An Open Letter to Pastors for Consideration

Last updated on: April 22, 2024 at 12:04 pm By Karl J. Forehand

An Open Letter to Pastors for Consideration I was a pastor for 20 years. About eight years ago, I began to question everything. I started deconstructing my beliefs and eventually walked away from organized religion. Some theologians think I’m adversarial to them because I openly question organized religion and whether we need clergy in the near future. I realize we have a lot of co-dependency and learned helplessness in our religious practices, but the urgency of the time demands that... Read more

Evolving From Religious Trauma

Last updated on: May 2, 2024 at 2:52 pm By Karl J. Forehand

Listen to this blog – Created by AI Hello! We are Karl and Laura Forehand! For the last 8-10 years, we have found our way outside organized religion. We were in ministry for about 20 years, serving upstart and struggling churches and helping them get on their feet. When we realized our beliefs were evolving, we stepped down from our Evangelical church assignment and started on an adventure. At first, we tried to harbor at a “better” church, but after a... Read more

Focusing on Somatic Healing

Last updated on: March 24, 2024 at 9:29 am By Karl J. Forehand

Focusing on Somatic Healing Amanda Baker, director of the Center for Anxiety and Traumatic Stress Disorders and a clinical psychologist in the Department of Psychiatry at Massachusetts General Hospital, says, “It’s a treatment focusing on the body and how emotions appear within the body. Somatic therapies posit that our body holds and expresses experiences and emotions, and traumatic events or unresolved emotional issues can become ‘trapped’ inside.” [1] Talk therapies engage only the mind, which helps with an awareness that hopefully... Read more

Evolving From Religious Trauma

Last updated on: March 26, 2024 at 2:39 pm By Karl J. Forehand

Whether you are a broken-hearted ex-pastor who feels some guilt and shame about the past or a single mother who lost relationships and support when you shared your changing beliefs, this book can be a roadmap to addressing the trauma you carry in your body. Whether you consider yourself an atheist, agnostic, struggling Christian, or a spiritual nomad, you are all welcome to explore here and find your own way. Get the free PDF You don’t need to organize anything,... Read more

Religion and the Hypnotic Trance

Last updated on: March 24, 2024 at 9:13 am By Karl J. Forehand

Religion and the Hypnotic Trance 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 friend’s help, a trained therapist. One of my revelations as a pastor was that most Christian services are at least... Read more

Top 10 Reasons NOT to Join a Church

Last updated on: March 24, 2024 at 8:56 am By Karl J. Forehand

Top 10 Reasons NOT to Join a Church 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 haven’t addressed the systemic problems. What good does it do to include someone in a broken system?... Read more

New Music Release – Adaline “Hymnal”

Last updated on: February 2, 2024 at 10:34 am By Karl J. Forehand

New Music Release – Adaline 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 critically acclaimed studio albums garnering millions of streams, dozens of editorial playlist adds, and a nomination for “Pop Album of... Read more

Healing from Trauma 3 – Darkness & Shadow

Last updated on: March 19, 2024 at 8:48 am By Karl J. Forehand

Healing from Trauma – Darkness & Shadow (an excerpt from our book, Leaning Forward) In 2021, I was scheduled to work on the assembly line. To get Saturday off, I had to take ½ of Friday off to ensure I would not be scheduled for Saturday. It is a clever way to have an extended weekend without using more Personal Time Off (PTO). I was often excited to start a long weekend, but I did not feel much like working... Read more

Healing from Trauma 2 – Going Inside & Trusting Ourselves

Last updated on: March 12, 2024 at 9:38 am By Karl J. Forehand

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 it did not feel right, we should trust that it was correct. The reason for this was a base reasoning that the body and... Read more

Healing from Trauma – Part 1 of 3 – Being and Becoming

Last updated on: March 11, 2024 at 4:24 pm By Karl J. Forehand

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 containers are strategically placed up and down our assembly line. They are emptied routinely and adherence to the program is expected and normal. We... Read more