Her lip began to quiver as she shared with me the latest update on her family. Their daughter had divorced last year, and her son with disabilities had to move home due to the mistreatment he received while away at college. Adding to that, they had just buried her father-in-law. Her grief was contained but, […]
Category: Pastors/Church Ministry
Tools for Those in Need of Mental Health Support
An Interview with Joe Padilla
Few things are more acutely examined than the human body. Of all its organs, the brain is the most complex. No other organ controls human functioning like the brain. However, what makes the brain totally unique is its connection to our overall well-being. The brain affects how we function physically, emotionally, relationally, personally, and spiritually. […]
Continue readingMore Tag
When the Life You’re Living Is Not the One You Wanted
It started 20 years ago. In God’s sovereign economy, it was planned before creation. At first, I called it a “difficult situation”—a “testimony in the making” that I believed would eventually pass. I Didn’t Want This That’s often my mind-set when life gets rough; I tell myself, This is tough, but God is good and […]
How to Turn That Frown Upside Down
A simple shift in thinking makes all the difference.
[guestpost] Let this article by my Dad, Chuck Swindoll, bless you this holiday season! [/guestpost] Too often, we pastors tend to wear our smiles upside-down. The burdens of ministry—especially during the busy holidays—often cause our joy to droop into deep-wrinkled frowns. In case you need a little help with this assignment, read through this psalm […]
Change: The Road to Healing with Hope
Today I chose to take another route home after taking my son to school. Typically, I race straight home or to the office, directly to my desk and dive in to work. Today was different. I needed space—which is getting harder to come by in our town. I realized this as I navigated my way […]
Fresh Hope for YOU and the Church
An Interview with Brad Hoefs
When you hear the word church, what comes to mind? Do words like comfort, connection, authenticity, excitement, joy, acceptance, or support surface? Or do words like . . . Condemnation Judgment Rejection Fear Chastisement Anger Bubble up? Our world today is desperate for hope. The church is the community God ordained to offer the hope […]
Continue readingMore Tag
What You Must Know about Fish Tanks and Church Fights
Jesus fed the five thousand with some loaves and a couple of small fish. Obviously I’m not Jesus, and I was ready to flush some small fish. Here’s how things went down: For Christmas, we purchased a simple, soothing 10-gallon fish tank for my son Jon. Nothing fancy, but from the packed tank they were […]
Revolutionary Steps toward Mental Health and the Church
This is a guest post written by my friend Joe Padilla. I pray it sheds light into a struggle you might be facing today. When it comes to mental health difficulties and support from the church, the Mental Health Grace Alliance has heard it all! Let’s look at the three major frustrations we face and […]
You Can Make a Difference
Overwhelming odds can make cowards of us all. Because there is so much to be done, we can easily lose heart and do nothing. Because there are so many to reach, it is easy to forget that God wants to use us to touch those few within our sphere of responsibility. I remember the first […]
Underdogs
I had been sorting through stacks of papers for six hours; it was now 1:00 in the morning. Twelve years of my son Jon’s educational tests, medical reports, teachers’ notes, and therapy summaries—once organized in chronological order—had become stacked in disarray on my study shelves over time. Reviewing twelve years of material is overwhelming for […]
The Class You Can’t Miss
It was a full house. Parents, students, teachers, and tutors had prepared a day to celebrate students in the summer art class. The students attended classes once a week for six weeks and learned about famous artists such as Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Vincent van Gogh, Rembrandt, and Claude Monet. Then the students sat at […]
Show and Tell
The stuff had become a problem. Every time my son, Jon, and I headed out for an event, he gathered his stuff; an ever-growing collection of games and toys jammed into an ever-increasing sized tote bag. The time to purge had come. But something interesting happened as we started our reduction plan. Jon’s anxiety increased […]