Council of Counselors: Mentally Ill Spouse / Parenting on Money / High View of Marriage / Co-Parenting / Sleep & IQ

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.

When Your Spouse Is Mentally Ill by Name Withheld (Anonymous)

My husband’s schizoaffective disorder devastated our family. Here’s what I’ve learned in the years since he was first diagnosed.

• If you want to learn more consider this plenary and panel discussion on ministry and mental illness.

7 Parent-Child Money Conversations That Must Happen Before Senior Year by Art Rainer

High school students have many concerns on their mind—grades, their car, their crush, and the cafeteria’s mystery meat sandwich, just to name a few. But of the numerous concerns that consume your child’s thoughts in high school, money is probably not one of them. However, we know the advantage a basic understanding of money can give your child as they enter their senior year and are looking toward college.

• Want more resources on finances? Here you go.

A High View of Marriage Includes Divorce by Barry York

God hates divorce, doesn’t He? Absolutely. Isn’t the gospel about forgiveness and love? Yes, it is. And pastors and elders can use these two truths in isolation from the rest of Scripture and biblical principles to deny people divorce for biblical grounds. “But marriage is a precious thing,” one pastor told a woman whose husband was in prison for pedophilia. “It would be a wonderful picture of God’s grace to move on from this and focus on your marriage,” another one told the husband of an adulteress. “We’re working with him; he’s really struggling, and so you need to forgive him,” a session tells a woman whose husband has been using pornography for years.

• This post raises many questions about abuse, addiction, adultery, pornography.

Co-Parenting: Event Etiquette (Podcast) by Family Life

Kids love when their parents attend their recitals, concerts, and sporting events but not if co-parents make it stressful. So, mind your etiquette. Sit where you feel comfortable and be respectful to the other parent. After the event, let your child hug or talk to each parent no matter who has visitation. To keep the event safe for everyone, don’t discuss parenting matters otherwise it turns a recital into a business conversation. Let the moment be about celebrating your child.

• If you want to know more about co-parenting consider this post reflecting on statistics related to blended families.

Intelligence, Sleep, and School Achievement by Joseph Buckhalt

I have argued that sleep one factor that relates to the achievement gap between children from lower and higher social class, as there is evidence that children living in poverty (defined in numerous ways) have lower school performance and poorer sleep than their middle and upper-class peers (Buckhalt, 2011). The implication is that by improving lower class children’s sleep, they may perform better in school and help narrow the achievement gap that has been so concerning and longstanding.

• For more an good sleep etiquette, see the “What I’m Reading Section” below.

What I’m Reading

Tweets of the Week

Meaningful Meme

Thanks for the Mentions

• David Murray at Head-Heart-Hands for mentioning my addiction resources.
• Taffy Hunter at LittleBird for mentioning my post of manipulative repentance.
• The team at TheologyMix for running my series on depression.
• Kevin Halloran at Anchored in Christ for highlight the GCM pre-marital mentoring series.

On the Lighter Side

Because, “A joyful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones,” Proverbs 17:22.

I “very” much appreciated this instruction.