Should I Try to Enhance My Empathic Abilities?

If you accept that empathy is a spiritual gift, and you've determined that empathy is your spiritual gift, then you may wonder whether it is advisable to try an increase or enhance your empathic abilities.  In considering this, it is important to tread carefully.

Every Day I Move Closer to God's Kingdom

We were away from our home church on Easter Sunday.  So it happens that I was just reading a copy of my pastor's sermon last night.  His words led me to the profound revelation - every day I move closer to God's kingdom!

What is Truth? Easter and Controversy

Following the Passover meal, Jesus was arrested.  He was sent to Pontius Pilot for judgement as he had the authority under Roman law to order Jesus to be crucified.  Jesus was charged with sedition against Rome, opposing the payment of taxes to Cesar, and calling himself a king. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pontius_Pilate)

37 Pilate then said to him: Art thou not then a king? Jesus answered: Thou sayest, for I am a king. To this end was I born, and to this end have I come into the world, that I might testify to the truth: every one that is of the truth hears my voice.

38 Pilate says to him: What is truth? (http://codexsinaiticus.org/en/manuscript.aspx?book=36&chapter=18&lid=en&side=r&verse=37&zoomSlider=0)

Christ's Empathy for Us

I read an article called The Healing Power of Empathy, by Daniel Harrison in which he wrote: "This type of love [empathy] Jesus commands His followers to possess (John 15:12–14)—the type of love that, once it understands what another person is going through, actively seeks that person’s well-being." http://www.ministrymagazine.org/archive/2008/September/the-healing-power-of-empathy.html

The article was about cultivating empathy to heal the divides between people.  What I took away was the significance of the snippet I quoted above.  It prompted me to look up the passage from John 15, and I found the below, John 15: 1-13 to be very insightful as I read it with a new perspective.

Online Resources for Empaths

I am endeavoring to create a list of online resources for empaths.  As a christian empath, I am trying to avoid sites that lean too much towards the occult for my comfort.  I hope to include many sites that present the gift of empathy from the Christian perspective.  Please use discernment and good judgement extracting the information from these sites that is helpful and appropriate.

Why I'm excited about the Eucharist

I have recently noticed positive changes in my life following the celebration of the Eucharist.  Which leads me to wonder more about this sacrament and it's meaning.  The meaning of the Sacrament has been obscure to me despite having been confirmed in the Catholic Church.

Words for Love: Empathy in the bible

I occasionally come across online discussions that raise the fact that the word "empathy" does not appear in the bible.  I've seen discussions parsing words over what kinds of spiritual gifts are given.  That having the abilities that empaths claim is not possible and one instead may be compassionate, sympathetic, or have a mental illness.

Crying at a Birthday Party?!?

There's no crying in baseball, and who would expect to be teary-eyed at a birthday party?  Well, that was me.  The lights went out, the candles were lit, the group began to sing, and I suddenly realized for the young child's birthday there was no father in attendance.

Sharing empathic experiences

The gift of empathy is often dismissed, misunderstood, or worse - viewed as solely in the realm of the occult.  People that have empathic abilities often find it difficult to find support in their communities.  Online sources on the subject vary vastly in their helpfulness.  With these issues in mind, I'd like to share some of my empathic experiences and invite my readers to do the same or even to just ask questions if you have them.

Play on Words: Empathic vs. Empathetic

I found this article from The Grammarist to be very interesting:

"Empathic is a variant of empathetic, which means characterized by empathy. Some American dictionaries list empathic as the standard word and empathetic as the variant, and the shorter word is older than the longer one. But empathetic has prevailed—probably due to analogy with sympathetic—and is now about five times as common as empathic in news publications from throughout the English-speaking world."

The Soul and the Spirit Part 2

Spirit can be used to mean the spirit given us by God that animates us, houses our inner-motives and emotional expression.

In the New Testament, the spirit "is the realm where relations between God and a human being can take place (Philippians 3:3)."  It is "that aspect of human personality or self through which these relations are possible (http://www.gci.org/spiritual/soulspirit)."

More on Dreams

With all the books and information out on interpretation of dreams, it seems like fun to interpret the symbols in our dreams.  But, if we're looking for something in our dreams that will give us a message or an answer, what we're looking for seems like more of a vision.

The Soul and the Spirit Part 1

I'll not quote the cliche, but I do get a definite sense about a persons eyes.  Most of the time, I just pick up on the degree of clarity which I take as an indicator of overall health, but every so often, I get a really strong sense, usually in the positive.  Those are the times that my impression is of something greater, more along the lines of (I use these terms creatively) a pure or vibrant spirit, a kindred spirit, a young soul or an old soul.  It's unmistakable when it happens, or is shown to me (it doesn't happen at my will).

What is the soul?  Is it separate from the body?  Does it depart the body when we die?

You Knew Me; You Know My Regrets

My heart breaks for the loss of a child.  I cry for the mother's pain, the father's, the family's.  Prayer requests for children, babies, and mothers are the most difficult for me.  My prayers go to God mottled with tear drops.

Psalm 139:15

Your eyes beheld my limbs, yet unfinished in the womb;
all of them were written in your book.

Dreams

The following is just a brief overview of my position on the topic of dreams.

An important thing to consider about dreams is how the dream made the dreamer feel?  Does the dreamer feel important? Is the focus of the dream on the dreamer? Or, does the dreamer feel humbled, in awe of the vision?

Secondly, has the dream changed the dreamer's behavior in anyway that furthers God's will?

Post Holiday Slump

Just over a week after Christmas - how are you feeling?  All around us, things are going back to "normal."  We've celebrated the birth of Christ, celebrated Christmas with our families; we've hung the stockings and decked the halls; we've wrung in the New Year - now what?