our enemy is our inner me Confrontation is scary especially when fear has intimidated you and you’ve coped by shutting down, smiling and being cooperative even when you were mistreated or lied to. Jamie hated confrontation. As long as she could remember, she was always afraid to stand up for herself because she felt like […]
Are we supposed to submit to harsh leaders?
Recently I received the following question on another blog post I wrote titled When Submission is Twisted. Because my answer got a bit long winded, I decided to write a new post on this subject. If you find it relevant, I’d love to hear your comments. submission or passivity? Question:I was once under church leaders […]
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The Most Effective Way to Protect Your Emotions
Can you imagine a house without windows? Sunshine would never have a chance to dance through your curtains in the morning and kiss you hello. Gentle breezes would never be able to deliver fresh air. And without a way to look outside, how would you ever know if someone was trying to get in? Every […]
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Reclaiming your Voice
Growing up as an energetic chatty young girl, I must have driven my dad crazy. I pestered him with a million questions. With lots and lots of stories. If I heard it once, I heard it a thousand times. After taking a long puff of his Swisher Sweet cigar, a cloud of smoke and frustration […]
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When Submission is Twisted
When it comes to past destructive relationships, have you ever criticized yourself and thought, “I should have known better”? “Why didn’t I see that coming? Or “Why did I put up with his control, manipulation, addiction, abuse, adultery, or _______ (you fill in the blank)?” Sometimes, our tolerance for abuse or evil behavior is the […]
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How to Confront Emotional Manipulation
Have you ever been seduced by a manipulator? Tricked and deceived by flattery and charm only to later discover that the relationship was built on lies? It’s devastating when all of a sudden affirmation and attention turn into criticism, angry outbursts or silent treatment and other mind games. When deceit, malicious behavior and abuse occur, […]
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How to Use Boundaries and Stop Manipulation
“I was never allowed to have boundaries as a kid,” said Jen, “so as an adult, I didn’t recognize someone was violating them. “Once when I was about five, my parents had a friend over to the house. They wanted me to sit in his lap, but I didn’t want to. For some reason, he […]
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Pain Management
My head throbbed as I pounded the alarm clock to stop its assault. Too many drinks the night before, and it was only Wednesday. Flashbacks of the previous evening floated across my mind. Vodka gimlets in the hotel lobby. Three… or was it four? Dancing. Then he walked me to my room. I crawled out […]
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God has Good Plans for You
My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness (2 Corinthians 12:9). Have you ever heard a success story and thought, “Why can’t that happen to me?” Most of us crave success, but often, by the time a story is newsworthy, the hype makes it seem like it happened overnight. […]
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What is a Mind Affair?
In my ministry work with singles, I’ve heard numerous stories from women who are having an emotional affair. Some women fantasize about a man who doesn’t even know their name, while others imagine a life of romantic bliss with a coworker they barely know. Women with relationship addiction tendencies take mind affairs to an obsessive […]
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