like time moved more and more quickly. You suddenly hit the age when you start to think about what you will do after high school. The seasons of your life are beginning to move faster.

When you start to attend college or university, it feels like life is moving into the fast lane. With assignments, classes, clubs, sport and friends, you have little time for yourself.

As you begin new chapters of your life, there are always times of transition. You experience these transitions when you:

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How To Start A Daily Habit Of Talking To God

/ REL Consultants (Roland Legge)/
How To Start A Daily Habit Of Talking To God

Talking to God can help you to be your best. But before we go any further in this conversation, I invite you to reflect on who God is for you.

God is energy and spirit that connects us to everything animate and inanimate on earth. God not only connects us to the world and also to the universe.

God is expressed through love, justice-making, and through each of us, even you!

If you explored all the world's great religions, you would find many beliefs and values in common. However, each religion has its own unique story of how God continues to animate the world.

No religion or belief system knows everything about God because God will always remain mysterious and surprising. Talking to God should open you up and not close you down.

Every time you try to control God, you are imposing your belief system on others. Before you know it, you will be claiming that you have a unique line to God and that you can never be wrong.

Self-righteousness is dangerous. Hitler and Mussolini are examples of what happens to people who think they have a special relationship with God and believe they know the ultimate truth.

Once you have a sense of who and what God is, you can begin to build a practice of talking to God every day.

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