I must confess this realization brought me to tears this afternoon.

So, meditating on the real meaning of the Greek word "matanoia" (often (mis)translated into English as "repentance") which actually means "to change one's mind"... I've come to a stunning peace about something I've seen people of faith struggle with my entire life - including myself, at times. I can say with deep certainty that "Accepting Jesus" is actually just "accepting" that God "accepts" us. In fact, He doesn't just "accept" us, He created us. On purpose. Out of love.

Having worked in the divorce & remarriage & co-parenting counseling sphere for decades, I guess something finally clicked. I was focusing on the meaning of the actual word itself, juxtaposed against the lackluster (at best) or manipulative (at worst) blatant mistranslation. If any person today had twisted the meaning of a parent’s words sent to a child in such a diabolical, convoluted way, they'd stand rightfully accused of criminal Parental Alienation. Look it up.

"The Divine Exchange", as many refer to it, actually levels out to be an exchange of boundless grace and love in exchange for bean-counting, sin & death focused legalistic futility. That's 100% Biblical. I'll debate anyone, anytime on that point.

In the Old Testament, God had many names He called Himself, and many names the People ascribed to Him. Here are a few examples:

El Shaddai (Lord God Almighty)

El Elyon (The Most High God)

Adonai (Lord, Master)

Yahweh (Lord, Jehovah)

Jehovah Nissi (The Lord My Banner)

Jehovah Raah (The Lord My Shepherd)

Jehovah Rapha (The Lord That Heals)

Jehovah Shammah (The Lord Is There)

Jehovah Tsidkenu (The Lord Our Righteousness)

Jehovah Mekoddishkem (The Lord Who Sanctifies You)

El Olam (The Everlasting God)

Elohim (God)

Jehovah Jireh (The Lord Will Provide)

Jehovah Shalom (The Lord Is Peace)

Jehovah Sabaoth (The Lord of Hosts)

But, there was only ONE name Jesus brought to us:

Abba (Daddy)

Not "Father", not "Gray-Bearded Dude in the Clouds"... but DADDY.

To this day, you can go to any given park in Jerusalem and sit quietly and listen to the children playing, and eventually you will hear it... a child who needs a hug, a child who has skinned their knee, a child who that just wants to share this cool insect they found, a child who wants to show off to their Daddy that they can make it all the way across the monkey bars all on their own.

And when a child falls down on their diaper when trying to walk or run, you hear "Abba!" In rushes Daddy to pick them back up, dust off their hiney, and help them to stand again.

THAT's the Message.

THAT's the Gospel.

THAT's the "Good News"...

"Daddy's right here, sweetheart! You're doing great - keep going! I love you!"

— Nicole Berryhill PhD

----------------------------------------

““Mystery is not something that you cannot understand, but it is something that is endlessly understandable! It is multilayered and pregnant with meaning and never totally admits to closure or resolution.”

— Fr. Richard Rohr

“Only when we are no longer afraid do we begin to live.” Dorothy Thompson

Imagine this: you are sitting on the beach watching the sunset as waves lap the sand as you bask in the glow. A book lies in your lap as you lose yourself in thought of how wonderful you feel at this moment.

Now imagine what the reality is: You’re dreaming of traveling to the beach, sitting on the sand watching the sun set. But instead of taking the steps to go, you feel fear. What if you’re needed at your job, by your family or any of your other obligations? What if the plane crashes? What if you get lost? What would happen if you let down your guard? What if…?

Living in fear, keeps us form taking the risks and chances to go for what we truly desire. It keeps us from finding true happiness.

Happiness isn’t defined by what you have; where you live; where you go; or the people you love. True happiness is a feeling. It’s something you feel deep inside about yourself and believe yourself to be. But to find it you have to face the fears keeping you paralyzed.

When we have fears, we feel unsafe. Facing our fears and getting out of our comfort zone is hard because of how humans naturally expect the worst-case scenario. Our brains naturally send us negative information because it is trying to keep you safe.

So how can you live a life free of fear and be truly happy?

Everyone has fears. It’s normal. It’s how we react to them that makes the difference in how we feel. But you might find yourself weighed down with too much fear that’s preventing you from being truly happy. If that’s the case, it’s time to get familiar with your fears and find ways to work through them.

Here are 4 common fears and ideas to help you deal with them.

1. Fear of failure. This is a common fear, often stemming from our childhood. Fear of failing a test, for example. This fear brings on the feeling of being judged or embarrassed. In reality, failing is part of success. Overcome this fear by not worrying about the outcome and only focusing on the process of getting to success.

• Fear of success. This fear stems from many different fears: fear of change, responsibilities, attention, vulnerable and many others. The best way to overcome this fear is to focus on one step at a time while moving forward.

• Fear of rejection. The fear of being rejected is a reaction to our innate need for belonging. It can include fears of being judged, not being liked, or being alone. To overcome this fear put yourself out there, reminding yourself that the right people will respond to you favorably.

• Fear of not being good enough. This fear is rooted in how we feel about ourselves. Our low self-esteem keeps us from not trying because of a lack of confidence. You can overcome this fear by starting small with things you know you can accomplish. Keep doing more steps to build your self-confidence.

We all have fears of some kind. They may seem rational to us but appear irrational to others. To overcome your fears you need to understand why you have them and then work on facing them so you can live a life of true happiness.