Before Coop was born, I started not one but two Beth Moore studies. One was about David and the other was "Breaking Free."
I didn't finish "BF" b/c of my cuddle bug's birth, I did however finish the David one. I dove back into "BF" yesterday and I am so glad I did!
This could get winded, if so I might have to make this a two part, so bare with me.
Let me tell you what "Breaking Free" is implying. Simply put, it's breaking away from our past and the things that bind us today. I have a soap opera like family and I knew this would help me let God heal some of that.
Yesterdays topic for the week was "Ancient Ruins." I am going to try to simplify and condense this for you the best I can, but I highly recommend picking the workbook up and doing it. I am doing it alone and am getting a ton out of it; you don't have to be in a group to do this study. (FYI everything in italics is from the study itself, everything in regular type is from Megan herself.)
Here we go...
Why do people flock to see ancient ruins? Because unlocking any society's heritage is important to understanding the development of its present inhabitants. Looking back for the right reasons with the right attitude helps us become better equipped to look forward. We need to examine areas of devastation or defeat that have been in our family lines for generations. (oooo)
- Think about generational strongholds. Why could they be hard to recognize?
Because you are caught as well in the same issues as those before or are embarrassed to admit the problems or you don't know what they are. What are some of the strongholds in my family history? Alcoholism, divorce, non-believers, abuse. That's all I know of.
Our aim is not to argue genetics versus environment; our aim is to be loosed from anything limiting our lives in Christ. Anything passed down to us that inhibits the full expression of freedom we should have in Christ qualifies as bondage.
I realized Christ had the good ones and the bad ones in his family. I don't know of any Christians in my family tree. If there were some, it was lost. Sad huh? Sad to know that I've got relatives not in Heaven because someone dropped the ball.
She has you fill out a diagram describing both the positive and negative influences from my grandparents and parents. Let me tell you this was very hard for me. I often think back to my childhood and I have a very difficult time remembering 'good' memories. I know there are some, but I can't find them in my Rolodex of memories. I can remember my dad being gone weeks, months on end working. He'd come home and things would be fine. He might go fishing and would never take me; I wanted to go. I can remember as an adult going to my childhood home that I lived in my whole life, picking through the trinkets, papers, furniture, pictures and memories and having to decide what 'items' I could live without. I can remember seeing the bassinet my dad made with his bare hands and having to leave it behind for the new home owners b/c Matt and I didn't have the room nor the kids yet. All of that lost in a divorce. But here are some of the good and bad influences, not memories, I have:
Mom Good ones- good listener Mom Bad ones- smoked, not a big hugger
Dad Good ones-?????? Dad Bad ones- never home, drank (not anymore), griped a lot
Paternal g-ma Good- simplicity, at one time loved all Her bad- hateful, bitterness
Maternal g-ma Good-????? Her bad-never saw her, smoked
I didn't have any grandfathers, so those were blank.
How does God want you to respond to what He showed you today?
Make a lot of good memories with my kids b/c they will remember the bad more easily if the good memories aren't there. I realized how easy it was for me to think of all the bad my family has in their past. I can not think of many good memories, they are overshadowed by divorce, drinking and absentness.
My mom isn't a big hugger. I am not a big hugger, especially when it comes to men. My mom was abused as a child. I was never abused, but yet I do not like hugging men. I can't remember ever hugging Matt's father and he is a perfectly nice preacher of a Baptist church. My mom has never said, "Megan, don't hug men." It was what I saw her do I guess.
See where am I going with this? We have to change those things that are effecting/affecting the way we live, parent, worship and breathe. I get so excited when I think about getting to raise my children to love and serve the Lord, to serve others, to reach out to people and to trust me and their father. I get to start a new history a whole new tourist attraction for the next generation of Knox's.
Think about your strongholds passed down to you. Not to dwell on them and be all 'Woe is me' but to recognize and change and pray.
Tomorrow gets even better. I hope I can wait that long to tell you. I may end up posting it later today. :) 
That is good!
ReplyDeleteWow, powerful stuff! Keep it up, it really makes you take a look at your life growing up. Don't know if I am quite ready for that, but it's best to get it done so you can focus on the future. I don't know what I would be doing if I didn't have my faith. Great job!
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