Living a Larger Faith: What 2,000 Years of Christians Can Teach Us
The world in which I’ve spent most of my time is the Western evangelical stream of Christianity. For all of…
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Learning from How Jesus Handled His Need for Intimacy
Jesus is so many things to us. He is our Savior, Redeemer, and King, our Elder Brother, and the Head…
Becoming Who Your Relationship Needs You to Be
What do you need to do in order to bring your best self to the people who matter most? What…
When Your Relationship Isn’t Working
There’s little if anything that makes a greater difference in your sense of wellbeing than the quality of your closest…
When “One Flesh” Tears Apart: The Trauma of Broken Covenant
We don’t use the word covenant much today. But this deeply Biblical concept applies to our lives more than many…
What’s Shaping Your Soul Right Now? How God Transforms You
You are in a process of spiritual formation. The question is not whether you are being spiritually formed, but who…
Learning to Love Well in Challenging Relationships
People; love them, perhaps “hate” them. (OK, “hate” is much too strong a word.) Introvert or extrovert, you need people.…
When You Might Need a “New God”
Let me be clear; you don’t get to have any God you want. You don’t get to make God in…
The Good News of Christmas
Merry Christmas! As we celebrate this holy day, let me remind you that it’s a day of good news! On…
Giving Thanks for the Unexpected: Reflections on Gratitude This Thanksgiving
Today is Thanksgiving here in the United States. It’s an opportunity to remember that we are not God but creatures.…
Disentangling Messy Relationships: People, God, and Your Heart
People. Need them. Can’t stand them. Messy relationships seem to be the only kind available. The push-pull of your true…
After Betrayal: Forgiveness, Boundaries, Reconciliation, and Trust
People will let you down. It might be an inadvertent misunderstanding, or it might be an intentional and destructive betrayal.…
Why Sex and Intimacy are a Big Deal, and What to Do About It
God created you as a sexual being regardless of gender, age, or relationship status. But why? Some people are tempted…
From Rupture to Repair: Working Towards Healing in Your Relationship
Every relationship experiences ruptures. Husband/wife, parent/child, good friends – we are all sinners, and that means some rupture in relationships…
5 Ways You May Be Afraid to Change and What to Do About It
A husband I’ll call George feels paralyzed. He knows things aren’t well in his soul or in his marriage, but…
Purity: More About the Inside than the Outside
Some words are pregnant with emotional weight. Purity is such a word. At its best, it conveys the idea of…
How to Consecrate Your Sex Life to Jesus Daily
Many people who are seeking to follow Jesus struggle with their sexuality. You might be like Paul, doing what you…
What Does Sexual Wholeness Look Like?
What is Jesus inviting you into? Steve imagined a life of striving and trying harder, never feeling like he could…
You’re Not Too Far Gone: The Hope That Changes Everything
When the sun sets, how often do you worry that it’s gone forever? Probably never. If you’re sick or lonely,…
What Happens When Jesus Shows Up?
It’s incredibly exhilarating to watch God do something miraculous. When Jesus shows up and heals a troubled soul – there’s…
Where is God in My Sexuality?
Put your inner critic on time-out for a moment. Get beyond your intellectual left brain that may say, “Of course…
What If Everything You Learned About Relationships Was Wrong?
If you’ve ever had an original thought, you’re one of very few humans who have. We are great mimics, learning…
Lies That Kill Intimacy: Common Myths About Sex and Relationships
You learned things about intimacy, sex, and relationships long before you knew you were learning anything. What you saw modeled…
Five Reasons Why Intimacy Is Hard: What No One Tells You
One might think that something as vital to our wellbeing as intimacy is wouldn’t be so hard. But it is.…
How to Find a Friend: Who is Your Peter, James, and John?
Everything’s fine? Great! I’d love to meet you! But for the rest of us, the whole world doesn’t need to…
How to Write Your Story with God as Your Co-Author
You have a story. Perhaps you’ve made partial peace with some of the previous chapters of your story. But what…
How to Consecrate THAT Part of You to Jesus
Recently I mentioned a concept that got a lot of response; “consecrate that part of you to Jesus.” For whatever…
How to Experience Jesus’ Presence and Find Real Transformation
If you’re a parent, you know what this is like. Your little one is learning to sleep in their own…
Messed Up Again? Use Your Slip to Fall Forward
Jesus loves repeat sinners. (Are there any other kind?) It’s not that slips are OK; they’re not. But what do…
Your Story Holds the Key: Find Deeper Intimacy with Yourself, Others, and God
Oh, how good we are at hiding! Humans have been practicing hiding ever since the Garden of Eden, and we’ve…
Don’t Confuse Sex and Intimacy: How They’re Related – and Different
We use euphemisms all the time, especially around sex. I’ll spare you a list. But did you know the Bible…
Your Spouse is NOT the Key to a Better Sex Life
Many married people I talk with say something like, “If my spouse would just say Yes to sex, I wouldn’t…
Sex, Intimacy, and Relationships in Culture, the Church, and You
The topic is not a new one; it’s as old as human history. In many circles it’s not considered polite…
Overcome Your Complex Relationship with Sex, Intimacy, and God
Believe it or not, sex and all that comes with it affects you deeply. Your relationship with sex is complicated.…
A Year of Growing in Wholeness: Working Together WITH God
Are you excited for a new year to begin? Or are you disappointed that a new year only reminds you…
Merry Christmas 2024 from Dr. Carol Ministries
Merry Christmas! Christ is born! May you and all those you care about experience the Christ-child being born anew in…
A Gift For a King: Offering Jesus a Birthday Present
A few years ago a friend shared with me an important part of how she celebrates Christmas every year; she…
The Priceless Christmas Gift – That Doesn’t Cost a Penny
There was a time years ago when I dreaded Christmas, primarily because I felt alone. My extended family felt –…
My Favorite Things for 2024: Books, Podcasts, and Organizations
Each year I love sharing with you some of my favorite things – books, podcasts, and organizations I’ve enjoyed reading,…
The Power of Gratitude: Three Unique Blessings I’m Thankful For in 2024
Today is Thanksgiving Day in the United States. Research continues to demonstrate how gratitude is good for you; it improves…
Deep Transformation: How to Become Different from the Inside Out
Insanity is doing the same thing and expecting different results. You’ve probably heard that before. But you may find yourself…
5 Things I Wish the Church Knew About Single Christians
Many single Christians find the single life really difficult. And I’ve experienced that myself during the many years I lived…
Human Relationships: What People Can and Can’t Do For You
Loneliness is an epidemic. And it’s dangerous to your physical, mental, and spiritual wellbeing. God Himself said that aloneness was…
Don’t Rob Your Spiritual Life of the Joy and Wonder of Mystery
What’s the best way to enjoy a spectacular sunset? What are the three steps to knowing you’re in love? Or…
How Your Sexual Story Affects Your Mental Health
We live in an epidemic of mental/emotional health issues. There are many factors involved, and it’s impossible to completely differentiate…
Why Selfishness Doesn’t Work, and What to Do Instead
Being unselfish is in many ways quite “selfish”. That is, unless your goal is to live isolated and miserable for…
What’s the State of Your Heart?
Think of someone you love to be around. How would you describe their heart? Chances are their inner being is…
Getting God from your Head to your Heart
Some of us (me included) naturally approach life first from the head. We studied hard in school, and when a…
Why Prayer is Not Enough: What to Do When You’re Still Struggling
For the follower of Jesus who is feeling close to Him, the words “prayer is not enough” may seem like…
What’s Unholy About Holy Week?
Don’t get me wrong; I absolutely love Holy Week; I just don’t love “Holy Week.” Perhaps as a shorthand way…
