Recent Posts by RobinBarnes

Sexual Abuse: Beauty for Ashes [Book Review]

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An Honest, Biblical Depiction of the Damage Done Sexual Abuse: Beauty for Ashes is one in a series of six new booklets from The Gospel for Real Life Series. Written by Dr. Bob Kellemen, the booklet serves as an invaluable resource because oftentimes as a counselor it feels there are few biblically-based resources on sexual abuse. As a booklet, it is not intended to be an exhaustive resource, but at the same time it still provides a thorough examination of the sexual abuse of Tamar from 2 Samuel 13 demonstrating how the Bible speaks to this type of suffering in our lives. The audience ...

Spiritual Pruning

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Spring is here! I love this time of year when the air is cool in the mornings, warmer during the day and cool again in the evenings. My tulips are starting to break through the ground and garden soil prep is underway or at least should have been under way by now Petunias are one of my favorite annuals and garden flower because they require little effort during the season to maintain even though you have to purchase and plant new ones each year. The care for petunias is pretty simple: direct sun, water every 1-2 days depending on the heat ...

How to Choose the “Right” Counselor: The 4 C’s of Finding the Best Fit

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M aking the decision to seek out professional counseling is a huge step for one’s personal growth and healing. It’s scary to share the details of your life with a stranger and takes courage to make that initial call and schedule an appointment. Sometimes we feel embarrassed or bad about needing to go to counseling and, for the most part, people are usually nervous about going to counseling, no matter what the issue is. However, getting the help you need (before things get really bad) is worth it. It’s like getting regular physical exercise. You do so in order ...

When Your Husband is Addicted to Pornography [Book Review]

A Candid Look at a Spiritual Battle Addiction to pornography, lust, and masturbation are often a taboo topic left publicly unaddressed in the church. While there are many resources for those actually struggling with addiction, the resources for those suffering from a husband’s addiction seem fewer. The pervasiveness of porn addiction in both the culture and churches makes it a topic not only for preaching and men’s accountability groups, but also for female biblical counselors as they journey with the spouses of porn-addicted men coming through our doors. When Your Husband Is Addicted to Pornography: Healing Your Wounded Heart by Vickie Tiede is ...

Gospel Conversations: How to Care Like Christ [Book Review]

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What is a Gospel Conversation Anyway? What does it look like to help others apply the gospel to their daily lives as they grapple with the realities of suffering and sin? What does it mean to have true-to-life conversations that are seasoned with the gospel? How do we help others become more like Christ as they walk through life’s storms? “The essence of gospel conversations is helping one another to understand and apply the gospel to the details of our lives as saints who struggle with suffering and sin.” Gospel Conversations gives a clear path to the way in which the ...