Category: Repentance

A fresh take on Repentance



Watch the video to see how to tie this printable with an airplane analogy that will help your class really grasp this fresh take on repentance.

It’s easy to think that sin is merely a sinful action and repenting is stopping the sinful action. If you think about it is in the LEAVING our state of love or who we really are that is the sin (watch video to help explain). It Is forgetting who we really are. When we feel out of alignment we are in blame or shame and if we stay there and believe it and operate from that state, that is when our behavior will reflect that feeling. And that behavior is what is typically considered the “sin”

We don’t sin bc we are bad, I believe sin comes bc we BELIEVE we are bad or less then. That belief and feeling THEN drive us to behaviors that do NOT honor who we truly are.

Ok example here. Let’s say we don’t feel we are enough (the first step out of alignment is believing something not true about yourself) and that in that state of lack we are actually MORE driven to PROVE to everyone and ourselves we ARE enough.  THE LIE feels bad and now we need to prove to everyone that we are not that lie! #weirdbrainlogic

We are more likely to do things to get attention and approval, to create all sorts of dysfunction and disorders, we want to find love in all the places it doesn’t exist, we want to cheat, lie, steal, to get our way to be seen and heard. 

All to disprove a lie, to begin with. 

Instead of all that we can settle down and believe in the TRUTH! The truth will set you free, in fact. And the truth is surprisingly kind and loving. 

The truth reminds us to take full accountability and responsibility for our thoughts feelings and actions. To own it all as our creation, to stay out of blame and shame and begin to create from a place of truth and love instead. 

The truth is WE ARE ENOUGH. Believing the truth and feeling the love behind it is liberating! We can relax and bring our tired souls to rest. 

When we believe and truly feel our identity it as children of God and we feel that immense love and truth…guess what happens?

Our behavior changes.

We no longer identify with the bad feelings which tell us we are bad and sinful, we see ourselves as God sees us. As our true selves: abundant, GOOD honest true peaceful, and joyful. God sees us in our perfection and wholeness. When we can view ourselves in our own wholeness our BEHAVIOR begins to MATCH that truth.

This truth has literally changed EVERYTHING for me and my life. I when I feel bad, I give myself grace and know that I can return to my true state of love again. It pulls me out of the blame and shame. It helps take the simple steps to recover and return the the delicious state Heavenly state of having the Spirit of God with me again.

If you’d like to receive the airplane analogy printable as a 3 on a page PDF, drop your email and I will automatically send a full-resolution attachment to your inbox for free.










    How can repentance help me everyday object lesson video

    repentance-object-lesson

    I was searching my brain on how I could represent what happens to us spiritually when we sin and how repentance is such a beautiful gift that is given to us to cleanse and help us come to know greater levels of happiness and come to know our Father in Heaven. I’m excited to share this  object lesson that came to my mind as I was pondering ways to illustrate this concept. Enjoy! This goes with this YW lesson, here are my additional  thoughts, insight and handout that goes with the lesson.

    Here is what you need for the object lesson:

    • Stress Ball or Sponge (cut out like a heart if desired)
    • Play Dough (here is are recipes)
    • Dry Beans

    Here is the basic written out from of the video:
    I’m going to attempt to illustrate to you with an object lesson how repentance can help us everyday and how it is a key part of feeling and living in an abundance of real peace love and happiness.

    This foamy stress ball heart represents our heart. (if you are try to do this object lesson you can use a sponge–cut out like heart even)

    In its purest form it is moldable, teachable, humble and clean which makes it totally receptive to the spirit, inspiration and communication from God. It is happy, free and at peace.

    The fact is that our hearts don’t always remain as such because we are human  and that makes us selfish and mistake prone.

    Our Heavenly Father wants us to grow in varying degrees to change, develop learn and use our agency wisely.

    He allows life to present us with many opportunities for us to experience growth.

    But who knows why exactly we do this but in our fear, pride, limited understanding, want to protect ourselves, our resistance against change, selfishness our impulse to do it our way we place barriers between us and the spirit by hardening our hearts (i’m using playdoh here and putting it over the heart)

    We refuse to listen to what is best for us for all those reasons.

    But in our rebellion we have blocked that communication from our Father in Heaven and our true happiness.

    The hardening of our hearts invites sin. Those hard parts have block us from spiritual understanding. ‘

    Our hearts still long to ‘feel’ something so selfishly we start to do things that bring some temportary satisfaction but bring great sadness to our Heavenly Father and ultimately ourselves.

     Little things like gossip we do because he feel like we are at least better than someone else. (place a bean in the play dough after each statement)

    We treat with others with anger because it helps us feel dominion over someone else

    We hold grudges because we feel some kind of symbolic victory.

    We may even turn to putting  harmful things into our bodies because we feel momentary relief or satisfaction.

    Or may even comprise our moral standard because we want to feel something with someone.

     But all those things have only created a greater barrier against our true happiness and receiptiveness to the light and love of our Heavenly Father

    “Wickedness was never happiness”

     I heard someone once add, “But people often don’t do wicked things for wickedness sake but because they confuse it for happiness.

    All those ‘sins’ are just cheap substitutes for happiness.

    The awesome new is that we can be cleansed of all these yucky sins, these behaviors and attitudes that weigh us down and block us from feeling real happiness.

    God wants so badly for us to feel His love but it cannot penetrate our souls if we have but barrier around our hearts.

    The scriptures speak of His arms being open, 2 extended, 3 stretched out, 4and encircling. 5 They are described as mighty 6 and holy, 7 arms of mercy, 8arms of safety, 9 arms of love, 10 “lengthened out all the day long.” 11

    He wants us to repent, turn around, come back, change, be clean so he can communicate his love, guide us, strengthen us and empower us.

    Once we are humble enough to realize we have offend God and made choices that have blocked his spirit and we have gain a desire to return, Christ can come in. If we do our part to repair the harm we’ve caused, He can simultaneously come in a repair and heal our hearts from sins with the power of His Atonement.  We can be purified, cleansed and sanctified (become as saints only through the power of Christ). YAY!!! (Remove play Dough until clean)

    When are hearts are clean, we can be more fully receptive to the spirit, guidance and feel greater happiness, peace and love.

    I’m finding that Daily repentance is not a feeling of continually feeling guilty and weigh down by my less than perfect efforts but it having a penitent heart that is eager to improve and willing to change. So during my day I notice that my heart and mind do get hard and unwilling by things I may think or do but a penitent heart is one that is quick to come back, to remove pride, throw away thoughts and behaviors that and ‘blue barriers’ that prevent feeling the spirit. To realign, repent, change, forgive and move forward toward God because that is where I can best enjoy an abundance of peace and happiness.

    Fresh take on repentance, here (11/2022)

    How can repentance help me every day? Handout and lesson idea.

    repentance-04

     

    ” I love it when people tell me to repent! ” said no one ever. Who likes to be told they are doing things wrong and to to change their ways? Um. Not many.

    I’m teaching the Young Women’s Lesson, “How can repentance help me everyday”. I never thought teaching about repentance would be my first choice, but it totally was!..why?? Because I’m discovery repentance really is such a awesome gift to help us live happy and free lives!!Here are my thoughts on the matter:

    Continue reading “How can repentance help me every day? Handout and lesson idea.”