Where was Jesus when I was being abused?
GUEST WRITER: Laurie Tims “Where was Jesus when you were suffering?” my spiritual director asked me as we sat together seeking the Lord recently. Tears. I didn’t know. I had faith that He was there over the decades, but I couldn’t see Him through the shame of my reactions to my dad’s abuse. Since my reactions […]
Mental Health and Religion: Do Demons Cause Depression and Anxiety?
Do demons and demonic forces cause depression and anxiety? If you grew up in certain church circles, you may believe the answer is yes. In the past, before we had a more accurate understanding of depression and anxiety as mental illnesses, the Church’s answer has been to pray away the demon causing someone to feel […]
The Truth About Emotional Boundaries
We’re going to continue talking about boundaries on the blog and in video teachings because this is such an important topic. Today we are focusing on emotional boundaries. Like we discussed in the last blog, feeling bad about setting boundaries can be common. This is especially true with emotional boundaries. It is one thing to […]
Am I In A Healthy Relationship?
As children, we learn everything we know about relationships from our family and friends. We see how our parents interact, we learn from how they treat us, and so on. What we experience in relationships growing up feels so normal that sometimes it isn’t until we reach adulthood that we realize they may not have […]
What Is Trauma Bonding?
When you think about the trauma and hard things you went through in your childhood, can you think of any inappropriate bonds you had with anyone? If your answer is yes, you may have a trauma bond. What is a trauma bond? How does it impact your life today? How can you get free from […]
How To Deal With Someone Who’s Gaslighting You
Gaslighting is a common term in our culture nowadays, but what is it? What does it mean? How do we recognize when others may be gaslighting us? What Is It? Gaslighting is an insidious form of abuse, in which one person invalidates the lived experience of another. Lying, deflecting, and shifting blame are all tactics […]
Spiritual Bypassing
The woman stood at the end of the potluck table, staring down at the casseroles. The cancer had come on so quickly; her Ed hadn’t stood a chance. He was gone. Another woman walked up next to her, setting a dish on the overflowing table. “Aw, I’m so sorry about Ed,” she said. “But you […]
Toxic Positivity
A little humor: A father said to his son, “How did you do on the math test today?” The son said, “I’m afraid I may have failed it.” Father, “Son, don’t be so negative, try to be positive!” Son, “Dad, I’m positive that I failed that math test today.” Being positive or optimistic is a […]
Tips for Lowering Your Anxiety
Whether or not you have been diagnosed with an anxiety disorder, we all encounter anxiety from time to time. When anxiety rushes in, it’s hard to know how to handle it in the moment. Sometimes a small moment triggers a wave of anxiety that throws off your entire day. Even though dealing with some levels […]
