Two Ways to Identify and Extinguish False Guilt
As noted in last week’s post, Good Guilt, Bad Guilt, and No Guilt, some people think they’re doing wrong even when they are not. Consequently, they feel guilty most of the time. I call this “false” guilt. If you are one of those people, or if you have a friend who feels trapped in cage of […]
Good Guilt, Bad Guilt, and No Guilt
The topic of my current book is how to develop healthy roots of faith, love, and hope. These are the character strengths that we need to overcome guilt, fear, and shame–three huge obstacles to emotional and spiritual maturity. I’ve been sharing the content of my book, as I write it, with a small group of people. I’ve […]
Why Faithfulness is More Important than Success
I’m in the process of writing another book; as I finish the draft of each chapter, I’ve been sharing it with a supportive and eager-to-learn group of students. They get up an hour early on Sunday morning in order to attend my class before going to the church service. For their faithful presence, their diligence […]
Three Ways of Giving and Receiving Help
I am a “people helper.” I enjoy helping people understand how their thoughts, emotions, and behaviors affect one another; I love to help them identify destructive emotional patterns. I feel excited when I can help them find the courage and grace they need to develop healthy emotional patterns. I like to help people discover and develop […]
Just Stay Awhile
Today’s post is by my friend Crystal Holt, who’s a worship leader at New Hope Community Church. She is what Jesus (in the Gospel of John) called a “true worshiper”–one who worships him in spirit and in truth. I hope that you will listen to her gentle exhortation. While I was getting my two-year-old son, Peter, […]
When We Can’t Put the “Puzzle” Together . . .
I have two, 100-piece jigsaw puzzles that I enjoyed putting together with my grandchildren when they were younger. Alphabet ABC’s and numbers (1-10) are printed along the top and sides of each puzzle. It took only a few minutes for my husband and me to put them together, but it took much longer for our grandchildren to […]
Giving Up Our “If You Happen To” and Other Unclear Messages
“I’m going to take the sailboat out,” my husband said. “If you happen to see me, you could take a picture.” “Okay,” I said. He walked out the door and I continued ironing my shirt. Then, I paused and thought about it. If I happen to see him . . . well, I won’t happen […]
How I Stop My Crazy, Headless Chicken Behavior
I grew up on a small mid-western farm. Along with a variety of animals—beautiful Guernsey milk-cows, a mischievous goat (not a long-term resident), fat, black pigs, and for awhile, a few sheep, we raised chickens. My father took good care of all of his animals and birds, providing them with clean living quarters, under-the-blue-sky-and-sunshine spaces […]
Affirming Our Imperfect Selves
I recently attended a lovely dinner for a group of women in the home of a sweet friend. It was a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. Everyone chose what she wanted from an assortment of fillings—beans, tomatoes, lettuce, olives, cheese, chicken, and onions—to fill a choice of tasty wraps. Chips, salsa, and wonderful desserts completed the […]
What Does Your Favorite Ice Cream Say About You?
Today’s post is written by my friend, Stephanie Miller, who is a Life Coach and a writer. She is a compassionate and caring person–transparent and genuine, eager and able to lead others toward personal and spiritual maturity. There is just something about ice cream that seems to make everything better. Many of my most cherished memories center around ice cream. ice cream […]