9 Results of Codependent Pain and 4 Steps Out

She was a wonderful woman. She was so good at what she did that I almost forgot that I was paying her for counseling. It was like talking to a friend. As the weeks went by and I felt even more comfortable, I shared some things I had never told anyone. It took many...

My Pond of Sanity: A Place to Meet with God

Having a solitary place to go be with God can save you a life of mental anguish. Like a lot of kids of divorce and remarriage, I didn’t always feel wanted. Watching my parents’ desperate pursuit of their own separate happiness, I felt part of the problem. If it wasn’t...

Sometimes You Have to Walk Away

When I was growing up, my Dad and I had a close relationship. He was willing to give me the time and attention that I, like all kids, was craving. He’d take me for walks, for ice cream, to the local zoo, the beach, on picnics and to New York City where he was born and...

Who is Controlling Your Life and Why Do You Let Them?

We all want to be loved and appreciated. But what are we pursuing to fill that need? Things like money, houses, careers, prestige, security, status, toys, sex, drugs and any other thing you can imagine will only satisfy for a short time. Soon we will feel empty again...

Regret Can Teach the Best Lessons

I didn’t go to my brother’s funeral. Neither did my sister go. We had nothing against Phil. We loved him. We didn’t attend because we were both paralyzed by fear, the fear of disappointment and rejection from our Dad. I’m telling you this painful story in the hopes of...

5 Ways Jesus Proved He Was Not a People Pleaser, Part 3

4. Jesus says not to swear an oath. Just say yes or no and mean it from Matthew 5:33-37 ESV “But I say to you, do not take an oath at all…Let what you say be simply ‘Yes’ or ‘No’; anything more than this comes from evil.” Matt. 5:33a, 37 Jesus says not to promise...