The Key to Filling Your Empty Soul
How do you deal with your empty soul? Do you retreat into a hole, waiting for someone to pull you…
stress
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…
Why a Christian Can Expect Both Suffering And Breakthrough
As followers of Jesus we should have the most complete and accurate understanding of reality. We know what’s happening behind…
Is Marriage Worth the Struggle?
Yesterday I had a long talk with a couple whose marriage almost ended. After some serious bad behavior they separated…
Jesus, Please Help Me Understand What’s Going On Here
When things are difficult one of the most helpful questions I’ve learned to ask is, “Jesus, what’s going on here?”…
Living Well through Long-term Trauma
Things are not as we want them to be. They are not as God wants them to be. For the…
Solid Ground in Times of Change
A wise professor told me once, “You can never step in the same river twice.” Each time you step in,…
When You Care More Than Your Spouse
Feeling as though someone else doesn’t care as much as you do hurts a lot. You want things to work…
Learning to Pray for a Breakthrough
Have you felt stuck in your prayer life? Does it seem your prayers don’t get anywhere? Things are really bad,…
Has Lockdown Hurt Your Marriage?
The different world we are living in today places more pressure on everyone, and on your marriage. Like a tube…
Three Ways to Pray During the COVID-19 Crisis
Praying is a good thing. Always! For the believer prayer should be the first thing we go to. And yet…
Battling Fear Over the Coronavirus (COVID-19)
Within the past few days life for those of us living in the US has changed. In some other parts…
When Christmas Affects Your Marriage
Hallmark movies would seem to indicate that romance and presents and the holiday spirit work wonders on relationships. Sometimes that’s…
How to Handle Suffering You Cannot Avoid
Some suffering is unnecessary. Suffering that we bring on ourselves through our sin and brokenness means that if our actions…
5 Things To Do When You Feel Like God Doesn’t Care
Do you ever feel like God doesn’t care? Someone says, “God is good.” And you respond, “All the time!” And yet…
When You’re Still Afraid and Anxious after you Pray
Jesus and His disciples are in the boat on the Sea of Galilee. The wind and waves are about to…
Worry about Material Things: What to Know and Do
Of course you worry when there’s no money in the bank, no food in the house, no immediate prospect of…
Positive Thinking and the Bible
Is it magic? Is it “mind over matter?” Does faith mean white-knuckling it with positive thoughts and affirmations? What do you…
What to do with Pain as a Widow: 2 Critical Keys
There’s no way to make death and grief OK. Death is an aberration in God’s universe, and every time we…
Preserving Your Marriage while Building Your Family
(I’m thrilled to be guest posting for my friend Elisha Kearns over at Waiting for Baby Bird today. Thank you!…
Christian Women, their Hormones, and their Mental Health
You feel crazy. And your man is CERTAIN that you’re crazy. You feel as though you are a victim to…
Punish Your Wife or Husband the Right Way
Your spouse is completely exasperating you, and you can’t put up with it any longer. Perhaps if you punish your…
7 Mistakes to Avoid When You’re Worked Up
It’s a rare person who never gets emotionally flustered. And I’m not sure such a person truly exists. Some people…
40 Safe and Healthy Ways to Feel Better
Have you ever felt like you’re stuck down in the dumps and can’t think of a way to get out?…
5 Ways to Better Sleep When You’re Stressed
Have you ever struggled to get a good night’s sleep? If so you’re not alone. And you may have contributed…
How to Trust God when Everything’s NOT Alright
Perhaps you’ve heard this old gospel song. It talks about the Bible stories of Moses, David, and Jesus, times when…
Women In Charge!
Women have a difficult time in this world. We always have. It’s not that men always have it easy, but…
Where is that Peace on Earth?
I heard the bells on Christmas Day Their old familiar carols play And wild and sweet the words repeat Of…
Doing the Next Right Thing
You’ve probably heard the adage, “Just do the next right thing.” In the midst of confusion or overwhelm, it’s a…
4 Times that God Needs You to be Angry
The only people who are never angry are dead people – either dead literally, or dead-on-the-inside kind of dead. I’m…
3 Kinds of Prayer That Can Harm You
Prayer is a good thing. Always. But not all prayer is created equal. Did you know there are actually some…
How God Deals With the Consequences of Bad Behavior
In this world we all face bad stuff. Sometimes others wound you, and those scars are painful. But what can…
Feeling Abandoned by God When You’re Sick
Physical illness, especially when it’s long-term, can unsettle your world. It saps your energy and possibly your finances. It throws…
Why You Must Find Your WHY
Brianna sat down to chat yesterday. Her second child is nine months old, and she and her husband are planning…
To the Woman Whose Husband is Addicted to Pornography
I hear from you regularly, you whose husband’s eyes are filled with many other women and not with you. You…
Keys to Overcoming Opposition In Your Mission
There’s a popular myth – perhaps unspoken – that says everything should be easy if you’re doing the right thing.…
How to Help Your Spouse Feel Secure
Security is about much more than money. Of course it’s nice to have a steady income, safe home, and adequate…
3 Keys to Deal With Stress Better
The research on stress has continued to expand exponentially in the years since Hans Selye first described what he called…
30 Things To Be Grateful For
Life is difficult. Bad things happen, and challenges come every day. One of the best ways to meet those challenges…
Help For Connecting You With God
Marilyn would have preferred to be almost anywhere else that day. She had faced similar medical issues in the past,…
Are You A Second-Class Christian?
It had been a couple years since I had heard from her. Yesterday her message was painful to read: “My…
7 Ways You Can Take Charge of Your Mental Health
We each have our bag of mental challenges to deal with. Some of us have greater emotional vulnerabilities than others.…
12 Reasons You Could Be Depressed
Everybody has a down day occasionally. Our emotions are slippery things, and some people have a more volatile emotional life…
10 Places to Find Quiet in a Noisy World
The world is becoming increasingly urbanized. Gone are the days when the majority of people lived in a small town…
How to Get Through Spiritual Dryness
Something just feels off. You try to pray, but it feels as though no one is listening. You try to…
45 Healthier or Uplifting Distractions
It’s been a bad day. You’re frustrated, tired, anxious, and/or upset. Or perhaps you can’t pour over those numbers or…
How to Pray When Making a Big Decision
Taking a business risk. Getting married. Going back to school. Moving to another city. There are times in your life…
What’s GOOD About Shame?
Can there ever be anything good about shame? You may have heard it a lot: “You ought to be ashamed…
5 Questions to Ask When Somebody Doesn’t Like You
There will always be people who don’t agree with you. Some people see the world differently than you do, and…
Why Would People Listen to You?
It was 3:00 am, and I was already tired. “You’re needed in room 2 right away.” My on-call shift at…
