Teaching
What is Mindfulness?
Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Philippians 4:8 “Mindfulness” is one of those words that has become trendy in the past few years, particularly as discussion of mental health has increased in the public sphere. But what is it? Put simply, it is the practice (and it does take practice)…
Suicide and Teens
So do not fear, for I am with you; do not be dismayed, for I am your God. I will strengthen you and help you. I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. Isaiah 41:10 If you’re a parent of a teenager, you are faced with innumerable challenges every day. Parenting a teen in the age of smartphones, social media, and internet is incredibly difficult and downright terrifying. Bullies, harmful internet content, and comparison-driven social media can now reach…
Unloved
Have you ever been in a Bible class when the teacher asked you to name a Bible character you admire? Maybe you wanted to be strong like Samson or a skilled warrior like Joshua. Maybe you wanted faith like Abraham or Mary or passion like Peter, even in his missteps. I’ll bet that you never thought, “I want to be like Leah.” A few years ago, someone sympathetically told me that’s who I reminded him of. Leah. Yep, the ugly…
Suicide-Who Is At Risk?
Suicide – Who is at risk? The LORD is close to the brokenhearted and saves those who are crushed in spirit. Psalm 34:18 Robin Williams. Anthony Bourdain. Kate Spade. Ernest Hemingway. Virginia Woolf. More than likely, you recognize at least one or two of those names. If not, you would surely recognize some of the dozens of others that appear after a quick Google search of two words: “celebrity suicide.” Celebrity suicides garner national attention, many express heartbreak over the…
Growth-What I’m Learning about My Purpose
Each of us is born with a unique life purpose. For some of us, our purpose in life is obvious and clear. Some of us are born with a set of talents and through persistent practice, we develop our talents into skills and it may help lead us to our purpose. Yet for others, myself included, it isn’t easy to identify your purpose. We are told to find something you like and pursue it with a passion. I like a…
Spiritual Dimentions of Trauma
In my work as a mental health counselor, I have come to realize that trauma is not just an isolated event or a series of events that people have to deal with but that there are spiritual dimensions of trauma. Some facts that inform this concept are: • The well known and widely accepted notion that we are not just human beings having brief moments of spiritual experiences; we are spiritual beings having brief moments of human experience. • The…
“Roads in the Desert”
I don’t like asking for help. I have a couple of theories on this. The first is easier to digest: we Southerners are raised in such politeness that we are always willing to offer help and generally reluctant to accept it. There’s a charm, an old-fashioned chivalry in that belief. My second theory, though, is strikingly less noble: I am either too proud to ask for help or too fearful that I will ask too much–or worse, that I will…
Parent Up! A Friend Indeed
Friends. Joy or drama? Tears or laughter? I know I’ve said it before, but I think it’s worth repeating; Our kids learn how to be friends based on what they hear and see from their peers and adults around them. What does being a friend mean? Have you given your child language to differentiate between the various spectrums of what it means to be friends (from having a friend to confide in, befriending the new kid on the block, or…
Big and Tiny
Y’all, Do you ever think about the fact that we’re living on a SPINNING PLANET and no one is flying or falling off? Come on now. All the things that have to be in order for this to be. God spoke. There was order – PERIOD. (brain exploding) AND THEN, I get to see Him up close and personal in my life…. Looking at my children, specifically my girl- born premature. A tiny, tiny, little thing. Every breath she took was a…
Study Habits
It’s Monday morning at 6:45. You’re calling out to the kids to hurry up so they can grab breakfast before the school bus comes. They come barrelling into the kitchen, backpacks are on their backs, but books, papers, and pencil pouch are in their hand. In your most calm voice you say “why are you carrying your things? Put them in your backpack, Sweetie. To which one or both of them respond, I forgot to Waaa, Waaa, Waah. In your…
Taking Inventory
We are all leaders in our home. We influence, instruct, empower and enable our kids everyday. The question we should ask ourselves is: Are we leading them well? Okay, you say, I’ll play along with this game. How do I know if I am leading well? To which I would respond with another question: How well do you know yourself? Psychologist call this taking a personal inventory –…
Time To Think
Most of us are not intentionally mean spirited or hateful. We don’t look for opportunities to hurt others nor do we teach our children to do so. But I would have to argue that merely teaching them to NOT be hurtful IS NOT enough! We must show them what it looks like to BE loving, grace-filled and kind. My youngest revealed this truth to me when she decided not to share her toys with her cousin. When I spoke with…