Claudia Black identifies three trademarks of a dysfunctional family in her book, It Will Never Happen to Me: (1) they don’t communicate well (2) they don’t trust one another (3) they don’t allow themselves to be emotional. Let’s face it, most families fall somewhere on the dysfunctional spectrum, including Joseph’s. Joseph’s family was so dysfunctionalContinue reading “It Will Never Happen to Me”
Category Archives: Health
Overcoming Rejection
We are all prone to disappointment and feelings of rejection, and that is especially true in the aftermath of a broken relationship. However, as born-again believers we have a resource in God’s Word that can bring comfort and clarity to the situation. One person’s rejection does not mean we are unlovable. We can allow thatContinue reading “Overcoming Rejection”
Helping an Anxious Teen
“Fear not, for I am with you;be not dismayed, for I am your God;I will strengthen you, I will help you,I will uphold you with my righteous right hand.” Isaiah 41:10 (ESV) My oldest son has played sports since he was ten years old. He excelled in many different positions on the field, but whenContinue reading “Helping an Anxious Teen”
Sunset: I Hate Change
I’m an adult child of an alcoholic. Among other things, that means I’m big time into control. I’m also a teetotaler and don’t drink. If one drinks, it can lead to being out of control and again, I’m big time into control. And being into control means that I don’t like change…any change. For someoneContinue reading “Sunset: I Hate Change”
The Christian and OCD
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) was formerly classified as an anxiety disorder but is now categorized separately by the American Psychological Association. OCD is characterized by obsessive thoughts that lead to compulsive behaviors. The thoughts are invasive and feel uncontrollable. Furthermore, the thoughts are anxiety-provoking, compelling the person to carry out certain behaviors to temporarily relieveContinue reading “The Christian and OCD”
Dealing with Worry
During one session of a Sunday school class, I was teaching on the subject of worry, I asked the participants to report on an exercise I had suggested the previous week for kicking the worry out of their lives. One woman said she began the experiment Monday morning, and by Friday she felt the worryContinue reading “Dealing with Worry”
Time to Declutter
At its heart, clutter is a lack of peace. Clutter keeps talking to us, weighing us down, and keeping us from living the life we were designed to live. Decluttering our homes is thus a step toward freedom. But where should we begin? Sometimes the first step to decluttering is actually taking a step. SoContinue reading “Time to Declutter”
Prayer and Mental Health
We may sometimes think that if we had strong enough faith, we would not suffer from mental health complications. But, that isn’t true! Because we live in a broken world, we all experience suffering, and sometimes that takes the form of mental health struggles. I am encouraged, however, by the ways I have seen manyContinue reading “Prayer and Mental Health”
Chole’s Story
When Chloe woke up from an elective double mastectomy, she texted her mother in the waiting room: “Booba gone.” This was a little over two years ago. She was 15 at the time. “The typo was intentional,” she told me recently. “I thought it was funny.” “Is that a good thing?” her mom replied. “Yes,”Continue reading “Chole’s Story”
No Easy Answers
The famous artist Donatello completed a life-size marble sculpture of the prophet Jeremiah in 1427. If you visited the museum in Florence, Italy, you’d note that Jeremiah looks fatigued, even exhausted. His face suggests profound sadness and frustration as well as a hint of inner turmoil. After reading today’s passage, we can understand why God’sContinue reading “No Easy Answers”
Intentional Faith 