Some Words on Words

I just watched this incredible movie called "Suffragette". I am full of thoughts on it.
First of all, how amazing is that term? The Suffragettes. It is a beautiful, mellifluous, clever innovation. We need to invent more words like that. There is too much co-opting of existing words, reducing them to one connotation - instead of finding better ways to express something new, we lose something old. When trying to explain that one is opposed to human trafficking it is necessary to string a bunch of words together. Why the heck? Aren't 99% of us opposed to this? Why isn't there a way to express that in the positive? "I am a Suffragette." beautiful, simple, clear. "Feminist" doesn't even have the same clarity of meaning.
Human Rights Activist: not concise enough, also vague.
We need to create new specific terms so that we can gather in opposition to the horrors in the world. We need to be able to talk about these topics and be understood. The first step to change is identification and understanding of the problem. The problem has a name, why doesn't the solution?

Other Lewis Extrapolators

http://sarahsparksmusic.com/track/750382/eustace-scrubb?feature_id=163983


Eustace has my favourite character arc in Narnia. This song really does do it justice.

How to get the most out of Counselling

Therapy is great. It is not like going to a doctor and getting a prescription. In counselling the therapist is an excellent, helpful, diagnostic tool, but the cure needs to be self-administered. The strength for this is 100% from God. Here are some tips that I've found helpful.
1) Have goals. Spend time before even starting counselling to think about what you want to get out of it. Think about behaviours, thought patterns and coping mechanisms that you want to change. It's not much fun, but really focus on your weaknesses. It is better to think closely about them for a little while than to live with them forever.
2) Be honest. This especially applies to the stuff you don't want to share. Again, not fun, but necessary.
3) Journal. You only have an hour at a time to talk so make sure you know what you want to discuss and spend time mulling and analysing before hand. When you are feeling a strong emotion write it down and ask yourself: What caused this? What are other situations that I've felt this? Where does this feeling manifest physically? (That last one makes no sense to me, but counsellors always ask it, so maybe it's helpful to some of you) What is my response to this feeling? etc. This is also a really useful habit for after counselling ends.
4) Ask for homework. Most counsellors will give you reading or strategies to practice, or things to journal about. If they don't make sure to ask for some. If they do; ask specific questions and follow up with it. This is where some of the best progress is made.
5) Change. Don't give up in the end and go back to your comfort zone. Be concious of the things you wanted to change at the beginning and actually live them out.

Snakelips #7 Snakelips Gets Dating Tips

My dear Snakelips,
I'm glad to hear that your female has not made a definitive decision regarding her journey to the Enemy's camp. What distractions have you been using? Given her age you should be touting the party lies on "Dating". Are you telling her it will complete her? Fulfil her desires for love and joy? That is the starting point. Draw her attention to the least suitable mates, either by making her believe them to be other than they are, or lauding the unsuitable suitors for the very qualities that un-suit her. "Compatability" is an excellent word. It can be used as an excuse for getting both into and out of relationships according to whether they are useful to us or not.
What are her emotional proclivities? Can you do more damage in her singleness or coupledom? The goal is not necessarily most damage to your individual but overall most affected, most negative vows made, most people led away from the Enemy.
While destructive relationships can provide delicious suffering, sometimes singleness can create even more refined sin. Celibacy can foster all sorts of pride if correctly manipulated. Try to encourage comparisons; one friend's relationship to another's with the patient as unstatedly superior. Bitterness can be fed in relationships and out of them, encourage false expectations and demanding behaviour. Passive-aggression successfully consumes many lives and families - keep it fueled! Bitterness doesn't need to be subtle though, try violent and emotional displays when you get a chance. Remember that you are a Tempter and only by constant repetition and reinforcement is your work successful. Many humans are able to function singly and in groups if left to themselves (or worse: the Enemy). Never forget your labour or you will lose her.
Affectionately,
Screwtape

The Upside-Down Pyramid Scheme

If our hearts were like rivers what good would it do to dredge up all the muck that had settled to the bottom?

This is the picture that occurred to me as I thought about how evocative the word "dredge" is. The word "dredge", in turn, occurred to me because I was asking myself if getting healing was worth unearthing the buried pain. Asking if, maybe, it was better to live in denial than experience the inevitable pain that leads to healing.
Thus I came to the river. There is no doubt that every person has something in the riverbed. And it is a myth to think that sunken things don't affect the river. The current, the acidity, the smell of the water are all being influenced. When Saruman told the White Council that the One Ring had probably drifted down the river to the sea and was lost forever, he knew that he was lying. Buried things don't stay buried.
My original question is moot if a) the Ring has power even underwater, and doubly so if b) its discovery is inevitable.

New question: Why should one seek healing rather than just accepting the state of one's river as-is?

First, because it will free you from your past. Being aware of motives, feelings and sources of pain allows us to act based on the truth and not because of lies and vows instilled in childhood. If there is no secret malady there need be no self-medicating, self-deprecating behaviour. "But when anything is exposed by the light, it becomes visible, for anything that becomes visible is light." Ephesians 5:13-14

Second, because the message of the gospel is one of suffering and comfort, and its power can't be realized without partaking in the comfort after the suffering. You can't share the gospel without personally attesting to the truth that God raises the dead. (I shouldn't say "can't" here, more likely "won't" is accurate.) "For as we share in Christ's sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too." 2 Corinthians 1:5

Third, we tend to ignore things we haven't acknowledged, in ourselves and in our relationships. But when our own pain no longer consumes and plagues us we are free to enter into another's pain. Better still we are less likely to cause other's pain through neglect or ignorance.We are less likely to subvert it, ignore it, deny it, rebuke it, shame it and belittle it. The more people there are who are seeking healing the more future healers there will be, AND there will be less people needing healing! It's an upside-down pyramid scheme, get on board. "Brethren, if anyone is caught in any transgression, you who are spiritual should restore him in a spirit of gentleness. Keep watch on yourself, lest you too be tempted. Bear one another's burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ." Galatians 6:1-2

In conclusion, let's all get the Ring out of our river and into Mount Doom (ideally before poor Deagol gets murdered).