Articles
Conflict Resolution Strategies for Your Marriage
There used to be a humorous saying that the first big argument in marriage was a sign that the honeymoon was over. Some couples believe that to have a perfect marriage, they must never argue. They incorrectly assume that the union is doomed if there are arguments and conflicts in the relationship. This cannot be further from the truth. Conflict is a natural reaction when two individuals express their wants and needs. Conflict will strengthen your relationship if you employ conflict resolution strategies while maintaining your integrity and your spouse’s honor. Why conflict is good for your marriage. Marital conflict is [...]
9 Ways to Rebuild Self-Esteem After a Toxic Relationship
A toxic relationship takes a more significant toll on mental and emotional health than just physical health. An unhealthy relationship can leave you with anxiety, depression, low self-esteem, and insecurities. These mental health conditions can affect all future relationships as well as current relationships with your family and friends. But after a breakup with a significant other, how do you regain the person you once were? How do you make yourself better every day? Learn how to work on building self-esteem one step at a time. Nine ways to build self-esteem after a toxic relationship. It is possible to rebuild your [...]
Tips for Reading Scripture When Life is Busy
Are you staring down New Year's Day with a list of goals for personal growth? Is one of those goals to read your Bible more? What a fantastic idea. Let’s look at some practical ways for making that happen for you this year. First, what have you tried in the past that has not worked? Rather than repeat things that have failed in the past, consider why they may have failed. Maybe you got into a Bible journaling course, but don’t actually like to write. Perhaps you failed to account for how slowly you read. Are you trying to be a [...]
How to Communicate Better: 6 Bible Verses to Help
There are hundreds of thousands of books, podcasts, and seminars on how to communicate better. This is not surprising, as being able to communicate well is at the very heart of sustaining and enjoying the relationships we have with those around us. It is hard to discern where to go, what to read, or what to listen to, in order to become better communicators. Here we will seek God’s Word on His ideal foundations for communicating. Communicating better is also something that does not come naturally. Many have been raised in homes that never taught healthy communication, while others have been [...]
Dating After Divorce: Learning to Trust Again
Dating after divorce is a journey of learning to trust again. Once you have reconciled yourself to the understanding that there is life after divorce, you can thrive afterward. Learning to move past the grief of losing a marriage is the first step in dating after divorce. And after you have suffered a little while, the God of all grace, who has called you to his eternal glory in Christ, will himself restore, confirm, strengthen, and establish you. – 1 Peter 5:10, ESV Processing grief after divorce. Grief isn’t just about death. It also is experienced when you lose a way [...]
Breaking Negative Thought Patterns
Learning about your mental health is hard work. From a spectrum of illnesses to normal thought patterns being negative, the concept of “taking every thought captive” can seem impossible. Since much of what happens in your brain is subconscious, it takes effort to change patterns and habits of negative thinking into healthy thinking. Negative thought patterns can affect your mood, your attitude toward work, and your relationships. Your brain creates ruts and in times of stress will default into the most familiar ruts. It takes time to program or reprogram the ruts to healthy thinking, rather than negative thinking. Then the [...]
6 Signs that You Struggle with Boundaries in Relationships
In today’s me-focused culture, the word “boundaries” has become a popular buzzword. Although some may misuse the concept of establishing boundaries in relationships as an excuse for spending less time with someone or committing to fewer responsibilities, real boundaries are not about selfishness or simply carving out “me” time. Boundaries in relationships are actually helpful to both people. Boundaries help each person know where they end and the other person begins. If you’ve thought about boundaries as a luxury or simply a way to get what you want, think again. Boundaries help you and the other person understand each other’s needs, [...]
How to Recharge When You’re Experiencing Emotional Exhaustion
If you’ve ever found yourself feeling like you’re at a breaking point emotionally, you’ve experienced emotional exhaustion. Emotional exhaustion shows up not only in how you’re feeling emotionally but also physically and in negative impacts on your ability to perform at work and be present at home. When emotional exhaustion sets in, you may find that you have less patience to engage with family and friends at the end of your workday, and you are more easily frustrated with them. Emotional exhaustion doesn’t happen overnight unless you’re under intense stress. For most people, emotional exhaustion builds up slowly over time, and [...]
Common Signs of Distorted Thinking
What is distorted thinking, and how can it affect you? That’s what we want to explore together today. Distorted thinking is something you can overcome with the truth of God’s Word and the help of a Christian counselor. What Is Distorted Thinking? Distorted thinking is any kind of thought process that leads you away from the truth. It can be linked to stress, emotional turmoil, or crises in your life. It can also be a long-term pattern that was formed in childhood as a coping mechanism against pain or one that was modeled to you. The problem with distorted thinking is [...]