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 ...

How to Provide Compassionate Support for Cross-Cultural Missionaries

By Permalink

Today's guest post is by Megan Burns. Megan is married to Brian, and works as a biblical counselor in Richmond, VA with Heart Song Counseling. She served in the Philippines for three years, and has a passion for counseling cross-cultural workers, as well as equipping the local church to care for those they have sent out around the world. Megan enjoys writing about counseling, discipleship and missions on her blog, Remade Whole. How do you love and support someone whose lifestyle and struggles are so different from your own? How can you enter into an unfamiliar suffering in order to connect ...

Does My Teenager Have An Eating Disorder? Part 2

You are reading the second post in a two-part series about teens and eating disorders. In the previous post we looked at the four main types of disorders with accompanying warning signs. In today’s post we will look at the next steps to take in helping your teen if an eating disorder is suspected. Counselor Michelle Horton, continues our examination into this topic.   So what do I do once I’ve identified an eating disorder in my teenager? First things first, get your child to their pediatrician or general practitioner. Your teen’s health could possibly be in serious danger. You will want to ...

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 ...

After Abortion Care: Why Churches Need to Care for the Post-Abortive Woman

1 in 4 pregnancies end in an abortion decision, a statistic that is no different whether you look inside or outside the church. Whatever the reason a woman has for having an abortion, the mental, physical, spiritual and emotional strains of the decision can result in repercussions for years to come. Whether it be triggers that remind her of the event or physical and emotional struggles that eventually come to light, the local church can (and should) be a place of safety where women receive grace and loving care to help them work through their struggle. In this fifth and final post ...

When Your Wife Has Postpartum Anxiety and Depression: One Husband’s Story

As this series on maternal mental health continues, today we hear the testimony of one husband as he journeyed with his wife through her postpartum depression and anxiety after their first child. It is our hope that you will find strength and encouragement in Christ through the telling of Sarah and Kurt’s story. Read Part 1 of this post here. All names have been changed to respect the family’s privacy. What symptoms did you observe in Sarah? The symptoms Sarah demonstrated included: irritability, tiredness, anxiety, panic and anger. For me, it was important to learn to see past these negative emotions. In other ...

Hope in the Valley: One Mother’s Story of Postpartum Depression and Anxiety

A “Warrior Mom” is a woman who has survived a perinatal mood or anxiety disorder who is working hard to take care of her baby while also fighting her own struggle. As part of my blog series on maternal mental health I thought I would ask one amazing warrior mom to share what her experience was like with Postpartum Depression and Anxiety. As each person’s struggle and road to recovery with a perinatal mood and anxiety disorder is different, it is both our hope that you will find strength and encouragement in Christ through the telling of Sarah’s story. All ...

Yes, Christian Women Struggle with Postpartum Disorders Too

You are reading the second post in a series on Maternal Mental Health. Read part 1 here. Why am I feeling so angry? How come everything my husband and children do make me so irritated? It’s not like me to scream at my loved ones. Why am I not totally in love with my new baby? I feel so overwhelmed with taking care of my baby, trying to stay on top of laundry and struggling with insomnia. What’s wrong with me? I feel so alone. What am I supposed to do? A Christian woman shouldn’t have these thoughts, right? Have you ever ...

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, ...