I believe that periods of missed sleep, redirected as occasions to seek the Lord, can be as effective to our spirits as fasting from food. There is something powerful about denying self and seeking Him wholeheartedly. Continue Reading →
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Those of us who work with trauma survivors understand their proclivity to panic attacks. Fear takes over, and even though logic tells them they are safe, their bodies do not get the message. Like David in Psalm 55:5-6, they could describe “anguish within,” “fear and trembling” taking over, and “horror “overwhelming them. We’ve all experienced this sort of thing in our lives, perhaps when we’ve come close to a collision while driving or watched a loved one take a hard fall. A somatic fear response is a normal God-given response to danger, but people with post-traumatic stress (PTS)[1] experience these symptoms in the absence of current danger—when the smallest reminder of past danger triggers their internal fight or flight (adrenaline) response. Since panic stemming from trauma arises from the autonomic parts of our brain, it seems clear that remedying it requires methods that transcend reason alone. Continue Reading →
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Perhaps in recent years, you’ve noticed that a mean spirit has become pervasive in our culture. It’s most apparent on social media, where anybody and everybody can express their opinions loudly and publicly without regard for others. It has not only become acceptable, but even popular, to stand over others in judgment and to be outraged at those with different opinions. Continue Reading →
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Called to Peace Ministries was established in 2015 to help provide God’s hope and healing to those who have been oppressed in their homes. In 2020, the ministry received over 2,000 requests for help. A large percentage of those contacts were from victims of abuse who had reached out to their churches for help, only to find the burden for their marriages placed on them. Most of them ended up feeling condemned and abandoned. Countless times, I have seen women like this walk away from church altogether. It is heartbreaking to watch, and I know it grieves God’s heart. In Part One of this series, I listed five truths every biblical counselor should know when counseling cases of domestic abuse. Below are five additional realities that must be considered. Continue Reading →
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Twenty-five years ago, I made the most difficult decision of my life. I separated from my ex-husband permanently. It was not the solution I desired, but all of the efforts to save my marriage had failed. In the 15 years we were married, my husband and I worked with at least a dozen counselors and pastors. None of them understood the weight of what was happening in our home. Their marriage-based solutions put the entire burden of saving the marriage on me, and I left nearly every counseling session with a greater sense of despair. The more I submitted to and encouraged my husband, the worse things got. Finally, it got deadly, and I had no choice but to leave. I didn’t believe in divorce, so I didn’t pursue one. I just took my girls and fled for safety. Continue Reading →
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