Keep watch over yourselves and all the flock of which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers. Be shepherds of the church of God, which He bought with His own blood. (Acts 20:28) I frequently talk with people in other cities, states, and countries who are struggling to find a good church. While this, unfortunately, seems to be the norm these days, it brings up a vital question: What, exactly, makes a church good? The same question also applies to ministries, pastors, and other church Continue Reading
Delivered From Fear + Anxiety
Finding Hope For Life was a direct answer to prayer. I desperately needed help to face, and work through, a seemingly hopeless dental phobia. I also had other struggles I needed help with, but this one was more immediate because I needed to begin the process of having some pretty extensive dental work done. I was quite literally paralyzed by fear at the mere thought of this, which also led to panic attacks at the thought or mention of a dentist. I was also deeply grieved because I knew that I Continue Reading
13 Traits of Trustworthy People
As a counselor, I often get asked, usually after one person has been deeply hurt by another person, “How can I know for sure if I can trust them again?” This is a great question—and a wise one—which, fortunately, comes with a lot of helpful answers. In fact, this is so important that our wellbeing and the quality of our relationships—and any possible reconciliation—depend on knowing and living according to the right answers. Therefore, with so much at stake, we should be relatively thorough in Continue Reading
Understanding Forgiveness
So much of our lives and relationships depend on how accurately we understand forgiveness and trust—and how they relate to each other. Many people make the mistake of immediately trusting those they forgive, which often leads to a great deal of pain and confusion about forgiveness, love, and Christianity in general. Just because you forgive someone does not mean trust should be immediately restored. On the other hand, many people mistakenly refuse to forgive when they realize they cannot Continue Reading