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,...
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...
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...
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...
Over $2 Million of Construction Done in Partnership with For the Lamb in a Decade in Liberia
At the end of 2023, I will dissolve the Bricks for Ricks Foundation Liberian Housing Foundation, Inc. Many of you have contributed to the foundation, which has helped to ease the suffering of the Liberian people by contributing to over $2,000,000 in housing...
Some Children are Thankful for Bathrooms and Those Who Build Them
Not many children will be asking for a toilet this Christmas. That's not something you'd expect to see sticking out of Santa's red sack. Not many of us can imagine sending our children to school that doesn’t have any toilets, either. Yet many children in developing...
30 Years Later Henry Peabody Returns to the Buduburam Refugee Camp
A few weeks ago, Rev. Henry Peabody revisited the Buduburam Refugee Camp, located twenty-seven miles west of Accra, Ghana, where he spent several years of his life over 30 years ago. Henry was one of the hundreds of thousands of Liberian refugees displaced by a...
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...
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...
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...
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...
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...