The Desert Sanctuary

Some churches are bold enough to reach beyond their own walls. For a more progressive church, this could involve setting up a booth at a pride festival. Churches engage in parades and community activities and offer free babysitting during their Vacation Bible School and summer camps, hoping to encourage parents to attend the final program of the event. While these activities may be presented as a means to “save souls,” their primary aim often serves as a recruitment strategy.

In many contemporary churches, systems are in place to warmly welcome individuals at the entrance, address their inquiries, and connect them with the congregation and the church’s mission. This practice of excessive kindness, often observed with new pastors, is referred to as the honeymoon phase. During this time, the community expresses immense joy over a new pastor, overwhelming them with praise while reserving their grievances for later.

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 3

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 2

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 1

How to Survive a Stroke

Our New Course is ready to review for FREE! Start Here 

YouTube Playlist – click here

Religious Trauma Resources

Treasure Trove of Trauma Resources

The Desert Sanctuary Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-desert-sanctuary/id1345562241

Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Out into the Desert, Leaning Forward,  Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart, The Tea Shop and Being: A Journey Toward Presence and Authenticity.  He is the creator of The Desert Sanctuary podcast and community.  He is married to his wife Laura of 35 years and has one dog named Winston.  His three children are grown and are beginning to multiply! You can read more about the author here.

When we earnestly explore our identity, I believe we will uncover it. In this journey of self-discovery, we might also encounter our wounds. The shame and trauma we reveal may stem from various experiences with the church, or perhaps these issues were overlooked as the church focused on other matters.

By being fully present, we gain deeper insights into ourselves, enhancing our ability to heal and grow to our full potential. In this process, we cultivate a keen intuition, and the necessary guides will likely show up just when needed.

If we start with a bunch of assumptions about truth and give ourselves to the group first, we may find that the church achieves its goals at our expense.

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 3

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 2

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 1

A Stroke and a Song

Our New Course is ready to review for FREE! Start Here 

YouTube Playlist – click here

Religious Trauma Resources

Treasure Trove of Trauma Resources

The Desert Sanctuary Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-desert-sanctuary/id1345562241

Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Out into the Desert, Leaning Forward,  Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart, The Tea Shop and Being: A Journey Toward Presence and Authenticity.  He is the creator of The Desert Sanctuary podcast and community.  He is married to his wife Laura of 35 years and has one dog named Winston.  His three children are grown and are beginning to multiply! You can read more about the author here.

As I deepen my understanding of trauma and its healing, I’ve come to recognize that articulating my feelings and their location within me is crucial for recovery. This realization was transformative; however, I noticed that religion often overlooks this concept. By its nature, faith tends to dismiss feelings (and even certain facts) in order to embrace the narrative established by those who first created the beliefs.

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 3

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 2

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 1

How to Survive a Stroke

YouTube Playlist – click here

Religious Trauma Resources

The Desert Sanctuary Podcast

Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Out into the Desert, Leaning Forward,  Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart, The Tea Shop and Being: A Journey Toward Presence and Authenticity.  He is the creator of The Desert Sanctuary podcast and community.  He is married to his wife Laura of 35 years and has one dog named Winston.  His three children are grown and are beginning to multiply! You can read more about the author here.

The preachers I once respected were exceptionally skilled at conveying the idea, “The world is against you.” This resonated with the congregations I attended, as they often preferred to escape reality by immersing themselves in an artificial community. However, if we take a step back and look at the universe more objectively, we may discover the contrary. Some might even argue that the world (or universe) actually supports our advancement.

When we step beyond narrow religious beliefs, we don’t put ourselves at risk; instead, we create an opportunity to align with our world and experience more of what we seek.

If God exists, maybe this was what was meant by “Fear not!”

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 3

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 2

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 1

How to Survive a Stroke

YouTube Playlist – click here

Religious Trauma Resources

The Desert Sanctuary Podcast

Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Out into the Desert, Leaning Forward,  Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart, The Tea Shop and Being: A Journey Toward Presence and Authenticity.  He is the creator of The Desert Sanctuary podcast and community.  He is married to his wife Laura of 35 years and has one dog named Winston.  His three children are grown and are beginning to multiply! You can read more about the author here.

If God is real, He should be better than me in many ways. He should use his ability and power to enhance everything in the world. If God has all these abilities that could help me, he/she/they should help me and not require or desire that I “worship” them for being better. The fact that God is better than me is under intense scrutiny as I journey and discover, especially since he seems to be more like these narcissistic “toddlers” than several humans that I have come to admire.

Keep asking good questions!

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 2

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 1

A Stroke and a Song

YouTube Playlist – click here

Religious Trauma Resources

The Desert Sanctuary Podcast

Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Out into the Desert, Leaning Forward,  Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart, The Tea Shop and Being: A Journey Toward Presence and Authenticity.  He is the creator of The Desert Sanctuary podcast and community.  He is married to his wife Laura of 35 years and has one dog named Winston.  His three children are grown and are beginning to multiply! You can read more about the author here.

Just because the church service feels right and gives the illusion of something magical, doesn’t mean that it is necessarily the best thing for us spiritually—it’s entirely plausible that we are simply addicted to it.

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 3

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 2

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 1

Our New Course is ready to review for FREE! Start Here   

YouTube Playlist – click here

Religious Trauma Resources

The Desert Sanctuary Podcast

Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Out into the Desert, Leaning Forward,  Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart, The Tea Shop and Being: A Journey Toward Presence and Authenticity.  He is the creator of The Desert Sanctuary podcast and community.  He is married to his wife Laura of 35 years and has one dog named Winston.  His three children are grown and are beginning to multiply! You can read more about the author here.

We persist in posing the questions in this series. Some may think these inquiries lead to bitterness or that we’re simply stirring up trouble by raising them. My hope is that these questions guide us toward a more evolved state of being. Outside of organized religion, I can truly listen to the whispers and feel the rhythm of the universe, discovering peace and comfort in the process. My solace comes not from a definitive belief system but from a mindset that continually questions everything.

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 3

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 2

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 1

A Stroke and a Song

Our New Course is ready to review for FREE! Start Here 

YouTube Playlist – click here

Religious Trauma Resources

The Desert Sanctuary Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-desert-sanctuary/id1345562241

Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Out into the Desert, Leaning Forward,  Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart, The Tea Shop and Being: A Journey Toward Presence and Authenticity.  He is the creator of The Desert Sanctuary podcast and community.  He is married to his wife Laura of 35 years and has one dog named Winston.  His three children are grown and are beginning to multiply! You can read more about the author here.

My deconstruction began when I started asking questions. The questions weren’t the regular softball questions we asked Sunday school teachers, which propped up what the teacher was already trying to assert. These questions caused the rest of the class to groan, mumble, and, most likely, talk about me behind my back.

I continue to ask the questions in this series. Many would believe that these questions make us bitter or that we’re just causing problems by asking them. I hope the questions help us evolve into a better state of being. Being outside of organized religion, I can finally hear the whispers and observe the drumbeat of the universe, along with the peace and comfort that I find. I find my comfort not in a finalized belief statement, but in a way of being that continues to question everything.

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 3

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 2

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 1

A Stroke and a Song

Our New Course is ready to review for FREE! Start Here 

Religious Trauma Resources

The Desert Sanctuary Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-desert-sanctuary/id1345562241

Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Out into the Desert, Leaning Forward,  Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart, The Tea Shop and Being: A Journey Toward Presence and Authenticity.  He is the creator of The Desert Sanctuary podcast and community.  He is married to his wife Laura of 35 years and has one dog named Winston.  His three children are grown and are beginning to multiply! You can read more about the author he

My deconstruction began when I started asking questions. The questions weren’t the regular softball questions we asked Sunday school teachers, which propped up what the teacher was already trying to assert. These questions caused the rest of the class to groan, mumble, and, most likely, talk about me behind my back.

I continue to ask the questions in this series. Many would believe that these questions make us bitter or that we’re just causing problems by asking them. I hope the questions help us evolve into a better state of being. Being outside of organized religion, I can finally hear the whispers and observe the drumbeat of the universe, along with the peace and comfort that I find. I find my comfort not in a finalized belief statement, but in a way of being that continues to question everything.

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 3

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 2

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 1

A Stroke and a Song

Our New Course is ready to review for FREE! Start Here 

Religious Trauma Resources

The Desert Sanctuary Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-desert-sanctuary/id1345562241

Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Out into the Desert, Leaning Forward,  Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart, The Tea Shop and Being: A Journey Toward Presence and Authenticity.  He is the creator of The Desert Sanctuary podcast and community.  He is married to his wife Laura of 35 years and has one dog named Winston.  His three children are grown and are beginning to multiply! You can read more about the author here.

My deconstruction began when I started asking questions. The questions weren’t the regular softball questions we asked Sunday school teachers, which propped up what the teacher was already trying to assert. These questions caused the rest of the class to groan, mumble, and, most likely, talk about me behind my back.

I continue to ask the questions in this series. Many would believe that these questions make us bitter or that we’re just causing problems by asking them. I hope the questions help us evolve into a better state of being. Being outside of organized religion, I can finally hear the whispers and observe the drumbeat of the universe, along with the peace and comfort that I find. I find my comfort not in a finalized belief statement, but in a way of being that continues to question everything.

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 3

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 2

Travel Tips for the Desert – Part 1

A Stroke and a Song

Our New Course is ready to review for FREE! Start Here 

YouTube Playlist – click here

Religious Trauma Resources

The Desert Sanctuary Podcast

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/the-desert-sanctuary/id1345562241

Karl Forehand is a former pastor, podcaster, and award-winning author. His books include Out into the Desert, Leaning Forward,  Apparent Faith: What Fatherhood Taught Me About the Father’s Heart, The Tea Shop and Being: A Journey Toward Presence and Authenticity.  He is the creator of The Desert Sanctuary podcast and community.  He is married to his wife Laura of 35 years and has one dog named Winston.  His three children are grown and are beginning to multiply! You can read more about the author here.