The problem is that when we neglect our most intense emotions, we are false to ourselves and close off an open door through which to know God.

BILL OF RIGHTS Respect means I give myself and others the right to: Space and privacy (e.g., knocking on doors before entering, not opening one another’s mail, respecting each other’s needs for quiet and space); Be different (e.g., allowing preferences for food, movies, volume of music, and how we spend our time); Disagree (e.g., making room for

When we deny our pain, losses, and feelings year after year, we become less and less human. We transform slowly into empty shells with smiley faces painted on them. Sad to say, that is the fruit of much of our discipleship in our churches. But when I began to allow myself to feel a wider range of emotions, including sadness, depression, fear, and

We have more questions than answers as the very foundation of our faith feels like it is on the line.

spiritual warfare work against us. Yet

I wanted her to be the mom I’d never had—to not “abandon” me emotionally, to be there for the “wounded boy” inside her husband who was carrying out this great responsibility for God and our family.

The work of growing in Christ (what theologians call sanctification) does not mean we don’t go back to the past as we press ahead to what God has for us. It actually demands we go back in order to break free from unhealthy and destructive patterns that prevent us from loving ourselves and others as God designed.

pleasures and glory like bandages

The blessings and sins of our families going back two to three generations profoundly impact who we are today. Discipleship requires putting off the sinful patterns of our family of origin and relearning how to do life God’s way in God’s family.