My Thoughts and Articles
Helping Groups Heal
As a professor, counselor, and writer, I engage with people every day about their deepest experiences of pain and struggle. We live in a broken world, filled with disappointment, problems, and difficulties. This is a predictable part of life. Jesus promised that “In this world you will have trouble” (John ...
Riding Out the Highs and Lows
Life is full of highs and lows. Sometimes it’s helpful to know that both the highs and the lows don’t usually last too long. A Bad Day I remember one day awhile back, I was in a grumpy mood. My day was really busy, and on top of that, I ...
What Does It Mean to Love Your Neighbor?
One of my favorite stories from the Bible happens when a rich young man approaches Jesus and asks what he must do to get eternal life. Here’s what happened: Just then a man came up to Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good thing must I do to get eternal life?” ...
Fine?
I have a tendency to say “I’m fine” when I’m not. It’s almost an automatic response. Maybe I’m feeling bad but don’t quite understand why. Or maybe I know why, but I don’t want to talk about it. I’m Fine I saw a post online the other day that said ...
Good Friday, Easter Sunday, and Living Wholly
This past Easter weekend, I was struck by the dichotomy of Good Friday and Easter Sunday, the symbolism of each day, and how I think we need both in our lives. Good Friday Good Friday has to do with death, dying, sacrifice, loss, pain, sorrow, and sadness. It’s a little ...
The 15-Minute Rule
When I work with graduate students, I tell them about something I call the “15-minute rule.” Basically, what this means is that if they are working on something and get to the point where they are stuck, they should continue to work on it for 15 minutes. Then, if they ...
