“Tis the season to be jolly”…but what if we don’t feel like it? There seems to be a sense of Hope and expectancy in the air around this time of year. Accompanied by wonder and excitement. But for some, it’s a bit harder to find that sense of wonder… that sense of Hope.
And that is why I wanted to have our guest, Karen Downing, on today’s show.
Karen holds a masters degree in Marriage and Family Therapy with a specialization in Trauma Recovery from Richmont Graduate University. She’s been in Full-Time ministry, pastoral counseling for the last 16 years. She now lives in Nicaragua with a dream to start a Trauma Recovery Training Center. Her goal is to “train those who can train others to equip professionals and pastors to help individuals heal from traumatic events in their lives. We envision having training centers at strategic locations throughout Nicaragua that will allow all those gifted and willing to learn the appropriate skills to help victims of trauma heal and thrive.”
Karen’s focus is on inviting Jesus into the places of trauma, of disappointment, hurt, …
What we talk about:
- It’s often hard to put our “all in” to something because we’ve been disappointed in the past.
- Hope deferred makes the heart sick. Here’s what we can do:
1.Grieve- you have to grieve what you didn’t get. You had an expectation and it wasn’t met (with family, marriage, etc)
2. Forgive- others, God
3. Let God Restore
- We talk about what hope is (a choice) and what it is not (a fruit of the spirit)
- What it looks like to hope for something… and keep hoping
- What to do when you get a “no” from God
- Needs vs. Wants
If something resonated with you during our conversation, we’d love you to join the conversation and share your thoughts. You can leave a comment on our website or you can find Karen on FACEBOOK or WORDPRESS.
“Hold everything in your hands lightly, otherwise it hurts when God pries your fingers open.” Corrie Ten Boom
