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 ...

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 ...

When Justice Rolls Down… Like Molasses: One Pastor’s Perspective on Time, Justice, and Faith in Inner City Baltimore

Today’s guest post is written by Pastor Ronjour Locke of First Baptist Brooklyn for the past five and a half years located on the south side of Baltimore, MD. He is a graduate of Washington Bible College and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and he is currently pursuing a Doctor of Philosophy degree at Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He is happily married to his wife, Annie with whom they have four children. I have a neighbor who was involved in a verbal fight with a woman in front of his house. In mere minutes she had a group of fifteen at his ...

Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul [Book Review]

Today’s guest post by Beverly Weber is a review of Humble Roots: How Humility Grounds and Nourishes Your Soul by Hannah Anderson. Beverly is the Director of Development at the Laurel Pregnancy Center and a recovering mathematician. She loves people, coffee, french fries and photography. Her home is in Ellicott City, Maryland where she is a wife to Jeremy and mother to two little (and very energetic) boys. Rest. We seek it, long for it, work for it and yet it eludes so many of us. With all that we have, anxiety still creeps into our hearts and minds and robs us of the ...

Ask the Counselor: Should I Try to Forget My Past?

Today's guest post is by Dr. Robert Kellemen, VP of Institutional Development and Chair of Biblical Counseling at Crossroads Bible College in Indianapolis, IN. He is a sought after speaker and teacher and author of several counseling books. This post originally appeared on his RPMMinistries blog.   As a biblical counselor, people often ask me the important question, “Should I try to forget my past?” I first respond with a one-word answer. “No.” Then I respond with a blog-size answer using the words: • Remember • Reflect • Repent/Receive/Renew • Reinterpret • Retell • Resources Remember Even if we wanted to, we couldn’t forget the past. It’s impossible. More importantly, it’s ungodly. Memory ...

Maternal Mental Health 101

Maternal mental health has come into greater light the past few years as many celebrities have openly shared their experiences with Postpartum Depression (PPD). Some of the most recent to share their experiences include actresses Hayden Panetierre and Tamera Mowry-Housley. As the #1 medical complication related to childbearing, Perinatal Mood and Anxiety Disorders (PMADS) are temporary and treatable with the appropriate combination of care. If you or someone you know has or is currently experiencing some form of PMAD, this blog series is for you. I begin with a brief write up on a great introductory webinar, Maternal Mental Health 101, ...

5 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Counseling Experience

By Permalink

Making the decision to see a counselor is a brave step and for some, can be years in the making. Maybe you’ve experienced a sudden loss or crisis and are now seeking out the help you know you need. Maybe this counseling has been court ordered. Perhaps you’ve been struggling with an addiction that has so entangled you, you don’t even know where to begin. Perhaps you’ve simply reached your breaking point and you know something must change in your life. Whether individual, marriage, or family counseling, here are 5 ways you can get the most out of your counseling ...

When I Am Afraid: A Step-by-Step Guide Away from Fear and Anxiety [Book Review]

Fear is powerful. It’s something we all experience. It does not discriminate based on age, gender or stage of life. Each of us has something in our lives that causes us varying degrees of fear but what happens when that fear becomes debilitating and life-stealing? Hot Topics In Ed Welch’s study, When I Am Afraid: A Step-By-Step Guide Away From Fear and Anxiety a variety of topics are discussed that cause us to be fearful: Money Death Fear of Man (peer pressure, perfectionism) Heights Crowds  Welch begins,  Fear is the perfect problem. No doubt it can be paralyzing and painful. When it  comes, your ...

The Food and Mood Connection: Insight About Emotional Eating

Do you ever find yourself automatically drawn to junk foods when you’re in a state of increased stress? Do you joke about “comfort food” in order to justify that second trip through the drive-through when you’re feeling down? Do you eat a pan of brownies when feeling lonely? If you can relate to any of these situations then you, like so many of us, are an “emotional eater.” This may not be new news to you, but facing the reality can still be tough. The good news is that there is always hope for change and beginning the journey of ...

Beyond the Silent Burden: Healing for Wives Impacted by Pornography Addiction

There are few things in a marriage that make a woman feel as ashamed and betrayed as a spouse’s affair, pornography addiction or abuse. Although the transgression is not ours, the feelings of shame and embarrassment are strong inside, oftentimes accompanied by an outward pressure to be seen as someone who “has it all together.” You wake up the next morning wishing this wasn’t your new reality, feeling unable to tell anyone else about it. These are the most difficult burdens for a wife to bear, made even more challenging because of the constant temptation to never share what’s going ...