Mr. and Mrs. X have been married a long time, but are only just now learning the mechanics of reconciliation: honest confession, restitution, forgiveness and peace. Before, their conflict management style was avoidance until things cooled down, and pretending the conflict or sin never happened, without ever confessing it and seeking forgiveness. They are making […]
Balloon Squish
In my last post, I mentioned what I call the Balloon Squish. I thought I ought to take a minute to explain that term. Two weeks after the party, you decide to clean behind the couch and in the process you find an old balloon. The balloon was full and vibrant two weeks ago, but […]
You Want That Yucky Old Thing Back?
Hi Charlie, I’m sorry to be getting back to you so late. A lot of people think God is twisted and/or drunk. But as I mentioned in my last post, knowing that there’s something wrong proves that something can be wrong. If the alternative to a good God ruling the universe were true, we couldn’t/wouldn’t […]
It Doesn’t Work
The goal of life is to glorify God by walking with him and enjoying him. The problems we have in life are due to our sin or to the sins of others. Problems multiply as we respond to the sins of others in sinful ways. In counseling, we find people who are struggling with life and […]
Then He Is Strong
Sometimes the Lord is slow to come to the aid of his people, at least as we think of slow. Sometimes, we want God to come to us in our time of need—right now. We don’t want to wait, we don’t want to suffer, we don’t want to feel sorrow. But God does not count […]
He Is With Us!
Psalm 46 Devotional by Lisa Leidenfrost God is our refuge and strength. He is our protection from the storm but also our strength to go through it. He is both at the same time. A very present help in trouble. I love this. He is right down there with us even in the darkest night. […]
All The Way Down
Hi again, Cindy, You have quite a story so far. I’m not sure why your other counselor was entertained by it. It appears to be full of tragedy and pain, with none or very little godly success. I would be interested in hearing the story about how you came to believe you are a Christian […]
It’s All About Jesus
Hi Cindy, This is going to sound really strange, but as I was reading your letter I found myself thinking, “this is a really great letter.” It’s great, not because of all the pain and suffering you are experiencing, but because of all the strong desires to run to God, to find shelter in God, […]
Sin vs. Sick
The most experienced psychologist or observer of human nature knows infinitely less of the human heart than the simplest Christian who lives beneath the Cross of Jesus. The greatest psychological insight, ability, and experience cannot grasp this one thing: what sin is. Worldly wisdom knows what distress and weakness and failure are, but it does […]