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The Desert Sanctuary

Be Where You Are - Be Who You Are - Be at Peace

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321 – Karl & Laura – ATN and Trauma Sensitive Schools

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/03/25

The Attachment & Trauma Network, a 2016 Angel in Adoption® Recipient “Trauma-Informed “Trailblazer” has been the VOICE for traumatized children and their families since 1995. Through our mission of Support – Education – and Advocacy, we seek to improve the lives of children impacted by early childhood trauma, abuse and neglect, and prenatal exposures in their families,…Read more →

Religion and the Hypnotic Trance

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/03/25

According to The Clevland Clinic, hypnotherapy is “a heightened state of concentration and focused attention. Guided by a trained, certified hypnotist or hypnotherapist, hypnosis allows you to be more open to suggestions to making healthful changes in your perceptions, sensations, emotions, memories, thoughts, or behaviors.” [1] Hypnotherapy is moderately effective for me. I occasionally enlist my…Read more →

Top 10 Reasons NOT to Join a Church

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/03/24

Before I even begin, and before you say, “You are generalizing.” You are right. I am speaking in a general sense because I believe all these systemic issues are generally accurate. In my opinion, every church does better or worse on each issue, but all are culpable. Progressive, mainline churches do better at inclusivity but…Read more →

320 – Music Release – Adaline “Hymnal”

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/03/22

Canadian alt-pop artist Adaline fuses powerfully evocative music with an emotionally unbound lyrical honesty. This authenticity appeals to her growing fanbase and is why she is considered “one of the best young songwriters in the country” (CBC Q) and “a rising Canadian talent that takes listeners to angelic heights” (Billboard Magazine). She has released four…Read more →

Healing From Trauma 2 – Going Inside & Trusting...

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/03/20

Healing From Trauma – Going Inside & Trusting Ourselves (An excerpt from our book, Leaning Forward) For most of my life, I was told by religion that I should not trust myself. This was especially true of my feelings. We were taught what to believe based on the accepted belief systems and encouraged that even when…Read more →

Healing from Trauma 1 – Being and Becoming

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/03/20

Healing from Trauma – Being and Becoming (an excerpt from our book, Leaning Forward) I started recycling about 3 years ago. It always seemed like a promising idea. One company I worked for recycles about 95% of the material they use. They obviously have done it for years and have become very proficient at it. Various…Read more →

Returning Home to Heal Trauma

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/03/20

What we are learning about trauma is not necessarily that the key person in our life didn’t prevent the harm. We all interpret what happens to us differently, and sometimes the person could not have stopped what happened even if they knew how. In normal situations, something happens, and someone who is supposed to care…Read more →

319 – Empowering Survivors of Religious Trauma &...

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/03/18

An experienced litigator who has handled hundreds of civil and criminal cases, Basyle (“Boz”) Tchividjian has dedicated his career to empowering survivors of sexual abuse, sexual assault, and sexual harassment to step forward and seek justice against perpetrators and the institutions legally responsible for their trauma. His current practice focuses almost exclusively on representing child…Read more →

318 – Pete Singer – The Heart of God for Children and...

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/03/15

How to we respond to Abuse in Christian Communities?Read more →

Special – The Lighter Side of the Desert – Super Bowl...

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/03/13

This is a special episode that we want to do about once a month. It is with my son, Jordan, who we used to call JD. My middle name is Joseph and they used to call me Joey. I hope you will enjoy this episode even though I was a little bit out of it.…Read more →

God Treats Me Like a Christian

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/02/28

I had a rough day yesterday, and several people encouraged me to take care of myself, take some time off, and rest—So I did. As with most things, it got me thinking. In the back of my mind is always that thought that was implanted by Christianity that God must be punishing me, or blessing…Read more →

Returning Home to Heal Trauma

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/02/22

Returning Home to Heal Trauma What we are learning about trauma is not necessarily that the key person in our life didn’t prevent the harm. We all interpret what happens to us differently, and sometimes the person could not have stopped what happened even if they knew how. In normal situations, something happens, and someone…Read more →

A Treasure Trove of Trauma Resources

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/02/03

A Treasure Trove of Trauma Resources Leaning Forward Conference Recently, The Desert Sanctuary hosted the latest Leaning Forward Conference. This time, we decided to elevate women’s voices. It turned out great! And, we decided to preserve the videos on my YouTube Channel. A Treasure Trove of Trauma Resources In addition to the video, each speaker…Read more →

What Happens When We Go on a Journey of Discovery?

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/01/29

When We Go on a Journey of Discovery Being at a funeral this week caused me to reflect on all the people I know and used to know. I wondered If any of them are on a similar journey as I am where I am asking questions about my previous faith, and I am discovering…Read more →

Barbies’s Revenge on Greg Locke

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/01/19

Image – Freepik – AI-generated The roof of Greg Locke’s Global Vision tent church collapsed Monday evening due to the weight of snow. Pastor Greg Locke took to social media to share the damage to the church, which worships underneath a tent in Wilson County, TN. Ironically, the most recent sermon short posted on his…Read more →

What’s Wrong with God’s Plan and Purpose

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/01/19

(an excerpt from our book, Leaning Forward) As a former pastor, I remember the faces of people who were visiting for the first time. They were always a bit more attentive than the other members. They were a little more hesitant to be demonstrative, but they looked hopeful in a cautious sort of way. This…Read more →

Leaning Forward – Let’s Get Real About Prayer

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/01/10

The first prayer I ever really learned was simple but problematic. It went something like this: Now I lay me down to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep. If I should die before I wake, I pray the Lord my soul to take. There are some assumptions in this rhyming prayer, written…Read more →

Stop, Drop, and Heal

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/01/07

Seven or eight years ago, we began what most people call deconstruction. Laura was silent about it because I was a pastor, and she did not want to interfere with my ministry. We attended a larger church for a couple of years, But almost immediately. We began to question everything and eventually, our questions were…Read more →

Usurping Women’s Voices from the Patriarchy – Sherri...

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/01/05

Sherri Bothwell was introduced to Christianity as an 11-year-old child. As a result of the trauma she endured as a woman, she began working with abused women and children. Hearing their courageous stories, she faced her questions and shared her own story of abuse, and because of patriarchal Christian men, she eventually walked away from…Read more →

Trauma and the Pastor’s Wife with Laura Forehand

The Desert Sanctuary ·

2024/01/03

Laura Forehand is a third-grade teacher and former pastor’s wife. She advocates for trauma-informed classrooms and is an executive board member for Whole Brain Teaching. She and her partner, Karl, formed The Desert Sanctuary, which includes a blog, a podcast, and their best-selling books. I was lucky to create a Leaning Forward conference with all these…Read more →

162 results