I hope this isn’t true for your family. But many people find the holiday season to be the hardest time of year. From Thanksgiving through Valentine’s Day, there are numerous holidays that are meant to bring family and loved ones together. But what if your family is filled with drama, conflict, or pain? What if … Continue reading Surviving the holidays when there is family drama
Hangnails are not the most painful or distressing part of life. There are much bigger and more painful problems around each of us. But consider with me the power of a small, regularly occurring annoyance in life… like a hangnail. Perhaps a bigger example: I have a colleague who worked with a couple in marriage … Continue reading There won’t be any hangnails in heaven
This morning, I woke up feeling… not my best. It was a slow start to the day. Then, about 20 minutes ago, my sweet and wonderful husband brought me a favorite Starbucks beverage as a pick-me-up. He used his short planning period at school to drive, buy, deliver, drive – just because he knew I’d … Continue reading All 5 love languages matter
I am one of those people who dislikes conflict. Not to the point of avoiding it to all extremes, but it's not fun. It makes my stomach churn. Yes, conflict can enhance creativity and problem solving, and strengthen relationships as we work through disagreement. But that requires resolution to the conflict - in fact, … Continue reading My top 5 steps in resolving conflict
I hope that this title makes no sense to you. Relationship drama? What is that? Let’ sum it up as: emotional excess in romantic relationships. It is very easy to get caught up in the he-said-she-said “drama” of relationships, not to mention the “they said” component of social media. No one is very logical when … Continue reading Relationship Drama is so Overrated
Apologies for the quasi-rhyme. But this is a real question that we often take for granted. Whether it’s a middle-school soccer team, a work group that is required to act like a team, or right here at iHope with our “counseling team” – what does this even mean? Here at iHope, we often refer to ourselves as a … Continue reading What does it mean to be part of a team?
How often do you genuinely and repentantly confess your sins? Confession is a huge part of the Christian life, and it is critically important to a healthy life. It impacts our emotions, our mental health, our relationships, our pride, our accurate understanding of ourselves, and our spiritual life with Christ. But confession is hard. I … Continue reading The Need for Confession in our Lives
Whether you are single or married, in love or in heartbreak, celebrating “Valentine’s Day” or “Singles Awareness Day” on February 14th, we cannot miss the cultural experience of Valentine’s Day. Of course, this day does not appear in the pages of Scripture. But the experience of love and romance does. Throughout Scripture, the marital relationship … Continue reading A devotional on love
Debt is a huge problem for many of us. The average American has credit card debt in excess of $6,000, and the numbers are climbing year by year (source). Student loan debt in South Carolina alone has increased by 315% in the past ten years, reaching $23 billion today (source). And the PEW Research Center … Continue reading How Debt Impacts Your Mental Health
Today is my five-year wedding anniversary. Somehow, it feels so fast and so long, all at the same time! I am thankful that it has been a wonderful five years, and I am excited for the years ahead. Whether a five-year anniversary is a nostalgic memory for you or if it feels forever in the … Continue reading Five things I’ve learned in the first five years of marriage