Spiritual Development

Relationship Advice for Men – From a Woman

2025-03-31T10:10:10+00:00March 31st, 2025|Dental, Featured, Relationship Issues, Spiritual Development|

Do women seem like a puzzle? Do you wonder what on earth they are thinking? Does it seem like women say one thing but expect another? Men and women are entirely different in the ways that they think. God created us to be unique and to complement one another. If you are looking for the woman God has chosen for you, consider the following relationship advice for men from a woman's perspective. Relationship Advice for Men The internet is riddled with relationship advice for men. But what you need to attract a Christian woman is advice from a licensed counselor who happens to be a woman and can give you a glimpse into what the right woman is looking for in a Christian man. Unlike the secular world, most Christian women want to lead a Proverbs 31 life. This means she wants to embody the type of life as seen in Proverbs 31:10-31. Of course, this may not be a literal interpretation; a woman may not want to buy a vineyard or make her clothes by hand. But the Christian woman will most likely want to be able to provide clothing and food for her family. In addition, she will probably want to make wise investments and earn and save money. Most importantly, she will want a husband and children who will honor and bless her all the days of her life. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: "Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all." Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Honor her for all that her hands have done, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate. – Proverbs 31:28-31, NIV To [...]

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Grief in the Bible: What David Can Teach Us About Loss

2025-01-29T09:23:44+00:00January 29th, 2025|Featured, Grief Counseling, Personal Development, Spiritual Development|

In 2 Samuel 11, we read the story of David and Bathsheba. We all know the first part of the story fairly well. David, having sluffed off his duties as a military leader, chooses to stay home while his men go to fight the Ammonites. He is on the roof one night and spots a beautiful woman bathing. He tells his men to bring the woman to him. They sleep together and the woman, Bathsheba, gets pregnant. Bathsheba’s husband, Uriah, is away fighting the battle David should be leading. David, terrified his sin will be discovered, schemes to bring Uriah back so he can sleep with his wife and believe he fathered the child. But Uriah has integrity and does not enjoy a luxury his men cannot have. David then schemes to have Uriah killed on the battlefield so he can marry Bathsheba and hope people do not figure things out. That is the story we know. Some of us go further and get to the part where Nathan, God’s prophet and advisor to the king, rebukes David via a well-played parable. In 2 Samuel 12, Nathan comes to David and tells him a story about a rich man stealing a poor man’s only lamb without a second thought. David becomes filled with righteous anger and demands justice for the poor man. Nathan then brings David’s sins to light by telling him he is the rich man. God knows what he did with Bathsheba and is less than pleased. As part of David’s punishment, the child he made with Bathsheba gets sick. David intercedes with the Lord to heal his child, but the child passes away. And the Lord afflicted the child that Uriah’s wife bore to David, and he became sick. David therefore sought God on behalf of [...]

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Are You in a Serious Relationship? How to Assess Your Relationship Commitment

2024-12-27T11:36:26+00:00December 27th, 2024|Featured, Personal Development, Relationship Issues, Spiritual Development|

Not everyone likes surprises. Some people relish the thought of being on the receiving end of a huge surprise party, while others live in near-mortal terror of their loved ones launching a surprise celebration of whatever sort. People are wired differently, so it’s not surprising that there would be different tastes in this regard as well. Of course, surprises come in all shapes and sizes, and people respond to those differently, too. One type of surprise would be if your spouse discovered they were pregnant after a long time of you trying for a baby. Another would be if you won a trip to an exotic location when you’d forgotten you even entered. Another kind of surprise is when you discover that the relationship you’re in is more serious and committed than you thought. What’s A ‘Serious’ Relationship? Romantic relationships run the gamut from casual hookups that people make online or in person, to lifelong exclusive commitments they make to one another before God and witnesses. Each person will likely describe a ‘serious’ relationship differently. For the person who’s not looking for anything long-term, exclusive, or committed, ‘serious’ means taking a step toward those things. One way to define a ‘serious’ romantic relationship is to say it is a relationship in which the dynamic has moved or is moving toward deeper presence in each other’s lives, exclusivity, and it is likely heading toward a deeper commitment toward one another such as marriage. Such a relationship is bringing the lives of two people closer together, they are growing in knowing each other better, and their connection is leading them to want to be present in each other’s lives more and more. How Do Serious Relationships Happen? If you find yourself in a relationship that you can term ‘serious’, there are [...]

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The Benefits of Gratitude and Learning How to Be Grateful

2024-11-29T06:33:45+00:00November 28th, 2024|Anxiety, Depression, Featured, Spiritual Development, Thankful|

One of the most famous lines in cinema history comes from the movie Forest Gump. While sitting at a bus stop and engaging in conversation with various people, the eponymous character says the iconic words, “Life is like a box of chocolates; you never know what you’re gonna get”. Life is indeed something of a mixed bag; you never know what each day or moment may bring. When life roughs you up, one of the first things to remember is that you do have a choice in how you respond to it. You aren’t helpless and your responses to the situation aren’t predetermined. You can decide how to respond to a given situation, and you can choose what mindset to adopt as you face challenges. That doesn’t mean pretending a tough situation isn’t tough, but it might mean adopting a healthy mindset toward that situation. Being grateful and maintaining a mindset of gratitude can help you tackle the various challenges life throws at you. There are many benefits of gratitude which this article will explore. What Is Gratitude? The word “gratitude” comes from the Latin word gratia. Depending on the context in which that word is used, it can mean grace, graciousness, or gratefulness. Gratitude often encompasses all these varied meanings because it is a thankful appreciation for what you’ve received that has enriched your life. The things that have enriched your life could include tangible things like the home you own, or the resources at your disposal, but it can also refer to the intangible things like your health and the rich relationships that are part of your life. When you express gratitude, you acknowledge the goodness in your life, and that often leads you to recognize that the source of that goodness lies at least partially outside yourself. Being [...]

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The Importance of Estate Planning

2025-01-08T10:39:51+00:00July 26th, 2024|Family Counseling, Featured, Group Counseling, Spiritual Development|

The latter portions of your life can be a mixed bag of experiences. After decades of hard work, you may be retired and resting on your laurels. You may have an active and present role in your children's and grandchildren’s lives. Or perhaps you have chosen to settle in a new place altogether. Regardless of where you have settled for your twilight years, it is essential to have plans for your eventual death. A good person leaves an inheritance for their children’s children. - Proverbs 13:22a, NIV Taking the time now to plan for the end of your life and what happens afterward will save your grieving loved ones from significant trouble. Anyone who has dealt with the care of aged parents knows that many things need to be handled. There are legal, medical, and financial decisions that need to be made. Having as much taken care of ahead of time will prevent heartache and misunderstandings. Wealth Then Joshua dismissed the people, each to their own inheritance. After these things, Joshua son of Nun, the servant of the Lord, died at the age of a hundred and ten. And they buried him in the land of his inheritance, at Timnath Serah in the hill country of Ephraim, north of Mount Gaash. – Joshua 24:28-30, NIV The big question in any rich person's murder mystery is always “Who benefits?” However, it is probably best to leave that kind of drama to the silver screen. For the sake of everyone, make things clear. You should have a will in place to determine what happens to your wealth. In addition to real estate and bank accounts, having clear instructions for jewelry and family heirlooms may be helpful. Initiate conversations with your children and grandchildren about heirlooms. There may be things you own that [...]

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