For the month of August, we’re going to be talking about anxiety and how to combat it God’s way. I’ll be grouping anxiety disorders in with “non-disorder” anxiety for the purposes of this article, even though I realize they’re very different but because spiritually-speaking, the treatment is the same.
To prepare for the month ahead, I want to start by laying down a very basic understanding of anxiety.
Read MoreOh Jonah, what have you done?
There's a popular belief that being a Christian means we should be living exceptionally blessed lives. A belief that simply believing in God will open up the heavens and solve every problem. While God can solve every problem, not everything has a simple solution. Changes almost always come after a period of suffering.
There's also a belief that once we become Christians we are expected to stop sinning completely and anything less than perfect is simply, no good.
Read MoreHe and I met at a concert on New Year’s Eve and little did I know it at the time, but my life was about to dramatically change. We were married and I relocated to New York with my then, four-year-old son. For the most part, the change was slow and went mostly unnoticed. With moving and the excitement of the city, I was too preoccupied to see anything out of the ordinary about my marriage. It wasn’t until I became pregnant that I noticed my husband’s facade of lies start to crumble.
Read MoreGet up, be baptized and wash your sins away.
My husband, my oldest son and I were all baptized on the same day. We also publicly dedicated our one and a half year old to Jesus. It was beautiful.
Why did I get baptized, you ask? Honestly, I've just never done it. This is going to sound really stupid but I didn't want to get wet in front of all those people. I have this hair, you see.... let's say, it was an act of obedience.
Read MoreEmotional abuse isn't something we can see. It would be obvious someone is hurting us if they always left bruises, but when our emotions are bruised, it can be confusing to identify abuse.
It's a, "If a tree falls in the woods and there is no one around, does it make a sound?” situation.
Not surprisingly, there are plenty of experts who believe emotional abuse is more damaging than physical abuse because it often happens every day.
Read MoreWho is the most inspiring woman you know?
Think for a moment about a woman in your life or past who you think of being an absolute inspiration. Now, how would you describe them?
They are/were ____________. They always ____________. When I was ____________, they ____________. I’ll never forget the time they ____________.
Read MoreDo you REALLY know the difference between prayerful and pushover?
If you’ve lived with an addict, you may have found yourself becoming the unofficial peacemaker. You learned how to manage tension and prevent tempers from flaring. You may push away your feelings or overlook wrong behaviours because your world revolves around keeping other people happy.
If you’re like I was, you probably didn’t see it in the beginning (or now!). But the "peacemaker" mentality is more than likely there.
Read MoreIf you don’t believe in them, who will?
“Once an addict, always an addict.” -says, Everyone
When I was looking for help to save my marriage (and my husband's life!) I was told over and over, “An addict is an addict for life, you know,” or, “It will never really go away, they’ll always be an addict.”
I was also told, “Relapse is part of recovery,” and, “Once trust is broken, it can never be fully rebuilt.”
Read MorePicture yourself standing on the edge of a cliff of a tall mountain.
It's dark outside and the earth is quiet. You hear only a few crickets and the wind as it gently whistles through the trees. There is no one around, it's only you and God...
What would you do?
You would be still.
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