Millions of adults today are still suffering as a result of the negative words of their parents spoke over them as children. However, mental health problems do not define who you are. They are something you experience. I can relate to your pain. Trust me. At times, many of us feel trapped in situation we cannot bear, and are stuck around people we would rather never seen, but I have seen people go from the darkest moments in their lives to living a happy life. Change what you can, manage what you cannot. Your present circumstances do not determine where you can go. A series of retrospective studies tested hypotheses about early family-of-origin experiences in bipolar disorder, with mixed findings. Interviews with adult bipolar patients, corroborated by family informants, about their childhood experiences revealed some potentially pathogenic family experiences. During their early childhood, the majority of patients in this study occupied special family positions, such as the first-born or youngest child, the “favourite” child, or the child assigned special responsibilities. As children these patients were also pressured for achievements, which were rewarded when accomplished. Not surprisingly, the children were also high achievers in the school setting. These children left homes as perfectionist without the skills to succeed on their own. For most, symptoms emerged concurrently with their departure from their families. This pattern was more or less unique to early-onset cases, and thus may represent just one possible interpersonal path to bipolar disorder. In some studies, patients with bipolar disorder have described their childhood experiences as similar to those of healthy controls. For example, such patients were indistinguishable from medical controls on reports of parental bonding. They also described their family environments while growing up as similar to those of healthy controls on dimensions such as expressiveness, conflict, independence, cohesion, and control. There are no differences between patients with remitted bipolar disorder and normal controls in the reports of parental rejection or overprotectiveness, although the patients reported less emotional warmth from their parents. From a sample that consisted mostly of women with bipolar disorder, it was discovered that 53 percent reported a history of abuse. #RandolphHarris 1 of 16

However, a related study showed equally pronounced histories of abuse in patients with borderline personality disorder, but rates lower than 5 percent among a comparisons sample of psychiatric controls, which included patients with bipolar disorder, antisocial personality disorder, and schizotypal personality disorder. It is debatable whether early experiences in the family of origin are etiological in bipolar disorder. Early-onset cases may experience a particular patten of special attention and demand for achievement, which sets up excessive needs for dependency and attention. Such experiences can lead to envy from others, competition, and ultimately loneliness. These conflicts are thought to explain the extreme moods swings in bipolar disorder: “The oscillation in mood correspond to internalization and externalization of the conflict; during the phase of depression all interest in the external environment is lost with symptoms of guilt and apathy, whereas in the manic phase the obverse is true. This argument notwithstanding, many of the standard family environment variables that have been implicated in the origins of other mental health problems have not emerged as significant discriminators between patients with bipolar disorder and other members of the population. Consequently, the early childhood experiences of these patients are generally unremarkable. Many adult psychiatric patients can be found still residing with their parents. Such individuals remain in the family of origin in lieu of developing a separate family of orientation. Social relationships and communication in this context are powerful predictors of the course of bipolar disorder. One such predictive variable is EE (expressed emotions), which is evident in attitudes and behaviours reflective of criticism and overinvolvement. These are expressed during a standardized interview between a parent and researcher, and are implicitly assumed to be manifested in family interactions and relations. When patients with bipolar disorder were followed over a period of 9 months after hospital discharge, those who returned to high-EE families were 5.5 times more likely to relapse than patients discharged to low-EE family environments. #RandolphHarris 2 of 16

In a related study, families of patients with mania were as likely to be high-EE as were families of patients with schizophrenia. In this study, 90 percent of the patients with mania who resided with high-EE relatives had poor clinical outcomes over the course of a 9-month follow-up period, in contrast to 54 percent of the patients who lived inlow-EE families. Another study by this term indicated a relapse rate of 92 percent over the course of 2 years for patient with bipolar disorder who returned to high-EE households, compared to only 39 percent among those who returned to low-EE households. The mean duration to relapse was similarly suggestive: 34 weeks for those who lived in low-EE environments. A unique aspect of this study was the inclusion of both high-EE parents and high-EE spouses. Comparisons reveled that parents scored considerably higher than spouses on the EE dimensions of overinvolvement and criticism, suggesting that EE may be especially problematic when patients reside with their families of origin as opposed to their families of orientation. EE may reflect a parent’s tendency to react negatively to disturbances presented by the psychiatric patient upon one’s return to the home. This criticism and overinvolvement are likely to be taxing for the patient, thus precipitating an exacerbation of symptoms and relapse. It is assumed that EE, as assessed in a private interview with a family member, manifests itself in the family’s actual social interactions. However, this expectation has not always been borne out empirically. Family EE may also interfere with effective treatment of patients with bipolar disorder, especially in cases where family members might otherwise be able to play a role in the treatment process. Research findings on bipolar disorder and EE are remarkably similar to those on schizophrenia and EE; in both cases, EE appears to be a strong predictor of relapse. Perhaps something in the nature of these two disorders simultaneously engenders attitudes of hostility and overinvolvement in parents, and extreme sensitivity to this among patients. Regardless of the explanation for the similarity, the parallel findings on family EE and relapse for schizophrenia and bipolar disorder again illustrate how these two problems occupy neighbouring positions on the continuum from extreme disturbances to complete normality. #RandolphHarris 3 of 16

The behavioural counterpart of EE in family interactions is AS (affective style). Where as EE is coded from an interview with a family member in the absence of the patient, AS is coded from actual family problem-solving discussions. Families are categorized as negative, mixed, or benign in their AS. Families a negative-AS profile are profile are prone to making harshly critical, guilt-inducing, and intrusive “mind-reading” statements during family problem-solving discussions. In the study mentioned above, 91 percent of patients with bipolar disorder discharged to negative-AS families had poor clinical outcomes over a 9-month observation period, compared with 55 percent from benign-AS families. On the other hand, the patients who returned to benign-AS families actually showed steady improvements in their social adjustment. As might be expected, negative AS is evident not only through relatives’ verbal behaviours, but in their nonverbal behaviours as well. Negative-AS parents of patients with bipolar disorder engage in fewer affiliative nonverbal communication behaviour such as smiling, head nodding, forward leaning, and illustrator gestures during family discussions, when contrasted with benign-AS parents. These are behaviours that people look for to feel supported and accepted by others. Collectively, these findings anew that the harsh and rejecting behaviours of key relatives, as manifested in AS, are associated with a poor prognosis in bipolar disorder. Both EE and AS may be overt signs of family stress and distress. If one adopts a systems perspective, it makes little sense to ask whether EE and AS are responses to a patient’s illness or causes of it. In systems theory, all parts and their processes are related to all other parts and processes in the system. Although it has been argued that many family characteristics in cases of bipolar disorder are consequences of the patients’ illness, and indeed many may be, family dynamics such as EE and AS have been documented to predict subsequent changes in patients’ symptomatology, indicating that patients’ symptoms are influenced by their family interactions. #RandolphHarris 4 of 16

Furthermore, empirical evidence indicates that patients find their parents’ negative-AS behaviour to be stressful. At the same time, it should be obvious that parents’ social interaction behaviours are not entirely independent of and unresponsive to their children’s distress and communication problems. In fact, in bipolar disorder, a patient’s affective attitude toward a parent is predictive of the parent’s AS. In schizophrenia, the parent’s AS. Thus, in bipolar disorder, there are reciprocal interpersonal patterns that may maintain the disorder. What makes EE and AS so stressful for recovering patients? For most people, their parents are the last line of defense against an otherwise cruel World. When there is no solace to be found in other interpersonal relationships, most expect to find at least some support from family-of-origin members. These are relationships of obligation, and during hard times, they may represent the only refuge available. When these family relationships turn hostile, overinvolved, and emotionally reactive, what was once shelter from the stresses of life becomes a stressor itself. What makes the stressor particularly caustic is the fact that it is a powerful violation of expectations and may signal the end of any available social support, leaving a patient with feelings of total rejection and alienation. CD (communication deviance) involves the use of odd, idiosyncratic, amorphous, and fragmented language during social interaction. Parents of patients with schizophrenia are prone to exhibit CD; however, problems with CD may not be specific to these parents. In fact, parents of patients with mania are indistinguishable from those of patients with schizophrenia in overall level of CD. Certain types of CD, such as odd word usage (using words in odd way, leaving words out of utterances, uttering words out of order, use of unnecessary words—exempli gratia, “There were a number of different distinct times down the entire road when she could not get that act together”) and tangential responses (failure to acknowledge others’ statements—exempli gratia, Patient: “When are we going to leave?” Parents: “That is a beautiful painting”), are actually more prevalent among parents of patients with mania. These patients exhibited CD patterns similar to those of their parents. #RandolphHarris 5 of 16

The coding scheme used to assess CD overlaps considerably with the TDI (thought disorder index) as used in an investigation. CD is undoubtedly a manifestation of thought disorder through communication with other people. An obvious conclusion might be that parent-child similarities in CD represent genetic transmission of thought disorder. However, a social learning account would also predict a parent-child association in CD, whereby the parent models bizarre communication behaviour that is then incorporated into the child’s discourse. Like many other behaviours acquired through observational learning, children may just assume that if their parents engage in the behaviour, it is the right thing to do. Simply interacting with a parent exhibiting CD, or observing an interaction with another family member, may lead a child to believe that “this is the appropriate way to talk to other people.” In either case, parents of bipolar patients exhibit problems with CD that are of the same magnitude as the problems of parents of schizophrenia patients. In both disorders, this deviant communication pattern can also be detected in the patients themselves. Bipolar disorder is associated with additional family relationship problems. The family interactions of patients with bipolar disorder are marked by a high percentage of control attempts by both patients and parents. This battle for control is more pronounced than in families of patients with schizophrenia. The majority of family members who care for patients with bipolar disorder report at least moderate burden, especially due to the patients’ mister, irritability, and withdrawal. These family relationship problems can also affect the course of the disorder. For example, 67 percent of patients undergoing treatment for bipolar disorder who indicated that they had good relations with their extended families had no major recurrences over a 4-year follow-up period, compared to only 20 percent of those patients who had poor relations with their extended families. The scientist who foresees a happy abundant future for humankind (because of technological advance) while so many of one’s colleagues are preparing the weapons to wipe out the species itself, is either insane or incapable of non-specialized thinking. If the scientific gropers-in-the-dark were allowed fully to explore, and their political masters to exploit, the atom until all its energy were released, our Earth would either blow up into pieces and all humankind with it, or else have its atmosphere so poisoned by radioactivity as to make any life within it impossible. #RandolphHarris 6 of 16

However, it is not in the World-Mind’s World-Idea that this shall be allowed. The so-called progress of humans in this direction will be arrested. They will be allowed to injure themselves, since they insist on playing with these dangerous forces, but not to destroy oneself. This one event has dominated the intelligent human mind in the twenty-first century more than any other. This release of the atom’s energy has forced a rethinking of the human position in politics, society, health, and economics. The social, economic, and political problems which have developed with the development of science, and its use in industry, have reached their ultimate in the hydrogen bomb. In one does not soon renounce all nuclear weapons, this is the Frankenstein monster which will destroy its master. The worth to humankind of an invention or a discovery depends on the uses made of it. If these are warlike and destructive to an appalling degree, then it might have been better for humankind to have continued in ignorance. The World has moved too far from the quest of religious values to the quest of Earthly ones; it is passing too quickly from faith in the legends to faith in the machine. Many have been forced to stop and think about the failure of science to improve humans despite its success in improving their tools. For the nineteenth-century naivete about “progress” which had believed one would inevitably lead to the other, has been exposed for the foolish thing it is. Progression forwards, which is what we have witnessed in this scientific age, is not the same as progress. Then end of all one-sided growth is usually catastrophic. This is true of the outer World of science as of the inner World of humans themselves. If the wonderful achievements of the science in controlling physical energies have now become highly dangerous to humans, this is simply because they are unbalanced by equal knowledge of one’s own nature and equal achievements in controlling it. The greater the pressure produced by this machine age, the greater is the revolt against it. Foolish materialists call this revolt escapism. Whether it appears as a turning to the arts or to mysticism, it is the cry of the human soul seeking to remember again that it is a soul. #RandolphHarris 7 of 16

 If every invention which has benefited the human species has also introduced evils or disadvantages not presented before, too often that has been due to human misuse or greed, materialism or ignorance. I know there is some belief that not only has human capacity been extended by modern scientific knowledge but also that human character has been improved by modern civilization and culture. I doubt that this is so. As modern technological civilization increased in power, the size of its problems increases too. Even without a war the mere belief that they have to go on improving their nuclear knowledge by experiments and nuclear weapons by tests is leading to a disastrous result—the poisoning of the entire human race and the damaging of its organs, or its children’s organs, and the deforming of its next generation. If they are all to be lost again in the vast humanmade calamity, of what use are all these vaunted conquests over Nature? Control of mind by electronic machines is being actively sought by researcher without conscience, devoid of ethics, sorcerers using twenty-first century science. Humans’ success in using their knowledge of the working of the external World can come only if it is linked with the knowledge of the working of one’s own psycho-physical mechanism and function. For if the first leads one into self-destruction, as it is now doing, the second can control and safeguard one against such an ill destiny. To believe that the old past was quite barbaric, that the new present is quite civilized, as do those who pin all their faith to the “progress” brought about by science, shows definite ignorance of the past and lack of insight into the present. Moreover it also shows a dangerous lack of humility; dangerous because the first need of humanity to so be humble, is to confess its failure and admit its weakness. Technological triumph, if held in equilibrium by spiritual intuition, can lead to a glorious civilization, but without such intuition, it can lead to humankinds’ destruction. It is not enough for our civilization to express the discoveries arising out of scientific knowledge. It must also express the ethics arising out of spiritual knowledge. The manipulative pattern of being a Complaint Christian begins when the child learns that one can win the approval of parents or others by pleasing and placating. The child mistakes getting their approval for being love. So we can say that one becomes stuck on the love polarity. #RandolphHarris 8 of 16

The problem is that in getting the approval of others, one makes everyone else the judge and master. Therefore, one must constantly repress feelings of strength or anger, and instead feel only love and weakness. One fears that if one expresses rights, strength, or power, others will withdraw their approval and retaliate with rejection or abandonment. What one does not see is that in living up to everyone else’s expectations and demands, one sacrifices one’s own individuality and originality. Without the rhythms of anger and strengths, the complaint Christians is easily taken advantage of by others. Of course, one allows this to happen over and over again because of the fear of expressing anger or irritation. This person is like a “crying doormat,” who invites people to step over one—then feels miserable and abused when they do! Because Complaint Christians are unable to stand up to others, or even to day no or disagree with them, their love loses its genuineness. The love that they could have degenerates into a sticky, parasitic dependence. The body type reflects dependence, as the muscles are underdeveloped and flaccid. The price of constantly living the “nice guy” or “nice girl” role is fatigue, resentment, and inner emptiness. Also, in living one’s life to gain other people’s approval, one’s God-given identity remains undeveloped. The payoff for such a lifestyle is the occasional crumb of approval or pat on the head that one receives for being so nice to others. At the character level, the pleasing and placating pattern degenerates to overt dependence. Now the person denies all personal power and responsibility for shaping one’s life and becomes a clinging vine around someone else’s life. One constantly looks to the other person for what to feel, what to say, where to go, what to believe, and infinitum. This person feels that if the other person dies or leaves one will be completely lost and helpless. Many popular songs reflect this misguided approach to love with such lyrics as “without you I would nothing.” Unfortunately, this exaggerated sense of dependence might be true, but it certainly is not a virtuous trait. It means that one is neurotically dependent and incapable of feeling, thinking, and choosing for oneself. Many unhappy marriages are made by one partner’s being overly dominant and the other’s becoming excessively compliant and dependent. #RandolphHarris 9 of 16

Because of our cultural standards, Christian women especially seem to fall into the compliant trap. They are taught as little girls that their sole mission in life is to grow up, have a family, and take care of a husband and children. What the are not given is a healthy dose of self-esteem so that they are deeply attuned to their own wants, needs, desires, talents, and gifts. So life becomes slavery as they become frantically busy, self-sacrificing, and often desperately lonely. The fallacy of the complaint syndrome is that one erases oneself in order to “love” others. However, the Bible—as well as good psychology—says clearly to love others as ourselves; that is, to be as concerned about our own growth and well-being as we are about theirs. It also means developing a healthy interdependence in relationships as opposed to the desperate dependence of the complaint person. In its psychotic form, the complaint lifestyle gives way to depression. Somehow it creeps into the awareness of the person that one is nothing but an empty hull. All the beliefs, values, feelings, and opinions that one has belong to someone else. One has completely lost touch with one’s inner being. Psychotic depression is the result of years of constricting the inner rhythm of feelings. The final result is immobility and paralysis. The depression reflects the psychological reality of always being pressed down by the demands, desires, and expectations of others. The person finally loses hope and becomes numb. Even the body takes on a sagging and down-in-the-mouth appearance over the years. The face may feign a smile on the surface, but the evidence that deep sorrow and loneliness are underneath is shown by the wrinkled in the brown, eyes, and at the corner of the mouth. Since the Compliant Christian long ago lost touch with one’s own dignity, anger, and power, the years of being everyone’s slave have now taken their toll. The psyche collapses under the one last demand that is finally too much. The ultimate, tragic expression of psychotic depression is suicide. Bethany is a middle-aged housewife, and she underwent two years of therapy. The settings ranged from an in-patient psychiatric unit to a growth-oriented church group. During these two years, Bethany made excellent progress in moving from apathy and self-hate to a position of active and caring involvement in life. #RandolphHarris 10 of 16

Although Bethany made three suicide attempts during the two years, a combination of prayer and effective psychotherapy finally enabled her to learn to stand on her own feet, take responsibility for her own life, tell others how she really felt about things, and regain faith for living an interesting and fulfilling life. Bethany has now reentered family, church, and community life with far more awareness and skills for coping than she had ever thought possible. Bethany’s life shows once again that it is possible to reverse even the most vicious patterns of self-destruction. Of course, it is always best to discover destructive patterns in one’s life ling before they bear bitter fruit. Perhaps the reader will be able to apply insights gained in the study of this report to enjoy greater self-awareness and understanding of others. In the center of the Process of Deterioration is fear. It is sometimes quite sobering to realize that, whatever else hell is, it is certainly the brutal process of dehumanization that eventually leaves a person numb, rigid, alone, disoriented, and shut up. In the deterioration to various levels of manipulation, character disorder, and psychosis, we see a separation from one’s God-given invitation to actualization and a descent into the abyss of hell. Everyone is a mixture of manipulative styles and character types. We live within the context of a fallen and twisted reality. The “mystery of iniquity” is passed on from generation to generation. It contaminates culture, education, politics, economics, religion, and the sophisticated social systems of this World. Defenses are learned strategies; we are not born with them. Once we discover how we make ourselves tense, rigid, and controlled in our posture toward life, we can begin to reverse the process. That is at once the burden of responsibility and the potential for joy for all human beings. There is light at the end of the tunnel! There is hope for the troubled, entangled, and imprisoned individual. Our faith in the creative grace that will lead us to wholeness is warranted. However, the process of growing out of our psychological ruts is not without risk and pain. We may have to experience the real travail of owning our feelings and leaning to express them honestly to others before we begin to enjoy the celebration of restored meaning in our lives. #RandolphHarris 11 of 16

Every way of being stuck can be understood as an overt or subtle distortion of humans’ existential calling: to love oneself, others, and God wholeheartedly. This is where it becomes important to realize that praying about our life situation must be combined with the courage to do something about it. Otherwise our “prayers” are only a form of avoidance—a flight into fantasy and magical thinking. God may truly inspire us along the wisest pathway for our lives, but we must take the responsibility for doing the walking or we will never get anywhere. And if we take a wrong turn, we must have courage to back up and try a new pathway. A strong feeling of fear, anxiety, hostility, guilt, or depression may be a signpost that indicates that one has gotten off the track. If one becomes aware of these feelings, and exercises the courage to look for new and different options, then growth can be restored and one is back on the path of healthy living again. The fruits of that direction will also be felt in the personality as peace, joy, and excitement. No one has escaped developing certain nonactualizing or manipulative patterns. However, an awareness of how these patterns are being acted out in one’s life creates the possibility of experimentation with new alternatives, growth, and change. This possibility is the hope of the actualizing Christian. It is the invitation of Christ to each individual, and the joy of a God who delights in giving good things to those who seek Him. It is also the finest meaning of salvation, redemption, and the grace of God. Most parents want the best for their children, yet too often, many slip into being harsh and critical with their children, constantly finding fault in something one’s children are doing. Negative words will cause children to lose the sense of value God has placed within them. As parent, one has a responsibility before God and society to train one’s children, to discipline them when they discovery, to lovingly correct them when they make wrong choices. However, one should not constantly micromanage one’s children. If one continually speaks words that discourage and dishearten, before long you will destroy your child’s self-image. And with your negative words, you will open a door, allowing the enemy to bring all kinds of insecurity and inferiority into one’s child’s life. Some many people are still living in pain, as adult, due to hurtful words their guardians used with them when they were children. #RandolphHarris 12 of 16

If you speak negative words over your children, you are cursing their future. Moreover, God will hold your responsible for destroying their destiny. With authority comes responsibility, and you have the responsibility as the spiritual authority over your child to make sure that one feels loves, accepted, and approved. Beyond that, most children get their concepts of who God is and what He is like from their parents. If the parents are mean, evil, spiteful, bitter, trifling, and harsh, inevitably the children with grow up with a distorted view of God and humanity. If the parents are loving, kind, compassionate, forgiving, accepting, and righteous, the children will better understand God’s character. It is your responsibility, while you have the opportunity, to speak God’s blessing in your children’s lives. And know that your words will impact them long after they are grown. What you are passing down to the next generation is really something you should think about. O Lord, how would You characterize my trust in this life? Let me put it another way. What is the greatest solace I can have under the big sky? Is it not You, my Lord God, whose mercy is without end? Where else would I do so well but sitting alongside You on Your throne? When can anything be bad if You are around me? I prefer to be a pauper because of You. I would choose rather to vagabond around the World with You than to travel Heaven without You. Where You are, there Heaven is. Where You are not, there Death and Hell are. Heavenly Father, please help me to speak words of blessing into the lives of my family and friends and the community, as well as to others You all to grace my life. Today, and always I choose to see the good, the beneficial things in those around me, rather than the negative, and I will reinforce and encourage those things that honour You. God, you are my desire, and so I feel I have to sigh after You, cry out and implore You. When all is said and done, there is no one I can fully confide in; no one who will give me the help I will need when I am pinched by the unforgiveness of life. No one, that is to say, except You alone, my Lord God. You are my hope, my trust, the consoler of my soul, and the best friend I could ever have. “Everyone looks for a way to get ahead,” reports Philippians 2.21. You, offering me salvation and spiritual progress, give me an edge. #RandolphHarris 13 of 16

Even if You expose me to various temptations and adversities, You manage to turn the whole thing to my advantage. You have, my dearest Lord and Friend, this well-known habit of tempting the daylights out of Your friends! One of the keys to answered prayer is to believe you receive when you pray. What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them,” reports Mark 11.24. The faith principle of Mark 11.23 states that you can have what you say. It is a faith principle which you can employ everyday be speaking right words. Another key to answered prayer is to speak in agreement with your prayers daily. Control the words that come out of your mouth. For example, one day I was having a problem with a tractor. It had given me trouble a couple of times and I wanted to say, “That thing comes apart everytime I take it to the field.” I knew better than to say it, but it just rose up within me and it wanted to come out so bad. I told my wife I would just love to make a bad confession here, but I did not dare do it. I have trained myself to believe that what I say will come to pass. My mind is renewed to God’s Word. Jesus went on to say in verse 24 that it will also work in prayer. You can use the same principle in prayer. He shall have whatsoever he saith. He did not have it then, but he shall have it. Many Christians cancel their prayer with unwise words. Mark 11, verse 23, is a faith principle. It is not a prayer scripture. Verse 24 says, Therefore (or because of this faith principle) I say unto you, What things soever ye desire when ye pray, believe that ye receive them and ye shall have them. Whatsoever things—whatsoever things you desire. He did not say, “If it is God’s will for you have it.” He said Whatsoever things you desire when you pray, believe that you receive them. Now when are you going to believe that you receive them? You are not going to believe it when you see it, if you go by the Word of God. You must believe it when you pray. He said, “When you pray, believe.” What is the evidence that I received when I prayed? Faith is the evidence of things not seen. (Hebrews 11.1). If I believed that I received this morning when I prayed, I would not dare get up tomorrow morning and pray the same prayer. That would be proof that I had not believed. #RandolphHarris 14 of 16

Somebody says, “But it has not manifested yet.” It does not say, “believe when it is manifested.” When ye pray, believe, that ye receive them, and ye shall not have them. It does not say you have them, but you shall have them. They are not manifest yet, but you have received God’s Word. Therefore you have received them in your spirit. How can you receive something that is not manifest yet? You receive it in your spirit. Your spirit human receives it as done. When you are praying, you are operating in the spirit realm, not in the intellect. You are tapping the spiritual resources of God. You need to realize, in doing this, that you do not have the same physical evidence that you do when you are operating in the natural realm. Things may look worse after you have prayed. In fact, some have told me, “You know, after we agreed in prayer, it got worse.” Do not get excited about that. Did you believe when you prayed? Did you believe when we agreed you received it? The thing that will determine whether you believed it or not is: When the circumstances look worse, do you still believe what we agreed? For instance, you are needing a certain amount of money and you pray believing you receive. When you get up the next morning, you find the heater will not turn on and it is freezing outside and your neighbour has the key to your mailbox and has been stealing your mail. Are you still believing that you received your financial needs met? Most people would not. They will say, “Oh, dear Lord, just I figured, it did not work out.” There is such a thing as prayer just to be praying. We might even call it religious praying. It is praying just because it seems like the thing to do—not believing anything, just praying. Evidently, this was the case in the 12^th chapter of Acts. James had been killed and Herod proceeded to take Peter also. Peter therefore was kept in prison: but prayer was made without ceasing of the church unto God for him. You find that the whole church was praying; but it must have been religious praying for, when the angel let Peter out, he went to the house of John Mark’s mother where many were praying: And as Peter knocked at the door of the gate, a damsel came to hearken, named Rhoda. And when she knew Peter’s voice, she opened not the gate for gladness, but ran in, and told how Peter stood before the gate. #RandolphHarris 15 of 16

Up until now, everything seems to be rather normal, but listen to the confession of those that were praying: And they said unto her, Thou art mad. However, she constantly affirmed that it was even so. Then said they, It is his angel. However, Peter continued knocking: and when they had opened the door and saw him, they were astonished. Sensuous during life, do not deny me in death! Wash me with scent of apple blossom. Anoint me the essence of lilac. Fill my veins with honeysuckle nectar. Sprinkle me with perfume of purple violets. Envelop me in shroud saturated with fragrance of freshly mown meadow hay. Rest me in moss velvet Earth. Cover me with soil exuding flavour of maple and oak leaves. Command a white birch to stand guard! O Lord, what is human, that Thou art mindful of them? And the son of man that Thou considerest one? Yet Thou hast made one but little less than divine, and hast crowed one with glory and honour. Yea, Thou hast implanted in humans the faith to overcome disillusionment and despair, the power to resist evil, the wisdom to use one’s gifts nobly, and the will to transform chaos and misery into harmony and happiness. When we loose the bands of wickedness, free the oppressed, feed the hungry, clothe those without garments, bring cheer into the lives of those in distress, when we strive for justice and the coming of Thy Kingdom, we invest our life with high significance. Physically we are like unto a breath but spiritually we can attain divine heights. Our God and God of our fathers, in this hour scared to memory, when the past and the future merge, we thank Thee for the blessings that we have come to us through the love and devotion of our dear ones. For many of us, this hour recalls the memory of beloved parents whom Thou hast removed from their Earthly tasks and called unto Thyself. We are ever mindful of the devotion with which they tended and guided us, the sacrifices they made, the joys and comforts they brought us, the teachings and traditions they sought to impart unto us. They are forever bound to us by undying love. There are those among us who call to mind a departed husband or wife. They recall the affectionate bonds formed in Thy presence, the faith and understanding, the struggles and hopes, the trials and griefs, the fears and joys they shared together. #RandolphHarris 16 of 16

CRESLEIGH HAVENWOOD

Lincoln, CA | from the mid $600s

Now Selling!

Now selling! Cresleigh Havenwood features four distinct floor plans ranging from 2,293 – 3,489 square feet and offering up to five bedrooms. 

Each plan has been thoughtfully designed and includes great features such as single story homes, guest suites, optional offices, garage workshops, and more!

Get the most out of your new home with Cresleigh’s All Ready smart home featuring all the connectivity needed to keep your house running. Best of all, each Cresleigh home comes with owned solar included! 

Located off of Virginiatown Road and McCourtney Road, residents of the 83 homesites of Cresleigh Havenwood will benefit from a brand new neighborhood in the charming City of Lincoln. Palo Verde Park, is  just down the street and there’s plenty of recreation to take part in all around town. https://cresleigh.com/havenwood/

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