Blog

The Power of an Emoji 

Recently, I wrote a heartfelt message to a troubled friend and sent it via Messenger. Within a few minutes, an angry-face emoji popped up beside my message. Instantly, I felt a sensation in the pit of my stomach that I recognized as anxiety. I immediately thought,...

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When Marriage is Like Two Ships That Pass in the Night

The 1979 Barry Manilow song "Ships" peaked at number nine on the Billboard Hot 100. Manilow's beautiful melancholy tone in this song reflects the love of a father and son, best characterized by their geographical distance and emotional pain. They try to rationalize...

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What Dying Patients Are Teaching Me About the End of Life

1. We Lay Down Trophies and Accolades After visiting a well-known aging pastor and his wife, I thought about the couple's influence among their peers, church, community, and denomination. Most of this had vanished because of their declining health and years removed...

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When Trust Erodes Love Fades

When Trust Erodes Love Fades Throughout my ministry, I have counseled about 150 couples.  Many have been pre-marital couples and others have been couples with marital problems.  Through my counseling and my marriage, I have learned how important trust is to...

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Anxiety in the Family System

When my wife and I were raising our two sons, we noticed the oldest was struggling with anxiety issues.  We took him to a psychologist, and after a couple of sessions, she said, “Don’t bring him back.  You are wasting your money.  I can’t get him to talk to me.”  My...

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Avoidance Allows Fear to Grow

When I was a child/adolescent, I was diagnosed with a “nervous stomach.” Fifty years ago, I don’t know how much my doctor knew about the correlation between anxiety and the body. My doctor never used the word “anxiety” to describe my condition, nor was I ever offered...

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Bringing Some Order to Your Chaos May be a Breath Away

Not long ago I played a matching card game with my five-year-old granddaughter. I took half the deck of cards and arranged them on the table and we turned them over two at a time. The goal was to find a match: two kings, two sevens, or two aces. You get the idea. It’s...

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Are You Living or Existing?

I work in a hospital. As a chaplain, I am in a unique position to see people of all ages who struggle with their health. I also see much more. I see people who struggle with relationships, finances, self-esteem, self-love, direction, and discipline to take care of...

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A Word of Encouragement to Medical Personnel

A Word of Encouragement to Medical Personnel I work as a full-time chaplain at a hospital in the North Georgia area.  Every day that I go to work, I am greeted by posters drawn by children encouraging the staff as they continue to battle COVID-19. Back during the...

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