Interfaith tour planned for students Love: Transparency appreciated

Students of all faiths, from seventh grade through college, are invited to explore their neighbor’s faith during the 2015 Interfaith Youth Tour set for 1 to 5:30 p.m. Sept. 20.

The tour, sponsored by the Oklahoma Conference of Churches, offers youths and young adults an opportunity to hear from a diverse group of individuals in the metro faith community and develop a stronger appreciation of different belief systems.

Houses of worship from the three Abrahamic faith traditions will be part of the tour, including St. Paul’s Episcopal Cathedral, Raindrop Turkish House and Emanuel Synagogue.

The tour begins with check-in at 1 p.m. at St. Paul’s Cathedral, 127 NW 7.

To register or to see a complete schedule, go to okchurches.org. man fails, we go looking for someone else.”

Now happily married, (husband John sometimes attends a Love Junkie class or two with her), Johnson said women who have read the book appreciate her candor and her Bible-based advice.

“They say ‘Thank you for being transparent,’ ” she said.

“They see that if you can heal from it, there is hope. They end up buying it (the book) for their friends.”

Transforming the heart

Johnson said she found her own healing years ago in a small-group environment

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Find out more about Christy Johnson’s ministry and books or take the “Love Junkie” quiz at http://www. christyjohnson.org. Go Code WQYO

For video with this story, go to oklahoman.com and enter this Go Code. with a caring mentor and group of women.

She said “Love Junkies” is about more than Scripture; it’s about changing a woman’s heart so she makes better decisions that honor both herself and the Lord.

“We can teach them Scripture, but if we don’t know how to apply them to our lives, they’re just going to be words in our head,” she said.

“It’s not the memorization of Scripture, of truth, that sets us free. It’s the application of truth that brings liberty.”

She said the first step in making such a heart change is being ready to change and accept responsibility for one’s actions.

It’s also critically important that a woman understand what attributes may make her a “love junkie.”

Johnson said a love junkie is typically someone who compromises personal values and self-esteem to keep a relationship together.

Such a woman may put up with deceit, cheating and abuse and generally offers too much of herself.

A love junkie typically can’t quite let go of an unhealthy relationship even when it is obviously to her detriment, Johnson said.

Johnson said she advises women to establish boundaries in their lives, perhaps starting with several actions she calls “baby steps.”

But small steps are great as long as they are steps in the right direction, she said.