My in-laws are in their 80s and slowing down, but don’t have dementia. My mom died young — a heart attack after many decades of smoking — and didn’t develop dementia. And neither did my dad who passed on six months ago. But I have had the opportunity of counseling folks whose loved ones have these life-stealing, memory-dimming cognitive disorder. And … Read More
How Can You Experience Lasting Change?
Can you experience lasting change … at last? Maybe the change that comes to mind is your own, or maybe you are wondering about someone you care deeply about. For lasting change to happen, Jesus consistently reminded us that our hearts need to change first. Solomon stated this principle powerfully in Proverbs 4:23 stating, “Above all else, guard your heart … Read More
How to Start Moving in the Right Direction
To get us thinking about direction, consider this: I hope you can laugh at this scenario, maybe you’ve heard it before! A new teen driver was driving down the freeway when his mother called his cell phone. “Harry, I just heard on the news that there’s a car going the wrong way on Route 280. Please be careful!” “It’s not … Read More
How to Talk More Like Jesus
Welcome to “How to Talk Like Jesus!” by Lucy Ann Moll, who’s finishing her DMin in Biblical Counseling. This article helps you communicate the truth in love with family, friends, and neighbors who “make” you want to scream or run like Forrest Gump. This article appeared first here on Lucy’s website and is used with permission. 1. Listening Well Listening well isn’t as … Read More
Scripture and Stickball: Why You Might Be a Better Biblical Counselor Than You Think
This post has a free resource at the bottom regarding “4 Reasons Why Lay Counseling Is Effective“. Right after I finished college, I was asked to meet with two middle school aged boys whose father had recently taken his life. I was a young single man and I was nervous that I would say the wrong thing. These boys had … Read More
Balancing Work and Rest
Balancing work and rest is a tough task. But placing a premium on striking a balance matters in honoring God. Dr. Donna Hart, PhD, shares valuable insights as well as an invitation to a women’s retreat. A couple of weeks ago I was at a leadership retreat where we were to arrive on a Monday evening and meet with our small groups … Read More
When the Woman Abused Was You
Childhood sex abuse ranks among the most awful experiences a woman can have. But God heals. In this article by acclaimed author Dawn Scott Damon, you’ll discover potholes on the road to recovery. Her latest book When the Woman Abused Was You. Some women live for decades unaware of their abusive past. Others who were abused as children live in the shadows of shame, … Read More
A P.L.A.N. to Engage a Suicidal Person Wisely
If someone trusts you enough to reach out for help, or you pick up on something that concerns you and makes you wonder if another person has intentions of suicide, what do you do next? It feels like a great weight of responsibility and it is. We use a simple acrostic when training churches on how to engage those with suicidal intentions … Read More
A Christian Response to Suicide or Suicidal Thoughts – Part 2
This post is part two in a series on suicide prevention and how to think through this issue carefully and biblically. Find part one here. Part 3 presents a simple plan for engaging with those who are suicidal or who have suffered the loss of someone close to them. The phone rang in the middle of my seventh birthday party. … Read More
