Whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable — if anything is excellent or praiseworthy — think about such things. — Philippians 4:8 At first glance, our family room looks idyllic. Hundreds of books — titles I think of as classics — line the…
Your Brain on Porn
Like sand on a beach, the brain bears the footprints of the decisions we have made, the skills we have learned —Sharon Begley, Newsweek Science Editor1 Restart and reboot yourself. You’re free to go. —U2, “Unknown Caller”2 “I know it’s not really true,” said Manny, “but it seems as if my brain has been…
Praying against Self-Harm and Suicide
The Lord has chosen you to be His treasured possession. — Deuteronomy 14:2 I first heard about the practice of cutting when our oldest daughter was in middle school. We lived in southern California at the time, and a couple of girls in her grade had been seen with razor marks on their arms. My…
Reordering Our Thoughts
Keep this Book of the Law always on your lips; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. Then you will be prosperous and successful. — Joshua 1:8 What consumes your thoughts most days? When given the chance, where does your mind wander? Are you frequently…
One Thousand Gifts OBS Week 3 — All Is Grace
All is grace… because God is transfiguring all to bring glory to Christ alone. To make us more into the image of His Son. ~ Ann Voskamp And looking up to Heaven, He gave thanks and broke the loaves. — Matthew 14:19 Welcome to week three of the One Thousand Gifts Online Bible Study with…
Get Out of Your Head — That’s a Wrap!
To live is Christ… — Philippians 1:21 Well, I don’t know about you, but this has been one of my favorites of the FaithGateway Bible studies! Today starts wrap-up week, so if you want to watch all the videos again, here’s your chance. (I always do.) If you haven’t finished or want to go through…
Think About What You Think About
In her short thirteen years Rebecca Taylor has endured more than fifty-five surgeries and medical procedures and approximately one thousand days in the hospital. Christyn, Rebecca’s mom, talks about her daughter’s health complications with the ease of a surgeon. The vocabulary of most moms includes phrases such as “cafeteria food,” “slumber party,” and “too much…
The Monster in Your Mind: Take Your Thoughts Captive
When my kids were small, they always asked me to turn on a night-light before I left their rooms and close all the doors so the monsters wouldn’t come in. When I turned the light on, they weren’t as afraid. They could see there weren’t any monsters. The light enabled them to know their fears…
Anxious for Nothing — That’s a Wrap!
How did that go by so fast? It’s wrap-up week already, friends! It’s time to grab your study guides and review our journey together, and if you haven’t finished the videos, or you want to rewatch them and take more notes (I do it all the time!), you have all week to catch up. This…
Anxious for Nothing Week 5 — Meditate on These Things
Capture every thought and make it give up and obey Christ. — 2 Corinthians 10:5 The good news is that while there are many things in life over which you have no control… you get to choose what you think about. ~ Max Welcome to our final week of the Anxious for Nothing Online Bible…