Told by “Chiral,” written by Lauren Rose As a single mom of two toddlers, I thought my kids needed a dad, and I desired to be a stay-at-home mom. I believed God answered my prayers when I reconnected with my high school boyfriend when he returned from the Army, and we...
Counselor & People Helpers
SACRED COWS IN THE CHURCH: When Churches Elevate Marriage Over Lives
This blog post was originally published Nov. 2016, since that time things have improved significantly in our churches. However, there is not a week that goes by in our ministry when we don’t hear a story of someone who is still struggling to get their church to...
“Christine’s” Church Introduced Her to Love After Abuse
As told by "Christine," and written by Lauren Rose I separated from my husband three times because of the abuse, but I was blessed that God placed me in churches that rallied around my children and me at each of those times. This is still amazing to me, considering...
A Letter from a Survivor
Marriage is highly valued! But this marriage might take my life! The image that God has created in me was almost gone.
Random Thoughts on Submission
Love ceases to be love when free will is taken out of the equation.
We Don’t Know What to Do…
I don’t know about you, but all the craziness that’s come in 2020 has tempted me to worry a lot. I keep wondering what I can do to change things, but feel completely powerless to do so. It seems like nothing I could do would make a bit of difference. I’d be completely...
Irreconcilable Differences
The Destructive Impact of a Lack of Humility in Our Nation When I used to do marriage counseling, there were certain attitudes on the part of one, or both, spouses that I knew would doom a marriage. If I could not get them to empathize with one another or see things...
Recognizing Bad Fruit Isn’t Judging
However, recognizing bad fruit doesn’t require judgment. It’s obvious. The fruit is either good or bad. I’d say when someone curses you again and again or spits in your face and utters hateful words, that is bad fruit. If someone oppresses you, or restricts your freedom to even think or act independently, that’s bad fruit– and God hates it.
caring for the least of these
Sadly, over the years, I have watched scores of women and children move from plenty to needy with very little help from God’s people. They are forced to seek government assistance, which is usually far from adequate. How it breaks my heart!
Trusting God In Hard Times
Victory over fear is far more than just the absence of anxiety and dread; it is confidence in God’s goodness towards us even in the midst of trying circumstances. Psalm 27:10 has long been a favorite verse of mine. "Though my father and mother [or husband!]...
Is it Abuse? Minimizing, Denial & BLame… Part 5
When Jan finally got up enough courage to ask the church for help, John discredited everything she said. Since she had struggled with postpartum depression, he used that to convince the church she was completely unstable.
Is it Abuse? Part 2: A Proven Screening Tool
Part 2 in a Series. In order to recognize the signs of domestic abuse, most experts rely on a tool called the Power and Control Wheel. This resource was created by the Domestic Abuse Intervention Project of Duluth, Minnesota in 1984,[i] and is based on observation of...