The holidays bring families together; this can be a joyous time of celebration OR it can be a time of intense conflict and stress. Over the years, I’ve experienced both the magic of Christmas through the eyes of a child, and the horror of unfiltered, angry words instigating heart-wrenching pain. If Christmas brings joy and peace in your home, give glory to God and thank…
Panic. Dread. Unprecedented Fear. These emotions describe the turmoil in our car just moments before Jorjanne’s first driving lesson.After a quick prayer, I gently instructed her on keeping it between the lines, knowing when to brake and when to speed up. As I did these feelings slowly began to dissipate. Peace and calm gradually filled the space once filled with anxiety and worry. As I’ve…
You’ve seen it. Someone is upset and they use the internet to “air out” their frustrations with someone else. College students complain about roommates. Individuals air the family’s dirty laundry on Facebook, seeking to shame each other. Ex’s use Instagram to denigrate the person who was once loved. Let’s not even start with how bad this has gotten in political posts. I’m not sure when…
Over the past few weeks I have been inundated with calls and meetings with people in crisis. Life is tough…there are days when we all wonder how we will persevere. In times of extreme stress, our brain releases cortisol in effort to help us regulate our stress response so that we can return to a state of homeostasis. In moderation, cortisol is a helpful hormone….
When asked to discuss suicide in the Bible, most people point out Judas Iscariot who betrayed Jesus. Recently I began to meditate on Matthew 27 and tried to imagine what was going through Judas’ mind when he betrayed Jesus. Did he know the chief priests wanted to kill Jesus? Did he think they were going to give him a position in the church or community…
Perhaps you have noticed the increase of tattoos, jewelry and clothing bearing the semicolon ( ; ). When writing, the semicolon is a symbol to pause. The author could have chosen to use a period, denoting a stopping point, but instead chooses to take a brief pause. Project semicolon started to raise awareness and support for suicide prevention. Those who have attempted suicide and have…