Life this side of heaven is hard. Is that an understatement? Life for some people feels overwhelming, full of despair, full of heartache, full of disappointments. Suffering can seem so discouraging that one might be tempted to give up. Continue Reading →
Read More
I’ve been counseling at my church since 2004, and the cases I have now are very challenging. So much suffering. So much sadness. So many questions. So little hope. Suffering is rarely a neutral event. Counselees have perceptions, experiences, assumptions, and expectations that influence how they interpret and experience their suffering. Continue Reading →
Read More
By now, we’ve all recognized that we are living in challenging times—the pandemic, economic hardships, civil unrest, a hotly contested election. This past year has been rough indeed. On January 1, 2020, we had no idea what we were in for, and most of us were surprised by the unfolding of the year’s events. Am I the only one surprised when hardships arise? I have noticed that my counselees are surprised by difficulties as well. Studying and applying truths from 1 Peter is a good way to begin preparing for unexpected trials. Continue Reading →
Read More
We all experience trials during this life on Earth. When we’re in the middle of a trial, we may have questions, doubts, and fears. We are living in perilous times right now as we have been dealing with many difficulties: the pandemic; grieving the loss of loved ones and friends who have been affected by the coronavirus; economic uncertainties due to the shutdown of our country; violent protests over the senseless death of George Floyd and others. There has been constant turmoil between the two political parties in our country since the current president was elected (and this is an election year). Add to all this the day-to-day struggles and heartaches of living in a sin-cursed world. Depression, anxiety, fearfulness, and hopelessness are on the rise. We wonder when life will get back to normal. It certainly feels like evil is winning. Continue Reading →
Read MoreI have to admit, there are some things I would rather not remember—difficulties in school, embarrassing moments in front of peers, misspoken words I wish I had never said, selfish things I did that grieved the Lord. Then there are marriage mistakes, parenting mistakes, and counseling mistakes. So many things I so wish I could forget. Continue Reading →
Read More