Do You Need Better Personal Relationships?
In observing and working with people for decades now, I’ve seen how the biggest determinant of a person’s sense of…
Emotional and Mental Health
Ditch the Resolutions; Ask These Three Questions Instead
At the start of a new year there’s always talk of resolutions, SMART goals, turning over a new leaf, making…
Caring for Your Body, Mind, and Soul During the Holiday Season
It’s almost Christmas! For some, this is a good season, full of love, joy, anticipation, and connecting with family and…
The Practice of Being Grateful For in a Difficult Season in 2023
The fourth Thursday of November is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. And that’s today! As good-for-the-soul as food, family,…
What Have You Done With Your Need for Intimacy?
For starters, intimacy is not sex. Our sexualized culture has mostly said “express yourself; anything goes.” But people are lonelier…
An Apology from the One Who Hurt You as a Man or a Woman
Who do you need an apology from? Who has wounded you? Our deepest hurts often come from those we “should”…
How You – and God – can Deal With Painful Regrets
Do you know anyone over 30 who has absolutely no regrets? I don’t. There’s stuff you experienced that you wish…
Boundaries and Freedom: Embracing What You Can and Can’t Do
You are not God. You are not all-powerful. Sometimes that’s a revelation; you are not the center of the universe.…
When God-Talk has Brought Pain to Your Sexuality
Love it or hate it, sex is a big deal. God cares about your sexuality, and the Bible has a…
4 Reasons Everyone Should Have Close Friends, Married or Single
Every human being is made by God with the need, desire, and capacity for intimacy. And that need is real…
3 Steps to Loving Others When They Don’t Love You
Every human being needs love. And sometimes we get love from others, and sometimes we don’t. In spite of that,…
Does Sexual Sin Make You Disqualified? What’s Next?
The thief is always out to “steal, kill, and destroy,” (John 10:10), and sin is destructive. But sexual sin seems…
The Loneliness Epidemic Got You? How to Find Peace and Connection
You can feel lonely in a crowd or a friendship or a marriage, and you can feel perfectly happy and…
Dealing with Lust and Redeeming Eros
Desire is a good thing. As Christian psychiatrist Dr. Curt Thompson says, humans are people of desire. Jesus often asked,…
How’s Your Soul Doing, Really?
At breakfast with a friend recently I asked her, “How’s your soul doing?” That led to conversation about some really…
Tearing Down Inner Walls so you can Experience Intimacy
The idea of intimacy sounds nice, even important. But most people don’t think of it as absolutely necessary for life.…
Why It’s Not Really a Sex Problem
Behaviors matter. Behaviors have consequences. And sexual behaviors especially have consequences. But for those who are struggling here, putting your…
Being the Family of God Whether or Not You Have Earthly Family
Family. Love it, hate it. Want it, can’t stand it. Family is messy because family is made up of, well,…
What to Do When God’s “Truth” and Your Experience Collide
You “know” what’s right. Or you’re pretty sure you do. Then why does it feel so – wrong? Your head,…
Why Healing from Intimacy Gone Wrong Requires Forgiveness
Forgiveness is a big deal. Your head knows Jesus forgives you, but your heart still wonders, especially when you keep…
How Sex Has Lost its Glory: Intimacy Gone Wrong
God created you for something good, a level of goodness we can only begin to imagine now. He built into…
Beyond Bad Behavior: Get From Sobriety to Recovery to Redemption
Every addiction is a whole-person “disease.” The “thing” might be alcohol, pornography, sex, gambling, video games, or a multitude of…
What Were You Even Created For?
If you woke up this morning feeling that everything in your world is better-than-good and you’re fully satisfied, this article…
Unpacking What You Learned About Relationships and Intimacy
Your brain is a sponge, not a source. You may believe you’ve come up with an original thought, but that’s…
What You Can and Can’t Expect Church to Do for You
Church was Jesus’ idea. I pray your experience of church has been, is now, and will continue to be wonderful.…
How to Celebrate Christmas When Life is Hard – Anyway
You have problems, and it might seem impossible to truly celebrate Christmas when things are this hard. But I’m quite…
How to Plan Your Way Through the Holiday Blues
I love the Christmas season, but it hasn’t always been that way. Some Christmases have been really really hard. I…
Different Year, Different Gratitude List
Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Research continues to demonstrate that gratitude is good for you; it improves…
A Thanksgiving Challenge that will Transform Your Marriage
Research proves it; expressing gratitude is good for you. And it will not only help your mental health; it can…
Three Keys to Dropping the Insanity in Your Marriage
Doing the same thing and expecting a different result; isn’t that the definition of insanity? You’re not a failure if…
How to Experience God in Your Tomorrow: a Theology of Hope
Consider what you’re anxious about. Your logical left brain may say, “I’m not anxious! I just want to be prudent.”…
Sexual Anorexia, Asexuality – Is It a Thing?
I don’t like labels. Sometimes descriptive phrases can be meaningful, but when they become labels they’re more often harmful than…
How to Experience God’s Presence in Your Past Trauma
We’ve all experienced “stuff.” No one comes through life unscathed. What’s in your bucket of stuff is different from what’s…
5 Things You May Really Want When You Want Sex
You are more than a biological creature. You are an integrated whole–physical, emotional, relational, and spiritual. That’s why for human…
Want Your Marriage to Last? Let Your Relationship Breathe
The healthiest marriages are not the ones where husband and wife spend the most time together. Does that surprise you?…
What It Looks Like to be FOR Your Relationship
Deeper than any specific words or actions is the position from which both you and your spouse come to your…
10 Scriptures for Overcoming Fear and Anxiety
You know the Bible says “Don’t be afraid.” But sometimes anxious thoughts and feelings seem to overtake your heart and…
It’s Time to Let Your Husband Off the Hook
This is not what you signed up for. When you said Yes you thought you were getting friendship, intimacy, even…
God Has an Answer for Your Fear and Anxiety
You’ve prayed. Maybe you’ve fasted, and cried, and asked others to pray for you. But the swirling thoughts and anxious…
Your Brain CAN Change
When I went through medical school back in the “dark ages” we were told that 50% of what we learned…
How Managing Your Anxiety can Transform Your Marriage
You know you’re not at your best when you’re stressed out, anxious, or afraid. And your internal state doesn’t just…
How to Build a Life of Resilience Against Stress
Resilience allows a tree to bend in the wind instead of breaking. It’s what an athlete cultivates in order to…
Stressed or Anxious About Your Marriage?
“Well, YES!” That’s kind of a given, right? Marriage hooks you to another sinner physically, emotionally, financially, even spiritually. Your…
What do Unafraid, Worry-Free People Know that You Don’t?
You don’t want a completely stress-free life. Not really. But don’t some people seem to handle it better than others?…
NEW: Only Read if You’re Feeling Stressed or Anxious
You can ignore the rest of this message if: Your body, mind, and soul feel calm, connected, and Fully Alive…
10 Things You Can (and Can’t) Expect In A Good Marriage
With all the destructive marriages out there, is it any wonder many young people are having second thoughts about getting…
What Telling Your Story Does for You and Others
Darla wanted to hide. She’d been doing it all her life. Her story was a difficult one, and she’d gotten…
How Can You Trust God When His People Let You Down
On a good day the best part of your intellect may agree that God can be trusted. But consider your…
When Pain Makes it Feel Impossible to Connect with the Family of God
After being deeply hurt in church or experiencing spiritual abuse you want to hide. Your body and soul may recoil…
Ten Things to Ask Your Marriage Mentors
Most people embarking on marriage have precious little preparation for what will be the most important earthly relationship they will…
