It is difficult to wrap our brains around God’s call to “Forgive as the Lord forgave you” (Colossians 3:13). We’ve looked in past weeks at why we must forgive as well as the question of how to forgive someone who has hurt us. But sometimes, we struggle most at forgiving ourselves. Sometimes, when we look … Continue reading How can I forgive myself?
Last week, we looked at why we forgive others. It is not because they deserve it, they apologized, or because the issue no longer matters. We forgive because God first forgave us. Colossians 3:13 states it clearly: “Forgive as the Lord forgave you.” This statement also helps us to begin to understand how we are … Continue reading How can I forgive someone who has hurt me?
It is difficult to forgive. Yet, forgiveness is at the center of the Christian life. Why? Whether the hurt is simply my wounded pride or a significant physical trauma, it is always difficult. It does not feel fair. Must we forgive when there has been no justice? When the other person isn't even sorry? Well... … Continue reading Why should I forgive others?
We all deal with some sort of issue, some problem, some recurrent sin in our lives. Perhaps it is anxiety. Or addiction. Perhaps family conflict, depression, or a chronic medical issue. No matter the problem, there are many helpful strategies for dealing with it, including individual strategies (perhaps meditating on Scripture) and behavioral strategies (using … Continue reading The Value of Accountability
How well do you remember the reason why you do what you do? Why did you pick the career that you have? Why did you marry your spouse? Why did you decide to have children? Why do you attend church? Why did you accept your current job? Why did you become a Christian? It is … Continue reading Don’t Forget the Why
A dear friend of my husband’s died recently. He was young. It was very unexpected. It was quick. There was not time to stay goodbye. While we are grieving, we know that his wife and his young children grieve much more tangibly. How do people “move on” after a death like this? How do we … Continue reading How do Christians grieve?
One of the most prominent and common sins in today’s culture is sexual sin. This can take many forms: pornography use, infidelity, lust, sex before marriage, and more. These sexual sins certainly occur before marriage, but unfortunately, they are also common within marriage. Many couples come into counseling in order to deal with sexual sin. … Continue reading Handling sexual sin in a marriage
Many people come to counseling during some sort of crisis. Of course, typically this is a personal crisis, leading the individual or couple into the counseling process. But we are all impacted by community and world crises as well - including the current coronavirus crisis. There are many things that can help us during a … Continue reading How do I pray during a crisis?
Is there such a thing as too much family time? Many are finding that during the days of the covid-19 quarantine… yes! Of course, we all love our family. But whether you’re dealing with high tension in the marriage relationship, sibling bickering or bullying, or stir-crazy toddlers (or teens), there is high opportunity for family … Continue reading Family Conflict During Quarantine
I really enjoy the feeling of nostalgia. It has a sweet sadness to it, bringing up wonderful memories from the past that I would love to revisit if I could. But when a sight, a smell, or a situation suddenly transports us back to a difficult or traumatic time in our past, the feeling is … Continue reading Handling traumatic memories