This blog has talked about finding freedom in Christ and recently about finding freedom out of Christ, this post is going in the same direction but in a different car. It seems that this may turn into a series of its own right since I guess this could be considered an update from my post […]
Freedom in Druidry? An Unexpected Twist to Recovery Read More »
No one really chooses to join a cult; at least not knowingly… I recently watched the documentary on Synanon, which can be viewed on HBO’s Max streaming service. Some readers may remember a chapter from the “textbook” in Dave Hasz’s Worldview class, the book being How Now Shall We Live? by Charles Colson. I do
My Eye-Opening Experience Learning About Synanon Read More »
The topic of finding freedom in Christ was discussed before on this blog. It is a wonderful post examining verses in Colossians 2. It is wonderful for Christians who are still part of a faith that had been used to beat them down. Personally, I ask why one should remain a Christian when all one
Freedom OUT of Christ Read More »
(2023: This is one of ~80 posts located in the drafts folder and not archived by the Wayback Machine. The post was started by the original Recovering Alumni. The additions made to the original post by the current RA will be italicized. Other changes were formatting and aesthetic decisions.) One former member observed that she
Leaving the Spiritually Abusive System Read More »
This is a multi-part post where I discuss little nuggets of wisdom from a YouTube video and how it applies to our experiences (or at least mine). Back in October of 2021, Cinema Therapy on YouTube released an episode on trauma and imposter syndrome – two very different topics, but connected in a fantastic sci-fi
Star Trek: First Contact ~ a Metaphor for Trauma? Part 2 Read More »
A quick aside: Wow! It’s been over a year since my last post. It’s been a long year. My mother passed away, I graduated with my second bachelor’s degree, AND I got through my first year of teaching high school science. It’s been quite the ride. Sorry for not making posts. Now back to our
So it seems that I am a bit bitter… Read More »
We were the first internship class to go through “Orange Block”. Orange Block was something the Mr. Hasz came up with. The rules are simple: No sugar except at breakfast, no fizzy drinks, no contemporary Christian music – only worship music that you would sing at church, no texting except for weekends, corporate exercise every weekday morning, with daily room inspections and “extra training” at weekends if your room was a mess. (Maybe I’ve left some things out?)
Star Trek: First Contact ~ a Metaphor for Trauma? Part 1 Read More »
(2021 Update: This is one post of ~80 that was in the drafts folder and was not archived by the Wayback Machine. The bulk of this post was written by the original RA, but they left a blank third point. I have taken up mantle and write the remaining points based on what I have
Diary of an Intern Read More »
(2021 Update: This post is one of ~80 that were in the drafts and did not get archived by the Wayback Machine. The next section is what was originally written followed by my addition after the break.) This is a great point. In lieu of the fact that TM leadership has failed to sincerely apologize
(2021 Update: This post is one of ~80 posts that were in drafts and not archived by the Wayback Machine.) I’d like to share with you some books that helped me understand spiritual abuse as well as books that have reoriented me towards a different(and more healthy)view of Jesus and Christianity. Soul Repair by Jeff
Today we revisit the topic of how long recovery actually takes and how sometimes it feels like we’re taking one step forward and two steps back.
How Long Does It Really Take? Read More »
“Hangman we played double dutch with a hand grenadeBehind the church, hiding place. Apathetic to the devil’sFace. Wear the sheriff’s badge put your toys awayThey let us go saying let us pray!“ Time passes at an individual pace but offers us–the individuals–absolutely no negotiation. We do not get a say, nor can we decide how
Youth Without Youth Read More »
“There has to be a better way to love God and feel free.” -Esther, Paradise Recovered Paradise Recovered is an independent film that follows a fundamentalist believer’s journey to freedom. The Parable of the Good Samaritan is at the heart of story, though here it is a church that has robbed our victim and left
Filmspiration: Paradise Recovered Read More »
I recently hosted a screening of The Pink Room Movie with a small group of strangers–mostly friends of friends and college students five to ten years younger than myself. Someone asked how I’d found the film and I gave a brief explanation that a Teen Mania friend introduced me to it. Two girls beamed up at me
Ever since Mica asked me if I would like to take over the RA blog, I have been contemplating how to start my first post. In the past I have spontaneously and awkwardly contributed my story, as well as some thoughts about healing or lessons I learned at the Honor Academy. But taking over the
October 18, 2012 Guest Post: Teen Mania’s Version of Love 10/18/2012 Recovering Alumni 26 comments This is another guest post by community member, Shannon Ashley. My entire Teen Mania experience has followed me with a very deep cost. I lost many things in my life as a result of the lessons I learned there. Among
Guest Post: Teen Mania’s Version of Love Read More »
October 1, 2012 Guest Post: On Recovery 10/01/2012 Recovering Alumni 22 comments This post is written by community member, Shannon Ashley. This past summer, I turned thirty. It’s strange to consider I’m in an entirely new decade of my life and that my time at Teen Mania ended eleven years ago. My first Acquire the
Guest Post: On Recovery Read More »
Image by Naked Pastor. 9 comments: Micheal McComber says: February 10, 2012 9:23 AM post =FTW Wanderer says: February 10, 2012 11:54 AM Good illustration. He also probably proceeded to say, “hey, I know that guy beat, robbed & nearly killed you, but when I passed him on the road he didn’t do that to
Are You the Priest or the Good Samaritan? Read More »
I broke my arm once when I was a kid. It hurt like crazy until I got the cast on. In fact, if you would have touched it with even a slight amount of pressure, I probably would have screamed out in pain. Funny thing is, if you touched my unbroken arm with that same
Ground Rules, Painful Responses & Bravery Read More »
“You Are Not So Smart is a book about all the wonderful ways you delude yourself everyday.” This is psychology research thats easy to digest and will change your perspective on so many things. We are irrational, we make decisions and then justify them and we are susceptible to a whole host of biases –
You Are Not As Smart As You Think You Are Read More »
I came across this quote in the book “Recovering from Churches That Abuse”, Tragically, like other victims of abuse, she sometimes feels that she deserved the abuse, that she was a bad person, that she didn’t measure up, that she could never make it on her own in life. Do you ever feel like you
You Didn’t Deserve It Read More »
Why do we keep going back to the people who hurt us? Why does a hurt and exploited intern return for a 2nd year? Why does a dismissed intern return for another shot at graduating? Sometimes, the answer is “Stockholm Syndrome.” The term was coined when hostages in a Stockholm bank robbery bonded so deeply
On Why So Many Interns Love the Honor Academy Read More »
Lately, these three words have been stirring in my soul. Truth Learning and recognizing the truth isn’t always welcome news. It messes up our lives and our plans. Discovering that we’ve built our life on untruths (I have to perform for God to love and accept me, I will never be good enough unless I’m
3 Words That Stir My Soul Read More »
1) Jeromy J – You Bring God Pleasure, Not Disgust. (2021 update: blog has gone down. Link goes to Wayback Machine) 2) Rachel Held Evans on Grace: The ultimate denial of grace, then, is not to misunderstand it theologically, but to withhold it. 3) Brene Brown on Choosing Worthiness – A Protest Against Perfection (2021 update:
Friday: Links I Like Read More »
Perhaps one of the greatest things we need to unlearn after our time at Teen Mania is our destructive attitudes towards ourselves. This practice of devaluing every intern is so commonplace at the Honor Academy that we internalize the self-criticism and it actually becomes part of our inner Christian life. Being hard on yourself is
Self-Abuse or Self-Compassion? Read More »
