Author: Nate Brooks

Book Review of Help! I’ve Been Diagnosed with a Mental Disorder by Christine Chappell

Book Review of Help! I’ve Been Diagnosed with a Mental Disorder by Christine Chappell

Posted by | Dec 14, 2021 | |

Some books take courage to write. I suppose every author has a certain degree of courage as they set ideas in stone and allow others to evaluate and critique them. But some topics are more fraught with confusion and trouble than others. Christine Chappell’s Help! I’ve Been Diagnosed with a Mental Disorder addresses a topic that is inescapably personal. Mental disorders are not an “out there” topic, distant from people’s lives, but an “in here” topic that is woven through a person’s own perception of reality. Whatever we may think of the term “mental disorder,” we must first start by recognizing that it speaks to a person’s experience of themselves and others and that deep suffering is taking place. Continue Reading →

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Why Won’t My Feelings of Church Hurt Go Away?

Why Won’t My Feelings of Church Hurt Go Away?

Posted by | Oct 28, 2021 | |

If you’re reading this, it’s safe to assume that something has either gone significantly wrong in your own church experience or in the lives of those to whom you minister. Church hurt is an inherently deadening topic, as it pierces right to the heart of the failures of God’s people in one way or another. Church hurt is confusing, concerning, and most often leaves hurting people isolated and unsure who to talk with to process their experience. Continue Reading →

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Book Review of Table for Two by David and Krista Dunham

Book Review of Table for Two by David and Krista Dunham

Posted by | Jun 1, 2021 | |

What does the Bible have to do with eating disorders? While not quite as enduring as Tertullian’s famous “What hath Jerusalem to do with Athens?” query, this kind of question highlights a legitimate discussion about biblical counseling. Exactly how effective is biblical counseling at helping individuals with serious, enduring, and physically dangerous troubles? How we answer that question is no small-stakes game, as approximately twenty percent of those diagnosed with anorexia nervosa will die from that malady. David and Krista Dunham’s Table for Two: Biblical Counsel for Eating Disorders is the kind of book you hope would be written on such a serious topic. Continue Reading →

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How a Husband Isn’t Like Christ

How a Husband Isn’t Like Christ

Posted by | Apr 5, 2021 | |

A few weeks ago, I started reading a favorite book from my own childhood to my five and three-year-old sons. Days on the Farm with Annette and Samuel is their first chapter book, and each evening my oldest son patiently waits for me to finish a section so he can study the simple line drawing that accompanies each story. The first night he looked up from the picture of Annette and Samuel playing house and asked, “But Daddy, where’s the net?” I was stumped for a moment until I realized that he heard the title of the book as Days on the Farm with a Net and Samuel. This simple mistake changed the entire story—my kiddo had visions of a little boy romping around the farm, accompanied not by his older sister but by his trusty net, ready for all occasions of challenge or trouble. Continue Reading →

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The Story of David and Whom?

The Story of David and Whom?

Posted by | Feb 12, 2021 | |

The story of David and Bathsheba is one of the most famous from all the Scriptures. It’s truly a lurid tale packed with all the intrigue, sexuality, booze, betrayal, political power plays, conspiracy, and state-sponsored cover-ups required for a modern television drama. It’s also one of the darkest moments of the Scriptures, as a man after God’s own heart and the ruler of his people acts not as covenant king but like the wicked rulers whom God has driven out. Continue Reading →

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