Recently I had a huge aha moment about loving our enemies that is still difficult to put into words. Those kinds of moments usually are. For several years now I’ve been studying and teaching how the brain works in relationships. I’ve gained much understanding of many Bible verses and come to look at life through […]
This is How You Do It: Good Shame Messages
Giving and receiving good shame messages at age 7 and 5? Yes! Check it out. I am not sure you readers are going to believe this, but it’s a testimony to Joy-Filled Parenting. I have to give some background, so bear with me before you get to the stories. Lauren is the mother of two […]
Spreading Joy
Around here we are spreading joy by starting other Joy Groups. In addition to my three groups, we have a couple’s group, a young people’s group, a new women’s group, and an online group. Last October, three friends started one in another area of Atlanta. As we were spreading joy, we saw the need for […]
How Can We Help Narcissists?
I am helping Dr. Jim Wilder with his upcoming book on Facing Narcissism. We are learning that high-hesed identity groups are the way to help narcissists. Hesed is the Hebrew word for God’s sticky love. The book will contain FAQ, one of which I get to answer. This is my answer to “What do I […]
On Pushing Pearls: from The Divine Conspiracy
I love reading in Dallas Willard’s The Divine Conspiracy. I have read it several times. Lately I have been pondering and sharing his insights on pushing pearls (Matthew 7:6) (Pages 228-230). Growing up I most often heard this verse interpreted that we don’t waste our time sharing–pushing pearls–with some people because they won’t listen and […]
Guidelines for Sharing Stories
Sharing Stories: Five Kinds Sharing stories is an important part of Joy Groups. Stories are life-changing because they are one of the ways we help each other grow. They are living examples of how we have practiced the relational skills, of how we acted differently than our old ways, how we failed to act like […]