Storms of life can hit hard against our mental health, but we can learn to stand firm and even advance. Developing resilience is a practice of strengthing your inner Bulldog. It was quite something as I watched this little goat headbutt a Bulldog. Repeatedly it launched itself at the Bulldog, […]
empowerment
Some people can be difficult to live at peace with. To live peaceably and in harmony requires each person to do the work on themselves. Some people are like bottomless holes. You give and give, and they take and take. They raise a storm, and you’re expected to bring peace. […]
God, will it always be like this? That was what their heart was wanting to know. The answer lay in knowing their slave master of despair. Hope is the dance partner of Faith and Love. Every day felt the same, in fact, every week and every month. Do the job, […]
‘Power over’ was normal, but ‘power with’ was what they needed. When we listen deeply, we move forward. Mental health flourishes when power is shared. She was small in stature, and I think she also saw herself as being a little person, insignificant. She was also quiet and never really […]
If you knew me, would you still love me? We all need others who will be strong enough to handle what comes from the inner world of each other. When they had opened up, they looked at me and wondered if I would reject them. So many others had. I […]
‘Shoulds’ can pile up on the shoulders and shape our thinking. But we have efficacy. We have the power to make a change and stop ‘shoulding.’ We don’t have to live under the slavery of a ‘should.’ It was always the same message. ‘You should be doing better.’ ‘You’re not […]
If you want abundant life then you need to be brave and explore the inner world. The secrets you keep maybe keeping you sick. The chief thief is the belief beneath. I remember the first time I went to see a counselor. I was so afraid as I thought that […]
Comparisonitis kills joy. Comparing yourself to others robs you. Instead, explore who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. I’m just recovering from a severe case of comparisonitis. I think I caught the most recent dose from the Internet, but this disease has […]
Life’s not fair, and there is mystery involved. When we know there is a bigger story going on then perhaps grace can heal the wounds. It was always the same conversation. Life’s not fair. They didn’t just carry a chip on their shoulder, it was a gigantic log, and it […]
Women have a God-given beauty within them that, when squashed and sullied, grows a depression. When we discover God’s view of what is beautiful, then hope can blossom in a seemingly barren field. She was 1.52m (5ft) high, never applied any makeup, no fancy hairstyle, diamond earrings, or expensive gowns. […]