Conversations With Cinthia

If you've been around Christianity long, you've probably heard or talked about the idea of "dying to self," a biblical concept that sometimes gets misrepresented and confusing.  Sometimes we try to improve ourselves, killing off the parts of ourselves we don't like.  God knows whom He made each of us to be, and He knows what is killing the real us.  Cinthia reads excerpts from one of her previous books, exploring what it means to truly live.

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We've all heard the phrase "trust issues."  Some of us have them with God.  Cinthia continues last week's discussion of what it means to partake of the peace God gives us, this time looking more at how our relationship with Him can be a place of transformation, healing, and peace.

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Did you know cheetahs have anxiety?  Peace is hard to come by for lots of living creatures.  If you're one of them, you will appreciate this exploration of acceptance, trust, and the gift of peace Jesus gave us.  Apparently, even for cheetahs, there is no peace without the presence of someone, or Someone, we trust.

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Fans of 80's songs will especially love this episode, though the topic applies to everyone, regardless of generation or musical tastes.  We desperately need to be loved, but how do we know if the "love" we are receiving is really love?  The words "I love you" can be spoken in so many contexts, including those that involve abuse, apathy, and other profound dysfunction.  Cinthia explores the quest to know love and discusses how to know when we are really being loved.

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Humans have an innate, primal need to be seen and understood -- even humans who are desperately wanting to hide.  Remember Hagar?  Used and discarded, waiting for her son to die in the desert, she encountered God in the wilderness and called Him "the God Who sees me."  She was then able to go back with her son and face the situation she could not previously handle.  Cinthia discusses Hagar, John Newton (the former slave trader who eventually wrote "Amazing Grace"), and the rest of us.  When we see the God Who sees us, it changes everything.

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What do you experience when you hear news or discussion of the recent court decisions regarding abortion laws?  This issue is tender for so many people and demands that we love well on many levels.  Cinthia's guest today, Roland Warren, is  the president of Care Net, a movement of more than 1,000 life-affirming pregnancy centers that also runs a real-time call center providing pregnancy-decision coaching.  Along with his now-wife, Mr. Warren chose life for their own unplanned child, despite being strongly encouraged by a nurse to choose abortion.  Today, he emphasizes that we must support those facing difficult pregnancy circumstances in ways that help them not only choose life but find abundant life for themselves and their families.  After the interview, Cinthia continues the discussion introduced last week regarding etiquette and its role in helping us treat one another with respect.

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What do you think of when you hear the word "manners?" Do you associate it with outdated stuffiness or see it as sadly lacking in the modern era? Today's episode is a two-for-one. Cinthia starts by building on last week's "Undoing Your Past" theme, this time exploring how to build a strong foundation in the present. She then discusses the value of showing respect for ourselves and others and ways old-fashioned etiquette can bring a little class to our lives.

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Do you ever cringe when you remember things you've done?  Do you know that feeling when waves of regret and shame sweep over you?  We can't redo the past, but we can create new history that changes the present effects of our past decisions. 

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Do you ever find yourself lamenting how things might have been if only you had made different choices?  Sometimes we apply forgiveness to everyone else.  Cinthia reminds us that God takes seriously His role as the only Judge; sometimes this means we have to stop trying to punish ourselves. 

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We all know forgiveness is important, but how does it really impact us when we carry grudges against others, ourselves, even God?  Cinthia explores the physical, emotional, and spiritual implications of withholding forgiveness. 

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