Read this:

Chapter #3 (Going Back in Order to Go Forward)

Discuss or reflect on this:

Grab a journal, some friends, or your spouse and spend a few minutes reflecting on the reading from this week. Use these reflections questions to help you see what the Lord is teaching you and how He might be calling you to go deeper in this particular area.

• What stood out to you or challenged you most from the reading this week?

• In what ways, big or small, has your family of origin shaped who you are today? What positive things have you taken from your family and what aspects of your family of origin are you leaving behind?

• How do you navigate the tension of trying to honour your parents and upbringing while also possibly seeing things differently than them, or having a different idea of what life should look like?

• Thinking about your current (or future family) - what are patterns, habits, or areas of concern from your family of origin that you would like to proactively work on now in order to mitigate these patterns from continuing in your immediate family?

• Are there any practical action steps you can take to continue to move forward?

• Are there any conversations you’re avoiding? 

• Any relationships you need to initiate reconciliation with?

• Is there forgiveness that needs to be sought after or extended?

Pray through this:

As you go throughout your week, spend some time praying through what the Lord is teaching you. Grab a sticky note or your journal and jot down these prayer points and re-visit them throughout the week.

• Begin by taking 2 minutes to be silent before the Lord.  Embrace the difficulty of being completely silent and learn to listen to the Lord before speaking to Him.

• Thank God for His sovereignty over your life, praise Him for being with you through every season of life as your heavenly Father.

• Pray that God would help you reconcile with your past so that you can grow further in your spiritual walk.

• Praise God for the privilege we have to be a part of His kingdom with our heavenly citizenship (See Philippians 3:20).