At this point in our journey, you’re most likely beginning to make significant connections between the experiences of your childhood and the intra- or inter-personal battles of your adult life. To clearly and uniquely consider the solutions we’ll be discussing in detail later in this book, there is one last foundational block that must be […]
Walk with me as I explore the nature of each of the seven generations that co-exist in America today: The Greatest Generation > The Silent Generation > Baby Boomers (I & II) > Generation X > Millennials > Generation Z > Alpha Generation. Align yourself as a member of one of these generational groups based […]
A landmark article by the US Department of Veterans Affairs National Center for PTSD explains how the emotional trauma World War II imposed on American men profoundly changed how they functioned as men, husbands, fathers, and citizens. “PTSD can make somebody hard to be with. Living with someone who is easily startled, has nightmares, and […]
As far back as the Mayflower Pilgrims landing on Plymouth Rock in 1620, woven into America’s DNA has been the cultural norm of utilizing shaming as a means of discipline, particularly in the disciple of children. A methodology we in the 21st century have come to perceive as detrimental is what our predecessors considered to […]
Shame that is a product of our acting out is somewhat different than shame that was the precursor to our acting out, although both weeds share the same roots. And shame is often at the core of our struggles with anxiety, depression, and relational issues. As we looked at in detail already, precursor shame leads […]
The Bible tells us that each of us is made by God as a composite of three distinct components: “Now may the God of peace make you holy in every way and may your whole spirit and soul and body be kept blameless until our Lord Jesus Christ comes again.” (1 Thessalonians 5:23 NLT) In […]
I wish I had come up with this quote: “The definition of insanity is doing the very same thing over and over and expecting a different result.” Why do we do that? What is it within us humans that takes us back to the same painful choices again and again? In the year 700 BC, […]
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 […]
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 […]
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 […]