Hot Buttons We all have them. Hot buttons. Sore spots, tender to even a verbal touch. When poked, these sore spots provoke us to instinctive reactions. They spring from feeling challenged or irritated. Hot buttons leave us vulnerable to being provoked. And if...
The Order of Submission If ever a word could be identified as an emotional trigger, it’s submission. And if submission is mentioned in the context of marriage, then dive for cover because the trigger just became a grenade! Do the following words sound familiar?...
Feelings, Rights, Preferences, and Honor “Honor” is not a concept often mentioned in our culture these days. I worked in the corporate world for twenty years. As I climbed the corporate ladder, I moved from an entry-level role to senior executive positions for...
Tearing Down Walls in Difficult Relationships Have you seen this meme on social media? “Life is too short to put up with people who make us unhappy.” Some people live by that mantra. Are they right? Should we simply withdraw from people who create unnecessary...
It is my privilege to introduce you to Barb Winters in this guest post as she introduces her new book Sexpectations: Helping the Next Generation Navigate Healthy Relationships. Sexpectations releases August 8 and is available now for pre-order. I highly recommend this...
Power of the Tongue “O, Lord: Help my words be gracious and tender today, For tomorrow I may have to eat them!” “Sticks and stones can break my bones, but names can never harm me.” I can still hear that childish chant echo down through the years. Trouble...
Selective Vision and Selective Listening As a writer and freelance editor, I’ve seen first-hand how easy it is to fall into the trap of selective vision. Some of my editing clients are convinced they don’t need an editor, that is until they receive the edits...
The Benefit of Daily Conversation with Friends When was the last time you spoke with a friend? A recent study published earlier this year concluded that at least one conversation with a friend every day leads to an increased sense of well-being and happiness....
5 Steps to Reject Rejection Rejection is ugly. It’s also an equal opportunity emotion. It latches on to grade-school children and haunts CEOs. It incapacitates actors and hinders artists and authors. And in today’s cancel culture, no one is immune to its...
Love, Care, Share In a world where love, care, and sharing seem to be in short supply, a friend’s prayer request brought deep conviction Her request? “Pray that I 'love deeply, care openly, share boldly.'” Wow . . . and ouch. This prayer request of hers has...
The Encouragement of an Encouraging Word Our Western civilization is becoming less and less civil by the day....
The Impact of Story I love a good story, don’t you? Skilled storytellers have beguiled audiences with mesmerizing...
Isolation or Insulation? Isolate yourself from our worldly culture. Insulate yourself from worldly influences....