This is a weekly post that highlights resources from other counselors that I have found helpful. The counselors may be from the biblical counseling, Christian psychology, integration, or secular counseling traditions. By linking to a post, I am not giving it my full endorsement, I am merely indicating that I believe it made a unique contribution or raised an important subject for consideration.
Why Can’t I Get In the Mood? by Shelia Gregoire
And if you want to let God define your beauty, then you have to fight the negative self-talk! When you get a thought about how ugly you are, you have to replace it with how God feels about you. You have to fight! God wants you to win this fight, but He doesn’t fight it for you. He asks you to enter the battle.
- Couples who benefit from this article, may also enjoy my post – Initiating and Declining Sex Need Not Be Awkward or Upsetting.
10 Things Being an Athlete Taught Me About Leadership by Tim Hiller
So what are we trying to instill in our Next Level athletes? Here are 10 things athletics taught me about leadership that I hope to invest in each athlete we touch at NLP.
- I love using sports to help develop leadership and spiritual maturity in my sons. Here is a recent article of mine – 7 Lessons from Running a Half Marathon with my Youngest Son.
Christ-Centered Friendship by Christine Hoover
Friendship is vital to our growth and endurance as Christians, but friendship is the type of relationship we do not often learn about in the church. Perhaps friendship is seldom at the forefront because we assume it should develop naturally and happily, whereas brotherly and sisterly love require much supernatural forbearance and practical skill. In the absence of biblical thought and teaching, we tend toward a distorted and often self-oriented understanding of what friendship should be. Therefore, it is important not only that we have and instill in others a deep understanding of biblical friendship but that we also ensure our friendships are centered on Christ.
- Friendship is vital to discipleship. Here is a post with an empirical study, from a counseling perspective, to back up this claim – The Therapeutic Benefit of Community.
Should I Tell Someone About My Porn Problem? Three Questions to Ask by Jessica Harris
Whenever a young woman e-mails me to share her struggle with pornography or lust, and asks what to do next, my first piece of advice is always, “You need to tell somebody.” Meaning someone other than myself. It strikes fear into the heart of many of us, mostly because of the shame and stigma surrounding pornography, but, in a broader sense, the stigma and shame surrounding women’s sexuality, especially in the church.
- Regardless of gender talking about pornography is difficult, although sexual stereotypes do make it more difficult for women. Here is post that discussing why being “comfortable being uncomfortable” is essential to the pursuit of purity – Negative Emotion Tolerance in the Pursuit of Sexual Purity.
9 Things The Happiest Couples Do On The Weekend by Kelsey Borresen
Monday through Friday can feel frantic and jampacked with work deadlines, appointments and other obligations that leave little time for couples to recharge their batteries. That’s why weekends are a much-needed time for couples to slow down, connect and just enjoy each other’s company, while also taking care of their individual needs and preparing for the week ahead. We asked relationship experts how the happiest couples spend their weekends. Here’s what they told us.
- If you’re looking for more good marriage habits, consider this post – 7 Ways to Keep Your Wife Beautiful for Life.
What I’m Reading
New Morning Mercies: A Daily Gospel Devotional by Paul Tripp. 365 Gospel-Centered Devotions for the Whole Year. Mornings can be tough. Sometimes, a hearty breakfast and strong cup of coffee just aren’t enough. Offering more than a rush of caffeine, best-selling author Paul David Tripp wants to energize you with the most potent encouragement imaginable: the gospel.
Forget “behavior modification” or feel-good aphorisms. Tripp knows that what we really need is an encounter with the living God. Then we’ll be prepared to trust in God’s goodness, rely on his grace, and live for his glory each and every day.
Tweets of the Weeks
It is the mark of a humble mind to be able to explore a thought without needing to refute it.
Let us be gracious listeners, earning the ears of others.
— Eliza Jane Huie (@ElizaJaneHuie) March 22, 2018
The obvious effect of frivolous divorce will be frivolous marriage. If people can be separated for no reason they will feel it all the easier to be united for no reason.
— G. K. Chesterton (@GKCdaily) March 21, 2018
"Some churches are more concerned with protecting their traditions than reaching their grandchildren." – @jdgreear
— Cleve Persinger (@persinger) March 20, 2018
Meaningful Meme
On the Lighter Side
Because, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones,” Proverbs 17:22.
Business idea: a cleaning service staffed entirely by writers on deadline.
— Mik Awake (@AwakeMik) March 21, 2018