Running in Circles: How False Spirituality Traps Us in Unhealthy Relationships

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InterVarsity Press, May 31, 2007 - Religion - 136 pages
Are you stuck in a hamster wheel? Hamster-wheel relationships keep us running in circles . . . and going nowhere. An alcoholic spouse. An emotionally abusive parent. A child that gambles. These are the kinds of relationships that can trap us in cycles of dysfunctional behavior. Sometimes our beliefs about God are part of what keeps us stuck. There are times that God calls us to suffer. And there are times that God calls us to set aside our fears and idolatry so that we can follow him alone. This book is about God's invitations to you right in the midst of your difficult relationship. God invites you to find freedom in security in him. Are you in a situation that feels hopeless and unchangeable? Kim Engelmann has been there in her own life. Through God's love, she found her way out. In this book she draws on her own experiences as well as the experiences of others she has counseled as a pastor. This book can help you find hope again. Are you ready to get off the wheel?
 

Contents

Foreword by John Ortberg
7
Trapped in a Cycle of Pain
11
Recognizing the Hamster Wheel
25
A Gracious Intrusion
35
How False Spirituality Keeps Us Stuck
45
The Blame Game
63
What Happens When We Stop the Wheel
71
Allowing God to Mold Us
89
Discovering PottersWheel Formation Through Prayer
107
Finding Ourselves in a New Place
123
Epilogue
133
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About the author (2007)

Kim V. Engelmann (D.Min., Boston University) is senior pastor at West Valley Presbyterian Church in Cupertino, CA. Previously she served as pastor of caring ministries at Menlo Park Presbyterian Church in Menlo Park, California and as associate pastor for First Congregational Church in Redwood City, California, Trinitarian Congregational Church in North Andover, Massachusetts, and The Federated Church of Ashland, Massachusetts. Her books include Seeing Jesus: Glimpses of God in My Life (2004) and three volumes that make up The Joona Trilogy (1995). She also writes the Conversation Guide in the journal, Conversations. John Ortberg is teaching pastor of Menlo Park Presbyterian Church and author of many books, including God is Closer Than You Think.

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