I hate regret. That certainly isn't unusual - regret is a horrible feeling. When we start to feel guilty or regret something, we often try to avoid these feelings. We use tools like distraction or self-justification. But unless we actually deal with what is going on, these are difficult feelings to escape. They linger. They … Continue reading Dealing with guilt and regret
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?
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?
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
As a counselor, I hear this question a lot. Even from friends or fellow church members outside the space of the counseling room. Anxiety is a very normal part of our human experience. But why? God makes it so clear in Scripture that not only should we not be anxious, but that we have no … Continue reading Why are we so anxious all the time?
None of us like rejection. The simple word feels mean. And yet, all of us face rejection at some point or another in our lives. So it’s worth asking the question: How can we respond to and handle rejection well? The most primary concern when we face rejection is the toll it takes on our … Continue reading How to handle rejection well
Valentine’s Day is approaching, and it is easy to hyper-focus onto romantic love at this time of year. Do we have it? Do we not? We celebrate with single girlfriends or romantic partners, or we hide at home avoiding the day. This is so much smaller than God’s view of love. Consider these verses from … Continue reading Finding love in 1 John
Humans want to be happy. We want the people we love to be happy. Of course, we know that this will not always happen, that hardship will come. But it is a particularly hard thing to watch your loved one struggle with depression. Unfortunately, your love cannot “cure” their depression. It is unlikely that you … Continue reading Dealing with your loved one’s depression
Even though our world is more and more connected, individual people consistently report feeling more and more lonely. We don’t like it, but we all feel it. At least sometimes. There are many reasons why the struggle with loneliness has grown. We work remotely, fill our schedules to the gills, and zone out for hours … Continue reading No one likes to feel lonely