• Abundant Life,  Self,  Self Awareness,  Self-Acceptance,  Self-awareness,  Self-forgiveness,  self-improvement

    Godly Self-Care: Learning to Live Whole

    Self-care is often the source of disdain for Christian bloggers. Sometimes they have a point in that much of self-care advice is shallow and merely a diversion from the actual underlying issues that cause us suffering. I have nothing against pedicures, chocolate, soothing music, or hot baths. But I truly believe that self-care, in its proper sense, is absolutely godly and even more of a command than a suggestion. The human is the crowning glory of creation, whose central injunctions are to steward the earth and make more humans. I hate those memes suggesting that humans are an invasive species or a virus from which nature suffers. But in all…

  • forgive
    Forgiveness,  Narcissism,  narcissistic abuse

    How to Forgive Your Narcissistic Abuser

    This post on how to forgive a narcissistic abuser is twenty years in the making. If you are looking for an easy answer to an incredibly difficult and complex issue, this is not a post for you. Emotional abuse leaves physical wounds. Because it doesn’t leave physical scars, people assume that we are well, when in fact, we are not. It can take decades to really discover the depth of the loss and injury, as well. If you have suffered intimate terrorism, rest assured that this post is not a lecture on how you must forgive because otherwise, God will not forgive you. That always strikes me as a threat.…

  • apology
    Apology,  Forgiveness,  healing

    The Five Languages of Apology and How They Work

    A familiar chain of events in families today is the roundabout argument that goes something like this: “I’m sorry.” “No, you’re not.” “I wouldn’t say it if I didn’t mean it” “Yes, you would. You say it all the time.” This is the anatomy of the typical apology; one we learned as children. We offended our sibling and were forced to issue a half-hearted apology, which in their turn, they were forced to receive. In effect, Mom and Dad knew we were just going through the motions, and we became suspicious of apologies ever after. After all, we said them to get out of trouble, and it often worked. Most…