It’s simpler than it seems

A few of my friends have been asking me to read this book.

But the truth is Shirley gave me this book last Christmas and I finished it beginning of the year.

I think back then I haven't started the whole thing where I share some captions of the books that capture my heart.

That's why there isn't any traits found here that I've actually read the book.

Well, to be honest I doubted a while as well.

Cause without writing (or typing) anything down, I actually forgotten what I've learned from it.

But thank God I bookmarked those captions and as I read back just now, it still reminds and teaches me a lot.

So, here are some captions from Emotionally Healthy Spirituality by Peter Scazzero that caught my attention.

Emotional health and spiritual maturity are inseparable. ~ p.g. 12

The spirituality of most current discipleship models often only adds an additional protective layer against people growing up emotionally. Because people are having real, and helpful, spiritual experience in certain areas of their lives- such as worship, prayer, Bible studies, and fellowship- they mistakenly believe they are doing fine, even if their relational life and interior world is not in order. This apparent "progress"then provides a spiritual reason for not doing the hard work of maturing. ~ p.g. 15

To feel is to be human. To minimize or deny what we feel is a distortion of what it means to be image bearers of our personal God. To the degree that we are unable to express our emotions, we remain impaired in our ability to love God, others and ourselves well. ~p.g. 26

The work growing in Christ (which theologians call sanctification) does not mean we don't go back to the past as we press ahead to what God has for us. It actually demands we go back in order to break free from unhealthy and destructive patterns that prevent us from loving ourselves and others as God designed. ~ p.g. 29

But work for God that is not nourished by a deep interior life with God will eventually be contaminated by other things such as ego, power, needing the approval of and from others, and buying into the wrong idea of success and the mistaken belief that we can't fail. ... ... Our activity for God can only properly flow from a life with God. We cannot give what we do not posses. Doing for God in a way that proportionate to our being with God is the only pathway to a pure heart and seeing God (see Matthew 5:8) ~ p.g. 32

Self-care is never a selfish act- it is simply good stewardship of the only gift I have, the gift I was put on earth to offer others. Anytime we can listen to true self and give it the care it requires, we do it not only for ourselves, but got the many others whose lives we touch. ~ p.g. 35

But an amazing by-product of the emotional-health journey is a fresh discovery of the mercy of God in the gospel. Not only does God not reject or punish us for being honest and transparent about our whole selves, He actually accepts and loves us where we are. We are anchored in God's love as he gives us permission to express ourselves- the bad along with the good- and take care of ourselves in an appropriate way. ~p.g. 54

One of the rich fruits of anchoring ourselves in the inexhaustible love of God is that God heals our image of who He is. ~ p.g. 56

True freedom comes when we no longer need to be somebody special in other people's eyes because we know we are loveable and good enough. ~ p.g 77

Living your God-given life involves remaining faithful to your true self. It entails distinguishing your true self from the demands and voices around you and discerning the unique vision, calling, and mission the Father has given you. ~ p.g. 80

Jesus was not selfless. He did not live as if other people counted. He knew his value and worth. He had friends, He asked people to help him. At the same time, Jesus was not selfish. He did not live as if nobody else counted. He gave his life out of love for others. From a place of loving union with his Father, Jesus had a mature, healthy "true self". ~p.g. 81

Contrast the image with a broken person who is so secure in the love of God that she is unable to be insulted. When criticized, judged, or insulted, she thinks to herself, It is far worst than you think! ~ p.g. 128

Remember who we are dealing with here, God is immanent (so close) and yet transcendent (so utterly above and far from us). God is knowable, yet he is unknowable. God is inside us and beside us, yet he is wholly different from us. For this reason Augustine wrote, "If you understand, it is not God you understand." ~ p.g. 129

At the heart of the Daily Office and the Sabbath is stopping to surrender to God in trust. ~ p.g. 156

To fail to see the value of simply being with God and 'doing nothing' is to miss the heart of Christianity ~p.g. 165

Likeness to our Creator, along with Christ's example, puts us on paths that desire to live in the truth and not in pretense, even when that means a conflict may result. ~ p.g. 184

-- 

My 2 cents:

Be real to God, because that is what He wants. He never wants me to be perfect, but to be real and true to Him so that we together can have a genuine relationship.

Be real to myself, because there's no point hiding. And since God had accepted me as who I am, I might as well be at His side and not His enemy! 

Be real to others, because no matter what they say, only God matters. I live for God and God only.

Is not about do this or do that; yes to this or no to that.

It’s simpler than it seems.