Healing for the Soul: Addressing Trauma, Overcoming Shame
Scripture describes God’s Word as alive and powerful. Sharper than a two-edged sword, it is dynamic to distinguish the nuances between soul and spirit. It is discerning enough to denote what emerges from our spirit that is made new when we confess Christ as Lord and Savior. For the word of God is alive and active. Sharper than any double-edged sword, it penetrates even [...]
How to Make and Keep Your New Year’s Resolutions
You can get excited about the future; the past won’t mind. – Hillary De Piano New Year is coming, and this is the time to decide whether or not you’re going to make one of those pesky little resolutions. You know the type I am talking about. The ones you make and if you are lucky, you can keep them for a few months. [...]
How Childhood Trauma Can Affect Your Ability to Enjoy Your Family at Christmas
Home for the holidays? Do you dread the holidays? Is your family putting expectations on you that you don’t want to meet? Are there family members who seem to say something mean to you every time you see them? Does the thought of seeing family put you into an anxious depression? Do you suspect you may have unresolved childhood trauma? If you’ve answered yes [...]
Divorce in the Bible: When Can Christians Get a Divorce?
Moses permitted you to divorce your wives because your hearts were hard. – Matt. 19:8 I’ve often heard Christians ask if God allows divorce. When you read Matthew 19 where Jesus talks about divorce, He says in the beginning it was that God created them men and women, and for this reason, a man will leave his father and mother and cling to his [...]
Why Do We Look to Jesus When We Are Anxious and Depressed?
Therefore, since we are surrounded by such great cloud of witnesses, let us throw off everything that hinders and the sin that so easily entangles. And let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, fixing our eyes on Jesus the pioneer and perfecter of faith. For the joy set before him He endured the cross, scorning its shame, and sat down [...]
A Christian Perspective On Anxiety: What to Do When You’re Feeling Anxious
Katie is a mother of two beautiful children, happily married, and with an enjoyable career. Her life seemed perfect. However, if you were to ask Katie, she would tell you she’s anxious. She doesn’t know when exactly the anxiety started. She remembers being an anxious child. Sometimes her anxiety gets the best of her, and she begins to worry aloud in front of her [...]
Symptoms of Depression in Men and What to Do About It
Did you know that while both men and women can experience depression their symptoms can be quite different? Instead of appearing sad, men may show their depression through symptoms of anger or aggression. This sometimes means that their friends, families, or even trained medical professionals are less likely to diagnose their symptoms accurately. To add to this, men are not as likely as women [...]
I’m a Christian and I’m Depressed
“I feel like I’m walking through mud.” Those are the words that came out of Kevin’s mouth every time he was honest about the way he was feeling. Kevin had been depressed for years, he had tried antidepressants, mindfulness training, prayer, talking with his pastor, and he’d even tried counseling. At the end of it all he still felt depressed. Kevin’s wife Katie was [...]
Anchored Amidst Loss: Bible Verses About Grief
Loss changes things irrevocably in your life. You may have gone through a divorce or lost a loved one suddenly. Your loss may be in the form of relinquishing a treasured dream, the death of a pet, or when you move house and must leave behind cherished memories and your entire network of friends and family. All of these things cause grief. While loss [...]
6 Tips for Surviving the Winter Blues
After the holiday season has passed and winter has settled in earnest you may notice a dip in your mood. You may experience winter blues, especially if you live in a climate that is cold and gray. The glitz of the holidays, as well as the intense busyness that accompanies them, can easily be a distraction from depression in the early parts of winter. But [...]