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Reflection: When God Isn’t Answering Your Prayer
Most of us have been taught that prayer is the first thing to do when we are in trouble. While it is sound advice, there is a possible pitfall. When we view prayer as a problem-solving technique, we lose sight of God’s intended purpose of it—as an instrument of intimacy […]
Find hope for your broken expectations
If you’ve ever experienced a broken dream, a bitter disappointment, or a crushing regret then you know what it’s like to experience unfulfilled expectations. Let’s walk the trail of broken promises Samson left behind him, and reveal how God redeemed each one!
On Listening
God gave you two ears and one mouth for a reason,” the saying goes. The ability to listen is an essential life skill. Counselors tell us to listen to each other. Spiritual leaders tell us to listen to God. But hardly anyone says, “Listen to yourself.” I’m not suggesting that we have an inner voice that always knows the right thing to say. Nor am I saying we should listen to ourselves instead of to God and others. I’m suggesting that we need to listen to ourselves in order to learn how others might be receiving our words.
Great Expectations
I once asked a counselor what the major issues were that brought people to him. Without hesitation he said, “The root of many problems is broken expectations; if not dealt with, they mature into anger and bitterness.”
In our best moments, it’s easy to expect that we will find ourselves in a good place surrounded by good people who like and affirm us.
Taking Refuge
In the medieval world, farmers would care for their crops until an enemy appeared on the horizon. Then they would flee with their families to their fortified city for protection from the marauders.
The city of Carcassonne has been a refuge for generations. Built in the 5th century bc, this stone fortress has provided protection for Romans, Gauls, Visigoths, Franks, and French. Its sprawling size and majestic watchtowers and battlements gave confidence to those hiding inside its protective walls.
Life After Loss: Grieving with Hope
“Grief is a journey that sooner or later we all must take,” writes counselor Tim Jackson. Sharing his personal experience and pointing us to the cross and the power of Christ’s resurrection, Jackson shows us how we can take that journey with hope. In the pages of this booklet, he walks with us through the grieving process and reminds us to “lean on our Creator and each other” for comfort.
Why In The World Am I Here?
Many people are searching for answers to life’s issues—looking for fulfillment and finding frustration, emptiness, despair, and hopelessness. In this booklet, Kurt De Haan takes a look at life from a different point of view as he shares insight from the book of Ecclesiastes. Find answers to some of the deepest and most troubling questions and discover Solomon’s conclusion about the only way to live a truly fulfilling life.
When Disappointment Deceives
No one is immune to disappointment—not even God! In this booklet, counselor Jeff Olson challenges you to take an in-depth look at what is really going on when your heart is wounded. Discover how you can see beyond the deceptive, misleading, and destructive lies of Satan and find the truth that leads to healing and freedom.
When Hope Is Lost: Dealing With Depression
Giving up on life or feeling that life has given up on you is a battle millions of people face in struggling with depression. In this booklet, counselor Jeff Olson takes a closer look at the nature and various components of depression. Discover how you can avoid being overwhelmed by the darkness of depression and experience the light of God’s hope for your future.
The role our emotions play as we strive to be people of grace
Forgiveness isn’t easy. In fact, there’s often a lot of emotional baggage that comes when forgiving someone or asking them to forgive you. An honest appraisal of forgiveness.
Forsaken?
Do you know which psalm is quoted most often in the New Testament? You may have guessed the familiar and beloved 23rd Psalm, but actually it is Psalm 22. This psalm begins with David’s poignant, heart- breaking words that were quoted by Jesus on the cross, “My God, My God, why have You forsaken Me?” (Matt. 27:46; Mark 15:34).
Self-Destructive Hatred
George Washington Carver (1864–1943) overcame terrible racial prejudice to establish himself as a renowned American educator. Spurning the temptation to give in to bitterness for the way he was treated, Carver wisely wrote, “Hate within will eventually destroy the hater.”
A New View Of Change
People hate change, or so I hear. But the change we generally resist is the kind that we think will make our situation worse rather than better. We eagerly change jobs when it means higher pay and more influence. We happily move to a bigger house in a better neighborhood.
Mouth Guard
I was walking in a subway in Minsk, Belarus, with my friend Yuliya and her daughter Anastasia when I suddenly fell face first onto the dirty concrete floor. I don’t remember the fall, but I do remember suddenly having a mouth filled with sand, gravel, and grit. Ugh! I couldn’t get that stuff out of my mouth quickly enough!
Seasons Of Ups And Downs
Most of us would agree that life has its ups and downs. Wise King Solomon believed this and reflected on our responses to fluctuating circumstances. In Ecclesiastes, he wrote: “To everything there is a season, a time for every purpose under heaven: . . . a time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance” (3:1-4).
