One Wee Spark

Growing up in the hoard, I loved every opportunity to escape. By the time I was a senior in high school, I had flown several places alone for church events and music festivals. I loved going places! But going places was often a double-edged sword. I made plans and told my mother where I was going, but more than once, I returned home to an angry and enraged mother who swore she didn't know where I was or when I'd be back. No matter how much I went over my plans with her, this could happen at anytime. And those returns weren't pleasant at all. (These were never trips...just outings with friends for a couple of hours.) Somehow though, my mind was able to falsely transfer the anxiety I felt every time I walked out the door without my mother to travelling. Even as a married adult with children of her own, I would get deep anxiety every time I left for a trip. I was waiting for someone to yell at me, "I didn't know where you were! How dare you leave and not tell me?...

It's been announced elsewhere already, but this is the first official announcement of the new support/recovery group for children of hoarders (COH) in the Spokane area. It will begin on Tuesday, August 9th and meet on the 2nd and 4th Tuesdays of the month thereafter. It will meet at 5025 N. Market in Hillyard from 7:00pm until 8:30pm. Here is a brief description of what I found in myself that needed reworking: HOUSE RULES—Broken laws from childhood: (Adapted from “The Laundry List” of ACA WSO) 1. Be afraid, very afraid and stay away from people, especially authority figures. 2. It's safer to make others happy than risk having a need; our identity isn't that important anyway. 3. I'll do anything to keep you from yelling or getting angry with me, and please don't criticize me. 4. We often become like our parents, marry people who are like them, or find another compulsive/obsessive personality because we are terrified of being left behind. 5. We've learned to be vi...

Romans 8:18-21 For years I've watched Extreme Makeover: Home Edition with deep interest. Given my background, I've always been awed by beautiful "perfect" homes. And nothing is as satisfying as watching a home that is falling apart be torn down, and a new home rebuilt in just seven short days. There is so much symbolism in this to the Christian faith--our lives without faith and hope are like the sad little houses that these families pray will survive just another day. And when we have a spiritual awakening, it's like someone or something comes in to tear down the shambles our lives have become, and then after a short period of time, something magical happens--we find that there is strength and beauty within the horrible trials and tragedies we've faced. It's as though we have been living life, pressing through but not thriving, only for the best of us to be revealed at a later time... If only it took just seven short days to remake a life! But in faith, w...