Content specific to relationships and your family life.
I love Christmas. Sure, part of it is the spiritual truth of the holiday - Emmanuel, God with us! It is incredible. But I would be deceiving myself if I pretended that I didn’t equally, or perhaps even mostly, love and enjoy the experience of the Christmas season. It is all filled with good things … Continue reading Christmas is not about the idol of family
I love my children. I have no doubt that you love yours as well. It is simply human nature to love these little people, and to want the very best things in life for them. But most of us already know that loving our child and wanting the best for them is not the end … Continue reading How can I be a good parent?
When God created the world, the first thing that He declared not good comes in Genesis 2:18. He made the heavens and the earth, the animals and birds, and after he made Adam he said: “It is not good for man to be alone.” And so He made Eve. Had Adam and Eve rejected the … Continue reading Four Tips to Maintain a Strong Marriage
Want to know one of my biggest pet peeves? When someone talks about suicide, but those who hear it think “eh, they’re just seeking attention.” Want to know something that really bothers me? When someone self harms or attempts suicide, and those who find out think, “eh, they’re just seeking attention.” It shocks and horrifies … Continue reading Recognizing suicide risk
Perhaps it’s a friend. Perhaps it’s someone at your school, your church, your workplace. Perhaps it’s a family member. Many people deal with suicidal thoughts, and if we are worried about someone, we need to try to help. And you can help. No training needed. No special counseling degree required. You can help someone who … Continue reading How to help someone who is thinking about suicide
September is Suicide Prevention Month. On the iHope blog, we’ll be tackling three important issues related to suicide. We’ll start from the reverse, looking today at the question of how we deal with the aftermath of suicide. What if I have lost a loved one to suicide? If this is true for you, know that … Continue reading Dealing with the aftermath of suicide
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?
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