Rest is Not a Reward for Productivity

It’s a new year and now is the time we hear a lot about “A new year, a new you!” The holiday season in the West is focused on activities, concerts, parties and getting as much done as one can to prepare for guests or to be out of the office. All this preparation is important to us for various reasons. For some, it can be a desire to celebrate the season with others. For others, there can be a desire to impress others or be perceived a certain way by hosting these activities, leading them, or landing that final ...

3 Ways the Pandemic and the Transition Back to “Normal” May Affect Your Teen

Michelle has been on staff with Heart Song Counseling for over 8 years. Prior to moving to the Tampa Bay area, she served as a counselor for Heart Song in Washington, D.C. She received her B.A. in Speech and Communication Studies at Clemson University and her M. Div in Biblical Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. In her spare time, she enjoys running, spending long days at the beach and Clemson football. It’s no secret that the pandemic has impacted our teens in a myriad of ways over the last year. Some teens found themselves back in school full throttle, others ...

Raising Kids in a Screen-Saturated World [Book Review]

Parents, do you ever feel like you don’t know where to start when it comes to introducing technology beyond the TV with your kids? Counselors and youth pastors, do you ever struggle to communicate clear steps in helping parents guide their children in the informed use of their devices? Raising Kids in a Screen Saturated World by Eliza Huie is a great resource for parents, counselors, youth and children’s pastors, and anyone who desires to inform, empower and engage our kids about the use of technology in their daily lives. In her book, Raising Kids in a Screen Saturated World, Eliza gives ...

Joy Matters

Can you remember a time when something happened that instantly stole your joy? If joy was a scale, what number are you today? 1-10? One being not even on your radar and 10—your cup runneth over with joy.Answer this question. “I’d be full of joy all the time if only ____.” Friends, do you know your joy matters to God? Do you know the Bible has a lot to say about joy? For those of you who are in Christ, do you know that Jesus was inspired and motivated by your future joy?Joy reflects Who you know and what you ...

Teens Aren’t Terrible: Enjoying Relationship with Your Kids Through the Teen Years

Today's guest post is written by Pamela Fahs. Pamela lives in Ellicott City, Maryland, with her husband of 22 years, Thomas, and their four children. “In another lifetime,” Pamela trained and worked as a child clinical psychotherapist specializing in sexual abuse of very young children, but since 2001 she has enjoyed being a homeschooling mom to Cameron (who is now in college), Riley, Ava, and Quinn. She enjoys serving the Lord with Thomas by directing a local homeschooling tutorial, a homeschooling theatre ministry, and Vacation Bible School at Columbia Presbyterian Church. But her favorite things include hanging out with her ...

Do I Really Need Counseling to Grieve Well?

Today's guest post is written by licensed biblical counselor, Jessica McDaniel of the Austin Stone Counseling Center in Austin, TX. Jessica has pursued specialized training in Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders as well as working with couples through EFT and Gottman seminars.  She also specializes in Pregnancy and Postpartum trauma, grief, and loss (including miscarriage, stillbirth, terminal diagnoses, neonatal loss, birth or NICU trauma and pregnancy after loss) and runs a free support group for parents of loss through the Ronald McDonald House Charities. Other areas of experience include marital conflict, transitions in parenting, infertility, postpartum depression or anxiety, self-worth and identity, trauma, anxiety, co-dependency, sexual ...

3 Ways Pastors Can Help Women and Families Experiencing Postpartum Depression

This post originally appeared on Careleader.org March 2018. As a pastor of a congregation with young families you may have small groups, a MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) ministry, Awana, and more. Your church may also be blessed to have a meals ministry to help individuals and families after a surgery or birth of a child. Your church is probably well equipped with support ministries for families to help disciple their children and to provide encouragement and teaching for parents. But how equipped are you to minister to families experiencing postpartum depression or postpartum anxiety? Did you know that 1 in 5 women will experience maternal ...

3 Ways to Foster Good Communication With Your Teen

Today’s guest post is by Mark Stephens, Mid-Atlantic Fellowship of Christian Athletes (FCA) International Director. Mark lives in Urbana, MD with his wife of 27 years, Rhonda, and their four daughters. Connect with Mark at [email protected]   The social pressures of being a teen are extraordinary. From culture to dress to acting a certain way are ever in one’s face. All of this compounded by the fact that technology dominates the way we receive, process and transmit the conversations in our relationships. Being a teen today just isn’t like being a teen when we grew up (speaking for my generation here). That ...