Think for a moment about the close relationships you have in your life, or the people you like being around. How do they make you feel? How do they make you feel about yourself?

I have an elderly friend that I do typing for on occasion, and one day we were visiting and he asked me (with a twinkle in his eye as though telling a joke), “where does a pastor’s wife go if she needs to get advice about her marriage?”

One of my favorite miniseries’ of all times is Chernobyl, a live action retelling of the nuclear disaster that struck Ukraine (then a republic of the USSR) in 1986. While morose and unflinchingly depressing, the story acts as a cautionary tale to those that find themselves tempted to deceive in order to avoid consequences or hardship.

While not all people have the misfortune of being shocked by an electrical outlet, almost all of us get ourselves into circumstances or particular relationships from time to time that teach us to avoid discomfort. After the first “shock,” we learn to gently and carefully test for the slightest potential of discomfort and then jump back if it is present.

I often ask clients to sit in their pain. I want them to feel the pain deeply, to know it and own it. Sound like bad advice? People want to be out of their pain; to be less connected to it or healed as soon as possible. What is the point of moving toward pain? The story of Ezekiel has something to say to us all.

What does it look like to truly pray without ceasing, especially when life is busy and going a million miles an hour? What does it look like to walk with the Lord when the hurries of life can feel unceasing as well? 

In silence and solitude, there is space for cleansing and rest in God.

How can we help children face the anxieties of life?

A family is much more than the sum of its parts.

Conversation can lead to conflict. With love as the goal, it can be life-giving.

To improve our relationships with others, we must examine our relationship with ourselves.

“Lord, teach us to pray.”

Our earnest endeavor should be to maintain qualities of innocence throughout our lives.

To combat Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), we need to seek light.

Christmas changes everything.

Gratitude takes practice.

A mother’s brain undergoes natural chemical, physical, and biological changes in pregnancy, birth, and beyond.

Thanksgiving is an opportunity to practice biblical, other-centered hospitality in a vulnerable way.

When we practice forgiveness, we participate in building God’s Kingdom on Earth.

As young adult children face new challenges, how can parents manage their own emotional responses?