• needy
    Needy

    Needy: A Prayer for Desperate Times

    - By 

    We are all needy in one or another aspect of our lives. Being needy carries a certain stigma with it, but God in His Word says much on the topic. This prayer exercise comes in four parts to help fill those black holes and empty spaces in our hearts and lives. Whether you are needy financially, emotionally, or physically, this exercise addresses all the steps to moving from being empty to full. Taking the destitute widow who came to Elisha for help as our example, let us move from being have-nots to being full of the Holy Spirit and God’s…

  • hurricane harvey
    Mass Trauma

    Hurricane Harvey: The Collective Trauma of Houston

    - By 

    I have never experienced a mass trauma like Hurricane Harvey before, but I recognize the symptoms. Everyone experiences trauma in their lives, though usually individually rather than a collective trauma like a natural disaster. A car accident, a sudden death or loss of a loved one, or even just moving across the country to somewhere completely unfamiliar can bring on the symptoms of trauma. We know instinctively what trauma feels like but a complete definition can help bring some clarity. Helpguide.org describes the symptoms of trauma like this: Emotional & psychological symptoms: Shock, denial, or disbelief. Confusion, difficulty concentrating. Anger,…

  • inherited trauma
    Epigenetics - Generational Memory - Inherited Trauma

    Epigenetics, Inherited Trauma, and You: The Ghost of Generational Memory

    - By 

    The study of epigenetics and generational memory, at least as far as its relationship to trauma, is fairly new. Without going into a poor scientific explanation of what epigenetics is, I will merely quote Dr. Jackie Hackett from the University of Cambridge. He says point blank that “…research demonstrates [that] genes … retain some memory of their past experiences.” This quote is from a book entitled, It Didn’t Start With You, by Mark Wolynn. In this book, he encapsulates quite articulately the most recent research on inherited trauma and epigenetics. The most basic explanation is that trauma does not affect…