Wounded By Perfection
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’s Insidious Effects
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…
Shame Robs Our Inborn Identity
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…
Shame Has Two Sides
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…
Surrender Sure Sounds A Lot Like Losing
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…
God Is More Interested In Who We Are Than What We Do
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…