At various times in my life, I have been guilty of taking things too personally. Sometimes it comes as a result of my already being a little out of sorts and other times people just say things that hurt me to the core. The other day, I saw a quote and I took a picture of it so I'd remember it: “Try not to take things personally; what people often say is a reflection of them and not you.” This is so true; yet, there are many of us who are incredibly sensitive to insults or hurtful joking. When I was a young teen, I heard someone call me a geek right before I had to take a test. This girl … [Read more...]

Some would say I have an effective imagination. It is my effective imagination that makes me such an accomplished daydreamer. It's my effective imagination that caused me to panic when I was seven years old at summer camp when a rumor was spread that there was a man in the woods with a gun. It's my effective imagination that makes me dream vividly in color, especially when fasting from my favorite treats. My imagination makes reading novels fun and staying focused on tasks difficult. So, how can an effective imagination get you in trouble? Is there the curse of an effective imagination? Keep … [Read more...]

There is a lie which I believed for years. The lie was about something I believed, about myself. But, until recently, I did not realize how much the lie affected not only myself, but others around me. In fact, others around me were impacted more than I had ever realized. That was... until I confronted the lie. I did not realize how much the view we hold of ourselves affects those around us. I thought as long as people did not force their feelings of self-doubt and low self-worth on others, that no one else would have to suffer, but I was wrong. No man is an island – and even when we think … [Read more...]

Matt from Lynchburg, Virginia, asks, “How do I retain my individual identity while dating another person?” Let’s explore how to avoid losing your identity while dating.... Who are you? What do you like? What is your personality? What interests do you have? What do you love? What can’t you stand? The answers to all of these questions make up a person’s individual identity. So, if you’re dating, I have a question for you: Where did you last leave your identity? When two people start out dating, one of the first things that often occurs is a removal of one’s own identity. This seems to be … [Read more...]

Do you find yourself having a hard time saying, “No” to people? If there is a new project on at your church, are you one of the first people asked to help? Do you find others making plans and creating work, only to find that when it's time to finish a task, you are left to complete it without their help? For some people, saying no is harder than it is for others. Perhaps you were raised with a parent that struggled to say no. Sometimes in ministry, it is really difficult to say no because you feel pressure to spread yourself evenly throughout the entire congregation. People who have trouble … [Read more...]