My Mind-Map and some thoughts - from long ago and the present...

A peek at what I have been playing at lately - learning watercolors in 2013

As I was going back through my articles and studies about anger, I came across this entry in a quiet time from the first days through this issue.  I thought I would share it with you...it is from the early 90's!  At that point, I thought I had really worked to the origin of the issue!  It is amazing how timely this is for me again...I love how He knows what we need, and how deeply He speaks to our hearts over time...and how timeless His words are...

God says:

The degree to which you allow anger is the degree to which you don’t have intimacy with Me. Do not let our heart be hardened in this thing. It is a battle. It is like Vietnam – when war is not declared, the fighting lasts for a longer time with less victory.  Declare war on this thing. Its roots go far back. Please allow me to heal your real wound.

I truly thought the real wound was healed, and in retrospect, what I understood at that point to be my wound was...it is time for a new level, as my understanding has deepened, and almost two decades of life (growing in wisdom and experience) have occurred.

As promised, here is my mind-map for the current issue, with highlights and marks:

What it looks like with color coding

Close-up of the fear side....

For me, more insight was coming as I color coded - the word "isolation" just popped in and the word "imperfection".  It didn't seem to fit into the circles, the way it popped in, so I just wrote it at the bottom of the page and after a moment the word "embrace" came as well, so it is down with imperfection as another message in this exploration...





I decided I am going to actually do a worksheet on fear itself...  mmmmm, and I am remembering a study on the word fear in the New Testament that I did at one time - which might find its way into this series, too!  I have a TV channel on while I am typing this...  Christian broadcasting and someone just read Psalm 143...perfect timing!

This weekend will be one of continuing reflection - write following the guidelines from yesterday.  Remember, this isn't just inward gazing (also known as morbid introspection), but an adventure, connecting with the Holy Spirit to make connections, to be encouraged and to perceive new choices.

This exercise has the ability to open up buried emotions - ultimately a good thing, but if a person is used to not feeling their intense emotions, this can be frightening.  Look for an ancillary exercise tomorrow that will encourage a peaceful way to feel through the duration of uncomfortable emotions, processing them, not burying them...excited?  I am!  For all of us...

Blessings...


Older posts in this series:
The Journey begins
A new tool, part 2
A new tool, part 3 
A new tool, part 4 
A Soft Answer, part 5
How do We Step Into and Out of Anger? part 6
A Time for Reflection, Step 7