Trauma

Trauma is the experience of terror, loss of control, or helplessness during a stressful event that threatens a person's physical or psychological well-being. The trauma event lives in the past, but its impact sends waves of destruction that feel as if they overshadow our present and threaten to darken the horizon of our future. A person can experience physical after effects and psychological impact. 

We must learn to put our past within a proper context. We can't let our past have its way with us. What source of truth will you use to guide the way you think about your past? Scripture speaks of these traumas as being sinned against.

Psalm 6 displays the cry of a person who feels weary, exhausted from crying, grief stricken, brokenness, thoughts of dying, aloneness, abandonment, fear, and sorrow. It is a vivid Psalm and often maps onto the emotions of someone who has experienced trauma. 

“I am weary with my moaning; every night I flood my bed with tears; I drench my couch with my weeping. My eye wastes away because of grief; it grows weak because of all my foes.”
— Ps. 6:6-7

Time doesn't always heal all wounds. We must face the reality of our experience and admit that it has taken something from us. 

Depression

“I am the subject of depressions of spirit so fearful that I hope none of you ever get to such extremes of wretchedness as I go to.”
— Charles Haddon Spurgeon

Depression can take our breath away. Our words and the words of others rarely have impact on the darkness that seems to be swallowing us. The words sound fainter and fainter.  You might even experience a physical response to your depression by loosing hair, weight, and appetite, and your eyes are red with tears. Focusing on anything seems Herculean. Pretending to be strong makes you more exhausted. Friends are impatient with you. The very sight of Scripture makes you cry.  This is truly a dark place, and it doesn't leave quickly like a summer thunderstorm. It feels like a cloud that hovers.

In Psalm 40 King David describes himself as one "in the pit of destruction". As a result, David cried. He cried and he cried out to God. Psalm 88 describes a man who "goes down to the pit" and is "without strength". His "companions shun him". He even feels as if God hides his face from him. Yet, he cries out to God. Scripture speaks with familiarity and in detail of the experience of depression. 

Depression is common with multiple causes, and there is no remedy that works for everyone. Simply asking for help and going to counseling is a step in the right direction. We desire to listen. 

Conflict and Forgiveness

Conflict seems like it is just a part of life. If you have relationships, then you have conflict. Conflict is as old as the Garden of Eden.

We all react to conflict in different ways. Some escape the tension by fleeing. Some confront the tension by attacking the person most associated with their conflict. Conflict makes us long for peace. It is an exhausting thing to keep conflict fresh with the sighs of displeasure, sharp words and long treatments of silence. Peace almost always starts with confession. Confession requires humility and an acknowledgement of wrong. 

Forgiveness might be one of the most misunderstood things in the culture. Yet, it is one of the most important things to understand in all the world. It's important to know what forgiveness is and what it is not. 

The greatest story in all the world is embedded inside great conflict and even greater forgiveness. In fact, they are almost bookends to a fascinating story of rescue, love and restoration. It is the story of Jesus. His story is beautifully relevant to our struggle with conflict and forgiveness. 

We would love the opportunity to sit down with you and look at how the Scriptures prescribe how we deal with conflict and forgiveness. 

Parenting

“If the goal of parenting is no more profound than securing appropriate behavior, we will never help our children understand the internal things, the heart issues, that push and pull behavior.”
— Tripp

Some parents deal with rebellious teenagers: Watching a child make wrong choices or take the path of rebellion is one of the most painful and agonizing experiences for a parent. The same happy child that was giggling in your arms just years before has turned angry, or despondent. It is worrisome and weighs down your days like a stone around your neck. 

Some parents deal with anxious children who are riddled with fears. Their nights are filled with tears and constant visits to your bedside. It is heartbreaking to feel unable to console a fearful child. 

Some parents just want help transitioning to parenthood. Handling a colicky baby or struggling to reclaim any semblance of a normal sleep schedule can bring anyone to tears. 

Parents deal with all kinds of challenges and temperaments from their children. Sometimes it becomes overwhelming. We understand. Many of us are parents too. 

It is helpful to remember, children are no different than anyone else; they too are worshippers. They worship something. Their hearts are not neutral. Hearts always pursue something. The heart determines our behavior (Mark 7:21). Hearts, not environments, produce behavior. 

Parenting is hard. It is one of the most challenging things a person can do. Thankfully, the scriptures are not silent on this matter. We would love to sit down with you and listen.