We all know the “correct” answer here. Isaiah 55 answers this question directly: “As the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” So why do I live as if my plans are better than the Lord’s plans? As we looked at in … Continue reading Are my plans really better than the Lord’s plans?
We think that when we give our lives to Christ, we can now expect smoother sailing through the ups and downs of life. We look at social media and think that we’re the only family who is struggling with a difficult season. But in reality, all of us experience setbacks or detours in the life … Continue reading Why doesn’t life go as planned?
I don’t know about you, but there are days when I find myself feeling quite… impatient. It’s probably more accurate to say there are hours (upon hours) when impatience threatens to take over. Patience is often something we pray for, but do we take the time to work toward developing it? Here are 5 key … Continue reading Five key steps to developing more patience
This is a question that I hear often. And it is absolutely true that the gospel brings HOPE into the struggle with anxiety! The gospel is the good news that although we are all sinners, unable to make ourselves right with our God and Creator, God came to earth as a man (Jesus) in order … Continue reading How does the gospel help me with my anxiety?
Have you ever wondered if you have depression? Perhaps you’re positive of it, and have been struggling for a long time. Depression is a very common mental illness in today’s world, with great treatments available. For folks who have never experienced depression, it can be difficult to imagine the pain – physical, emotional, and mental … Continue reading A glimpse into the pain of depression, from Psalm 142
Our thoughts are incredibly powerful. They direct how we feel. They lead what we say. They influence what we do. Unfortunately, our thoughts are not always true. As we learn to recognize, evaluate, and change our thought life, this has a big influence on problems like anxiety, fear, suicidality, anger, or depression. And it helps … Continue reading Practical strategies to “take every thought captive to Christ”
What??! Counselors get in grumpy moods? Wait… Christians get in grumpy moods?! Yes. It’s true. I am a Christian, a counselor, a wife, a daughter… and a human. We all have our good days and our bad days, sometimes for no real reason at all. There are probably hormones involved, too much/not enough sleep, poor diet, … Continue reading My Favorite Thing To Do When I’m In A Grumpy Mood
The two most obvious, frequent, and fun elements of the Halloween holiday also tend to capture most of our attention: costumes and candy. Even teenagers (and let’s be honest, adults too) will pull out a mask or don some sort of a costume in order to enjoy a bag full of sweets at the end … Continue reading Parenting through the Sugar Rush of Halloween (or any other holiday)
When tragedy strikes, the ripple effect lasts far beyond what we can see. Multitudes are impacted, from family to co-workers to pastors to neighbors. Pain lingers far beyond the initial crisis moment. The ripples move outward. Every day, somewhere nearby, tragedy is occurring for someone in a very personal and painful way. This may be … Continue reading The aftermath of tragedy
We live as individuals but share in the human experience. This post series asks the core questions of what, why, and how about this shared experience. After all, God came to earth as a human himself, to share that experience with us and bring us salvation through that human experience. So, join us today as … Continue reading How do we stop worrying?