Thank you for exploring my site. It takes courage to be honest about areas in which you want your life to improve. This is probably not the first place you’ve looked, and it would have been easy to allow hope deferred to make your heart sick and give up (Prov. 13:12). But you didn’t. That’s the kind of perseverance that is characteristic of those who find resolution to their challenges. I pray that what you find here is a piece of what God uses to aid you on your journey.
In this brief post I want to summarize four ways the resources on this site can serve you…
1. Personal Growth or Insight
Sometimes we’re just stuck. We’ve lost all momentum because the way we view our struggle gives us no path forward. If this is you, allow the topical section of this site (on the sidebar of every page) to help you find materials that speak to areas you want to grow. Initially, all you are looking for is a fresh perspective to re-ignite your hope that it’s worth trying again. After you’ve gotten to that point, you might want to use this site in a second way…
2. Highly Structured Tools to Facilitate Your Journey
The audio/video teaching content on this site is intentionally designed to facilitate a journey through a significant life struggle or transition. These materials begin with an assessment focus (understanding the problem), provide tools to evaluate the severity of a struggle, and account for contributing factors before providing Scripture-based practical helps. Simply put: the content draws a map that is larger than merely seeing “the next step” (point #1). If you find these step-work tools helpful, I would encourage you to then use this site in a third way…
3. Expanding & Enriching Your Support Network
Often we are hesitant to share our struggles with others because we don’t want to be a burden, and we don’t think they’ll know what to say to make it better. In reality, a friend doesn’t have to know what to say to provide substantive help. Once you have a map (point #2), having a friend is a great relief on any journey. The next step can be as simple as saying, “I have found this resource to be helpful, could we talk about it as I go through it?” A good friend is going to feel honored by this invitation. The fact that you are already taking pro-active steps means that you are giving them an excellent opportunity to “bear another’s burdens and so fulfill the law of Christ (Gal. 6:2).” You are allowing the Body of Christ to be what God intended his church to be for his people.
4. (When You’re Ready) Allowing II Corinthians 1:3-5 Come Alive for You
“Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God. For as we share abundantly in Christ’s sufferings, so through Christ we share abundantly in comfort too (ESV).” No rush, but when you’re ready, you can use the same resources to invite others to walk through their struggles. In the same way that your friend didn’t have to have all the answers, you can begin to walk with friends who are at an earlier stage of a similar journey.