My newest book is Re-Framing Your Hurts: Why You Don’t Have to Fear Emotional Pain. Here is a short excerpt from the introduction. Often times the feelings of hopelessness, anger, frustration, defensiveness, and acting out are symptoms of a deeper problem. Somewhere, deep inside and possibly even hidden, is older, unresolved painful wounds that are […]
An Easy Way to Journal and Interact with Jesus
Our Joy Starts Here/Atlanta conference gave us many practical tips (From Joy Starts Here Conference 2015). The following was one of my favorites, taken from the book Joyful Journey: Listening to Immanuel. If you want to check out the book, click on the title. I have modified the journal exercise a little to make it […]
Hesed–God’s Sticky Love
Recently I listened to a teaching by my friend and mentor, Dr. Wilder, on the Hebrew word, hesed. It touched me deeply and it’s something we all need to think about. Dr. Wilder tells a story that is personal to him. I’d heard him share it long ago, but again the story moved me in […]
Forgiveness or Pretending?
Lately I’ve been thinking about forgiveness and how sometimes it is pushed as the cure-all for relationship problems. All of us have bad days when we grumble, snip, argue, or generally want to be left alone and do not act like ourselves. When these responses hurt others, they can be quickly resolved by asking for […]
Experiencing Immanuel
For the last few years I’ve been learning how to practice the Presence of Jesus and also I’ve been teaching others this wonderful way to pray and live. In my small groups we do Immanuel Prayer at each meeting, asking Jesus to show us where He is in the room and asking Him what He […]
Addictions and Attachment Pain
What do you turn to for comfort when you are hurting? Sugar? Drugs? Alcohol? Chocolate? Food? Sex? Excitement? Activity? A bad relationship? Did you know that these things we turn to when we hurt are substitutes for what our brains really want? Our brains were designed by God to thrive on joyful, relational connection to […]