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  • Come out! Be free!
  • Who I am
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    • Return to Your Rest: A Spirit-to-spirit Journey
    • We Confess! The Civil War, the South, and the Church
    • The Elijah Blessing: An Undivided Heart
    • The Esther Blessing: Grace to Reign in Life
    • What About Women: A Spirit-to-spirit Exposé
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Key Truths

Healing from toxic church – seeking what is precious, and truly God

Church service 1901: Men and women sit on wooden benches in their Sunday finest, facing each other from opposite sides of the preacher, who stands behind a massive pulpit on a high platform above them all.

Adulthood and the church that rejects it

  • Post published:July 23, 2021
  • Post category:Healing from Toxic Church
  • Post last modified:June 8, 2025

Frustrated, exhausted, I realized: I would never count as an adult in my church system. Free at last, I’m embracing the adulthood God works in his own

Continue ReadingAdulthood and the church that rejects it
Closeup of person's hand, holding a black pen and making a lengthy checklist on graph paper

Checklists, idols and loving God

  • Post published:July 7, 2020
  • Post category:Healing from Toxic Church
  • Post last modified:June 8, 2025

The preacher urged people to love the Lord with all their hearts. Yet, tragically, he himself did not know how to do it. He could only offer a checklist.

Continue ReadingChecklists, idols and loving God
One man following another man at sunset by the sea

When Christian leaders omit the obvious

  • Post published:December 21, 2019
  • Post category:Knowing and Going with God
  • Post last modified:June 8, 2025

Even a cursory look at all levels of leadership in US churches, denominations, networks and ministries reveals that what should be foundational is often absent. Many leaders do not know how to follow God.

Continue ReadingWhen Christian leaders omit the obvious
Frog at edge of water, looking at camera and blending in with the dark, mottled background

Sort of like frog gigging: How religion kills rest

  • Post published:September 7, 2019
  • Post category:Healing from Toxic Church
  • Post last modified:March 14, 2024

Today where you live, religiosity slaughters Sabbath by the very way it tries to keep it. But when people desperate for rest leave the comfort of religious exhaustion and stumble toward God himself, Sabbath remains – and the Lord of Real Rest revives them.

Continue ReadingSort of like frog gigging: How religion kills rest
Heart-shaped water drop surrounded by swirling blood-red water

Spiritual schizophrenia and the two-headed snake

  • Post published:January 23, 2019
  • Post category:Healing from Toxic Church
  • Post last modified:October 24, 2024

"How long will you try to go both ways?" Elijah cried. Where people identified with God cling to deep double-mindedness, they empower a two-headed snake.

Continue ReadingSpiritual schizophrenia and the two-headed snake
Read more about the article #SilenceIsNotSpiritual – except when it is
Shhh. Closeup of woman's index finger raised to her mouth in silencing gesture.

#SilenceIsNotSpiritual – except when it is

  • Post published:March 7, 2018
  • Post category:Healing from Toxic Church
  • Post last modified:March 16, 2024

I believe in breaking the silence of secrecy that abusers impose. I also believe that, for a survivor, silence is sometimes the most spiritual choice.

Continue Reading#SilenceIsNotSpiritual – except when it is
Illustration: Man in casual collared shirt holds Bible in left hand, pointer in the right. Posted to his right are 10 small human silhouettes - the kind used for target practice. They're lined up in 2 rows. Smiling broadly with his mouth, but not at all with his eyes, the man points to the one silhouette colored red.

Dis-abling spiritual abuse

  • Post published:August 22, 2013
  • Post category:Healing from Toxic Church
  • Post last modified:March 10, 2024

Insights from Carolyn Custis James that can help us recognize and "dis-able" spiritual abuse.

Continue ReadingDis-abling spiritual abuse
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Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations are from the Holy Bible, New International Version (NIV) 2011.

  • Home
  • Come out! Be free!
  • Who I am
  • What I post
  • Books
    • Return to Your Rest: A Spirit-to-spirit Journey
    • We Confess! The Civil War, the South, and the Church
    • The Elijah Blessing: An Undivided Heart
    • The Esther Blessing: Grace to Reign in Life
    • What About Women: A Spirit-to-spirit Exposé
  • Connect
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