freedom

Moving From Fear To Freedom

By:  Lianne Johnson, LPC
Recently I had the opportunity to speak at Riverside Church’s women’s retreat.  I entitled the retreat, Falling In Love With Our Savior:  Moving from Fear to Freedom.  Over the course of our time together we talked about many things.  In particular, we discussed how our fears rob us of our ability to Fall In Love With Our Savior. 
Do you know what you fear?  It seemed to me, while at the retreat hearing from many of the women, and quite frankly knowing these things to be true in my own life, that all too often we do not even realize we are living out of fear.  It’s like our fears become a part of our identity, and when we operate out of them we don’t even realize it anymore. 
What I am learning is as we live in our fears, and relate to others from our fears, these fears begin to rob us of our ability to hear truth, believe truth, and live from truth.  Therefore, robbing us of our ability to experience what it would be like to Fall In Love With Our Savior. 
What if you chose to begin naming the fears in your life?  What if you chose to no longer allow your fears to rule your heart and mind?  I am not saying that we no longer have fears.  To expect anything different in this lifetime would be folly.  However, I am saying that, as we fear we confidently take these fears to our Savior and place them up against what scripture says.  What if instead of allowing your fears to form your identity, you choose to strive to have truth define your identity?
Desiring to be set free from our fears begins with believing, and living as though you believe, who God has named you to be is indeed true!
You are a son or daughter of the King.  You are His beloved.  You are cherished.  You are safe.  You are accepted and loved as you are.  You are pursued.    He desires you just as you are. 

What Does Healthy Eating and Exercise Mean to You?

By: Katy Martin, LPC
It’s not a secret that I love walking with people through body image issues and food struggles. People who know me, know that this is a passion of mine and something I enjoy. However, I often notice that people are sensitive to bring up their own eating habits and exercise routine for fear that I may comment or make a judgment. Please let me clarify what I truly believe:

Healthy eating and exercising are not bad.

In fact, those are ways to take care of what God has given us. We cross the line when our thoughts, hearts, actions, and lives become centered on the next meal, exercise, and overall appearance. When you begin manipulating food and exercise to punish or reward, you may need to reflect on what’s going on inside of you. We read in Galatians 5:1, “It is for freedom that Christ has set us free.” We do not have to be bound by the image in the mirror. We do not have to be bound by the comparisons we make with other people. We can begin to experience freedom in our everyday lives without distraction. Christ provides freedom from the bondage we face in this world, including food and body image issues.

Sure, dessert or a long walk or run is a gift for yourself, but if you are really honest, how much of this is affecting your heart and mind? Deep down, how much of your attitude towards food and exercise directly affects the thoughts about what you see in the mirror and, ultimately, who you are?

If you feel that you can identify with some of these struggles and want to explore them a bit more, feel free to contact me at [email protected]. If you would like to join in a group discussion concerning these topics, consider our next HEAL: Healthy Eating & Abundant Living group beginning in August. Go to http://avenuescounselingcenter.org/uploads/HEAL_flyer-1.pdf for more information or contact me.