You want to enjoy the holidays. But the holidays can bring up a lot of hard emotions. And one of those emotions is STRESS. From planning extra events to dealing with family conflict during holiday gatherings, there is plenty about the holiday season that can be difficult. Thankfully, there are practical things to do that … Continue reading Avoiding Stress During The Holidays
No one likes passive aggressive communication. And it usually falls in the category of “I know it when I see it” … but we can’t always define it. We don’t always understand it. Which makes it much harder to stop it. Every pastor and ministry leader needs strong communication skills. So today, let's look at … Continue reading Recognizing (And Stopping) Passive Aggressive Communication
We live in a world saturated by sadness. There are epidemics of loneliness and anxiety. Depression is a growing problem. Yet, there is hope. Opening the pages of Scripture, we find action steps and ways to support people who are struggling. And in the counseling room, these same tips are very helpful! So today on … Continue reading 4 Clinical And Biblical Tips For Fighting Sadness, Depression, And Hopelessness
It might be a buzzword, a counseling cliche, or something that feels way too touchy-feely. But if you’re in Christian ministry, you need to understand empathy. What is it? Why does it matter for Christians? Is it something you should aim for in your ministry? What would that really look like? These are good questions … Continue reading What Is Empathy? … And How To Show It, Even When You Disagree With Someone
“Carry each other’s burdens, and in this way you will fulfill the law of Christ.” (Galatians 6:2, NIV) It is not of question of IF your ministry will touch someone who is struggling with anxiety. It’s a question of when, how often, and what will you do to help. Anxiety is a huge problem in … Continue reading Practical Action Steps For Helping Someone With Their Anxiety
“In this world, you will have trouble,” Jesus tells his followers. “But take heart! I have overcome the world.” One of the long-term “troubles” that many people in your ministry struggle with is the aftermath of trauma, hurt, and emotional baggage. In fact, you may struggle with this yourself. In our broken world, trauma and … Continue reading Do’s And Don’ts For Helping People With Trauma And Emotional Baggage
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?