Who Doesn't Have "Abba" Issues?

For my father and my mother have forsaken me,

but the Lord will take me in... Father of the fatherless and protector of widows

is God in his holy habitation. 

~Psalm 27:10 & 68:5

Father's Day just passed: a holiday that gives some people reason to celebrate while for others serves as a catalyst to open up or scratch at deep and painful wounds.

How we view our earthly fathers affects (either consciously or subconsciously) how we approach our Heavenly Father. Our "daddy" issues can cause us to have "Abba" issues.

Is anyone else singing John Mayer's "Fathers Be Good To Your Daughters" right now? no? just me? okay... moving on... 

My Father's choices and actions had an effect on my approach to human relationship, so you'd think that when I first heard about God the Father I would have cringed, but that (luckily) was not the case.

I never seemed to use my earthly father to determine who God is, rather I used God to understand what a father should be. I was (and still am) comforted by God in the role of father, despite the failures of the man whose name I hold.

*Now, to be fair to my father, he is a human being just like the rest of us. I love him and forgive him for the past and do not intend this post to be a slam on him.

Fathers deeply impact our self-image. Whether we like it or not what we think our fathers think of us is directly correlated to what we think of ourselves. For example, to a large extent when I was younger (and, to be honest, to a much smaller extent now) I felt like I was not good enough or captivating enough to make any man want to stay in my life. I have always said that the idea of me is much more appealing than the actual me.

Now, intellectually I knew this to be false (simple logic proved this otherwise), but my heart just could not agree with my mind. Plus, it seemed that all of my relationships with men proved my heart right.

Then I realized that, not only was my history with my father affecting my human relationships, but it was affecting my relationship with God as well. I caught myself thinking that my problems weren't big enough to bring to my Father and that I wasn't deserving of His love. THIS BROKE MY HEART.

And then it lifted a weight off of it.

For so long I felt troubled, my heart and my mind were at war with each other. I NEVER doubted that God was and is and always will be who the Bible claims. I just knew it to be true and reasonable. I didn't reject God as my Father because my father did not live up to God's standards, so my "daddy" issues didn't affect my relationship with God. right?

Wrong. Just like all of those deep-seeded super gnarly issues that tear at your soul, my problems with my dad had strategically located themselves in a locked away place within my being and caused me to hesitate with my Father, despite my knowledge of His unconditional love for me.

My "daddy" issues had caused some serious "Abba" issues. 

DON'T WORRY! This story has a happy ending: I'm cured! I no longer have any issues, all of my relationships are perfect and healthy, and I only sing happy songs...

I said a happy ending, not a fantastical ending.

The real ending is this: In recognizing my issues I have been able to seek God and allow Him to approach me with solutions. I still have insecurities and I still have breakdown moments that involve large amounts of wine and chocolate. But I recognize them for what they are and this ultimately gives me power over my issues instead of my issues having power over me.

And the moral of the story is: daughters and sons, love your heavenly Father and let Him love you, despite or in light of your earthly father. God is the One and Only God. There is no one like Him, just like there is no one else like ChrisAnn Johnson (well, actually, to a much larger degree, but you get the point). He is worth FAR more than being compared to a man.

We don't like being unjustly compared to others, so why would we think it good to do it to the Almighty God?

Harmonizing in the Key of God's Love

All this is from God, who through Christ reconciled us to himself and gave us the ministry of reconciliation

~2 Corinthians 5:18~

More than that, we also rejoice in God through our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom we have now received reconciliation.

~Romans 5:11~

We have all had an experience when we are singing along to a song, at church or in the car, and you hear a voice singing that is just a bit (or a lot) off key. Maybe this is because of a tone deaf singer or possibly due to a failed attempt to harmonize. Either way it is unpleasant and often sends you into 'fight or flight' mode.

When you refuse to forgive, insist on squabbling, build impenetrable walls, and burn bridges, you are creating an experience much like that of hearing those clashing notes.


This is a time of year when family gets together for holidays and graduations. Reuniting with relatives is fun for some, but for others it is cause for tension. My family is crazy (mostly in the fun way). I love them dearly, however, not all of them feel that same love for each other. 

Wrong decisions, hurtful words, divorce, money, and even a questionable look are all reasons that have sent kin into silence and disownment. Some of us may get upset and eventually brush it off, while others are better at holding grudges, which sets them up for bigger hurt. 



Forgiveness is one of the most unique and pure aspects of Christianity. Forgiving doesn't always make sense, in fact it usually disagrees with our instincts. But, as Christians we are called to do it because it is necessary for right relationship with God and with others.

Forgiveness leads to reconciliation. Reconciliation is the act of bringing into harmony or the state of compatibility. It is my strong belief that, in relationships, reconciliation should always be our goal.

If you need help justifying the mending of fences and forgiving others who have hurt or offended you, look to the Almighty God. How many times has man shut Him out? How many times have we offended Him with our words and hurt Him with our choices?

YET, through His amazing love He has forgiven us and pulled us back into His arms. He hasn't simply brushed off His upset--He brought us back to all of the treasure that is His love.

We are reconciled to God. We are His body and are made in His image. Because of this we should work to reconcile ourselves to others and others to Him, just as He has done with us. Treasure is worthless if it's buried away, it is enjoyed more with its distribution.


So, let us all reconcile, let us harmonize in the key of God's Love! 

This is not an easy task, we are all damaged by past pains and driven by ideas of 'justice.' However it is a task that will be the most freeing. 

Forgiveness is a gift and the best gifts are those shared. 

A Christian's Guide to Keeping Sharp and Taking Out the Trash

Brothers,if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ.

~Galatians 6:1-2~

As part of my work, I have the privilege of writing about "green" issues specific to the area in which I live. Because of this I get to go and see problems first-hand and talk to people about how they are directly and personally affected by the behaviors and practices of others.

"Green" issues can speak measures into Christian life and duty, such as the command to be good stewards of God's creation. Aside from the obvious stewardship connection, how we deal with our trash is a great image of how we deal with our relationships in Christian community.

Of all of the issues I address in my writing (recycling, water & energy conservation, etc.) the one I feel most passionate about is illegal dumping. I believe this is due to my strong instinct to fight against injustice of any kind.

Illegal dumpers have laws and law enforcement officers that (ideally) hold them accountable for their misconduct. What if it were like this for Christians (or ALL human beings)? Obviously, we are all held accountable (again, ideally) for the crimes we commit against the laws of our country/state. But, what if others truly held us accountable for our sins, not just the "big" ones, but the "small" ones as well?

Now, this is not a foreign concept (see above verse, Proverbs 27:17, James 5:16, & Ephesians 4:25). Accountability is meant to be an active part of daily Christian life. John Wesley, along with other Christian leaders, emphasized the importance of Believers holding each other accountable for their thoughts and deeds. He developed a list of questions to ask himself and to offer up in community to use as a tool in spiritual accountability:

Am I consciously or unconsciously creating the impression that I am better than I really am? In other words, am I a hypocrite?

Do I confidentially pass on to others what has been said to me in confidence?

Can I be trusted?

Am I a slave to dress, friends, work or habits?

Am I self-conscious, self-pitying, or self-justifying?

Did the Bible live in me today?

Do I give the Bible time to speak to me every day?

Am I enjoying prayer?

When did I last speak to someone else of my faith?

Do I pray about the money I spend?

Do I get to bed on time and get up on time?

Do I disobey God in anything?

Do I insist upon doing something about which my conscience is uneasy?

Am I defeated in any part of my life?

Am I jealous, impure, critical, irritable, touchy or distrustful?

How do I spend my spare time?

Am I proud?

Do I thank God that I am not as other people, especially as the Pharisees who despised the publican?

Is there anyone whom I fear, dislike, disown, criticize, hold a resentment toward or disregard? If so, what am I doing about it?

Do I grumble or complain constantly?

Is Christ real to me?

Accountability is not about judgement, or strictly pointing out the flaws in others. It is about growth. It is about caring enough about each other to save one another from the hurt that comes with sin (connected to guilt or other consequences there of).

Most of us in western civilization don't have to think much about our trash; we stick it out on our curb so someone else can take it to be buried away in a landfill. It is the same way with sin.

How about instead of helping others bury away their sins with comments like "it's not that bad","a lot of people do that", or "others have done worse", we help them confront those sins like one is forced to confront trash dumped in his backyard.

When we bury our trash it poisons our land, when we bury our sins it poisons our souls. As Christians we are accountable for one another. We have to help each other take a good look at our sin and examine its origin to reveal its toxicity.

We all have trash. We all have sin. We are all responsible for the effect both have on our neighbors and our selves.

How often do you hear from non-believers: "Christians are the biggest hypocrites! why should I believe anything they say?" Here is some breaking news: THEY ARE RIGHT! When we don't hold ourselves accountable for the way we live and treat others, we are no different than every other fallen human being.

We should hold ourselves to higher standards, not out of pride, but because it is what God commands of us.

As we are able to grow with the help of spiritual accountability, for "one man sharpens another"(Proverbs 27:17), we are better able to do what God calls us to do: to be His body--to be a light in the darkness.

We Need a Resurrection!

And if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is in vain and your faith is in vain... And if Christ has not been raised, your faith is futile and you are still in your sins... If in Christ we have hope in this life only, we are of all people most to be pitied. But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have fallen asleep. For as by a man came death, by a man has come also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, so also in Christ shall all be made alive.

~1 Corinthians 15: 14, 17, 19-22~

Resurrection Sunday is right around the corner. The end of the season of Lent marks a time of thankfulness for the beautiful sacrifice that our LORD made for us, as well as a time of celebration for His victory over the grave.

God the Son has conquered death! So, why does it seem as if His body (the Church) is six feet under?

Are we living like we have risen from the dead? For, as Christians, isn't that what we have done? Christ has saved us from death, from a lifeless and ephemeral existence. He defeated death so that we may defeat it as well.

We sit and lament about all that is wrong with the world around us. We think, "if only others would come to us, accept us..." We sit in our pews "waiting on the world to change." But, as His body, we need to go out, show the world His love, live His Word, embrace His creation!

Resurrecting Christ's body (we, His followers) is essential to serving His Kingdom. Just as our faith is dependent upon the truth of His rising from the dead, our future in His Kingdom is dependent upon our rising from the death that is our secluded and passionless existence.

Though eternal life in Heaven starts after His second coming, new life began with His first; we should be changed and making changes. 

Being changed means not living in the same sins we lived in before, only with the title of "Forgiven." Being changed means opposing ALL sin, even those "small" sins that are so easily accepted.

Making change means being so committed to Christ that your life serves as the most compelling witness to His Resurrection. Making change means doing as Christ did; going OUT into the world! This does not mean handing out tracts (not that there is anything wrong with that...) or shouting "Jesus died for you!" on street corners. This means forming relationships, living with people (believers and non-believers alike).

Read the Gospels, see how Jesus and His Apostles lived, they lived AMONGST the people, SERVING the people. Are we living this way?

He rose! In His name, let us rise as well! 

Moving Forward By Stepping Back

It is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting, for this is the end of all mankind, and the living will lay it to heart. Sorrow is better than laughter, for by sadness of face the heart is made glad. The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better for a man to hear the rebuke of the wise than to hear the song of fools. For as the crackling of thorns under a pot, so is the laughter of the fools; this also is vanity... 

Consider the work of God: who can make straight what he has made crooked?

~ Ecclesiastes 7:2-6,13

I am constantly giving the advice that even good things can get in the way of righteous living. I used to follow my own advice, but recently found myself under a big heap of "the things I'm doing aren't necessarily bad, but what they represent in my life are." 

Relationships are essential for healthy living. We were created to share our lives with others. But sometimes I can get so wrapped up in my relationships (boyfriend, best friend, mother, brother, etc.) that I lose sight of my most important relationship (Jesus). I care so deeply for all of the people in my life, that I become consumed with being everything I can for them. It is good that I care, but not so good to have my caring be the number one priority in my life.

My pastor made a great point about the nature of temptation this last Sunday, he said that it's not about choosing between what is good and what is bad, rather it's about choosing between what is good and what is better. And this is what makes it temptation, right? If it was something that was obviously and straight-forwardly bad, it would be simple to resist it outright (unless of course you were a sociopath). 

So, choosing to let go of certain relationships is not as simple as: boyfriend=bad and Jesus=good, it's more like: boyfriend=not necessarily bad, maybe kinda good and Jesus=better than what I can even imagine. 

Deception is effective because it is laced with some aspects of the truth. Temptation is effective because it is laced with aspects of good deeds or behaviors. The Enemy is tricky, he oftentimes uses good things (such as relationships) to slowly lead you into unrighteous living. 

Sometimes it requires taking a step back before you can take a meaningful step forward. It takes pain and heartbreak, but thats how the LORD uses us. Once we are broken He can put us back together the way He intended us to be. In the end the pain we feel while we are breaking and changing is nothing compared to the alternative, which is the anguish of a life without God.

When you find that you have slipped and have to backtrack, you can beat yourself up, thinking "really?! am I having to learn this lesson again?" But, that fight is meaningless unless out of it comes the conquest of finding out why it is you are a repeat offender.

What is it that you are seeking in those things that you should be seeking in God? Is it love? acceptance? security? pleasure? joy or happiness?

"But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you." ~Matthew 6:33

Can you spell GOOD without GOD?

Whoever is not with me is against me, and whoever does not gather with me scatters. Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven people, but the blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven. And whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, either in this age or in the age to come.

~Matthew 12:30-32~

One question that comes up a lot in discussions I have with seekers is: "if someone is good, but does not believe in Jesus, why do they not go to heaven; they haven't done anything bad?"

We recently discussed "the unpardonable sin" in my Young Disciples Sunday School class. I believe the real meaning behind this message shines some light on the correct standards of "goodness."

God's righteousness is the ultimate standard for what is right and good. Human righteousness is meant to correspond to divine righteousness. He gave His people the Law as an aid (not as a controller) to living righteously.

The righteousness of the Pharisees was only skin deep and was completely dependent upon their own actions, the law was lost in their translation. True righteousness, which Jesus speaks of in Matthew 5:20, penetrates through and through and is the result of a heart for God and a want to live with Him and for Him. 

Righteousness/goodness cannot be forged by the will of Man, it is the natural result of great faith in God and true accordance to His law.

I believe that much of Philanthropy, though it can have great benefits to God's people, is an example of Pharisaical righteousness. Helping to "make a show" or simply because you think it is the right thing to do, does work to meet the physical needs of people, but is does not work to bring righteousness to the people or to the ones helping them.

True, it is not "bad", but that does not make it truly "good". Bad does not equal evil and descent/not bad does not equal good. Meaning, bad  is not the opposite of good.

This brings us to the "unpardonable sin". This message Jesus gives delves deeper into why seemingly good people can end up on the opposite side of Judgment.

I have always heard the "unpardonable sin" referenced as an act that one commits that God simply cannot or will not forgive Some have said it is referring to speaking the Lord's name in vain or declaring disbelief in Him.

The community in which I became and grew as a Christian never delved deeply into what the "unpardonable sin" actually meant. Until really studying on my own I did not realize that my lack of understanding had harbored a fear that I would, without thinking (in anger, sadness, confusion, etc), commit the "unpardonable sin".

By God's grace and study of His Word, I came to see that my fear was misplaced. What makes this sin of denial unpardonable is that it prevents one from accepting God's grace, meaning she cannot share in His redemption and salvation.

It is not that denying the Spirit is the sin that cannot be forgiven, it is that one's sins cannot be forgiven if she denies the Spirit.

The point is not that God's ego is so huge (though, if anyone had reason...) that He cannot abide us not worshiping Him; it is that us humans are far from Righteous (see hatred, revenge, cheating, lying, spitefulness, murder, etc.). Our only hope of being truly good is through His redemption and our only chance of redemption is through acceptance of His Word and Spirit.

So, being nice and doing good does not constitute being good (see HEBREWS). However, it is important to note that simply accepting the message of Jesus does not mean you can skip doing good either (see JAMES).

If you are worried about committing the "unpardonable sin", DON'T (worry, that is). The fact that you care enough to worry is proof that you cannot commit it. But, don't stop at you, true goodness involves having a heart for all of God's people, not just yourself.