Early in my counseling career I had the opportunity to work with a young woman in her late 20’s. She sought counseling due to feelings of depression, low self-esteem, and the belief that she was inadequate as a woman, wife, and mother. She felt like giving up on all of it. In discovering more about […]
Shame is internalized more than it is learned. It evolves from a chronically unmet need, into a false belief, into an altered self-image. This will develop in uniquely different ways in the lives of individuals who have been exposed to the very same environment. For some, it may create internalized shame that is acted out […]
I’m going to make the assumption that most people who are reading this have at least heard, if not studied, the story of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden, recorded at the beginning of the Bible. They enjoyed a wonderful, intimate connection with God. That was until they made a choice. God extended […]
Allow me to share one of the most meaningful quotes I’ve ever heard: “We teach what we know, but we reproduce who we are.” I teach this principle in my counseling practice nearly every day. I’ve tried to engrain it into my adult children ever since the day I first heard it. I strive to […]
We need to get that image out of our heads when we learn in context about the “surrender” God is inviting us to. He certainly doesn’t see you and me as losers. I’m sure, when studying other scriptural messages, this image of waving the white flag may have its place, but not when it comes […]
Most of us have asked God in a thousand ways, “What is your will for my life?” Bottom line: God cares more about who you are than He does about what you’re doing. But you may be asking yourself, what about all the good and bad things I’ve done in my life? And what about […]
What I had been feeling all those years was that my spirit person and my soul person were running on parallel tracks. I knew many of the relevant Truths of the Bible. But what I came to learn about God and Jesus and grace and forgiveness and hope just would not travel the eighteen inches […]
I can’t even begin to tell you the number of counseling clients I’ve met over the past decade who have sincerely confessed to me something like this: “I’ve always thought I was a Christian. But, if I really am, why do I still struggle with so much shame and doubt deep inside me? I thought […]
For centuries, mankind has tried to create an improved version of itself. There seems to be a universal assumption that in order to find ultimate fulfillment in life, we must find a way to become “better.” Self-help books are flying off the shelves like never before. Researchers have discovered that the younger generations are far […]
Fear and discouragement attack everybody. They affect those who have public, visible roles in God’s work. But they also affect those of us who have less prominent yet just as significant roles in the eyes of the Lord. Every Christian has a calling. And fear of some sort wants to discourage us and interrupt that […]