Inspirations for Faith and Family

 "To be honest if I were to come face to face with God, I would want to hide from Him", she confessed to me one December day. I could sense the regretful tone in her voice as she admitted this truth. In light of the holiday season, I was reminded of my kids' favorite holiday song as of late, "I'm getting nuttin' for Christmas" by Relient K. The punk rock version of this song frequently fills the sound of our home, and the catchy chorus fills my little boys' lungs and lips as they sing the words, I'm gettin' nuttin' for Christmas Mommy and Daddy are mad I'm getting nuttin' for Christmas 'Cause I ain't been nuttin' but bad In her moment of confession, it occurred to me, that this song reflects how a lot of people think of God. In many imaginations, God is a distant figure in the sky with strategically placed elves on shelves all over the world. His all-consuming interest being our behavior, good or bad. Bad behavior make...

Before I became a therapist I studied worship arts in college, and for a time became a vocational worship leader. Since then, I have continued to lead worship and write songs. It's interesting how the two roles intertwine so well when it comes to helping others achieve spiritual, emotional, and mental health. As a therapist I have learned how cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), and mindfulness are both common interventions within psychotherapy to help clients overcome mental health symptoms. These interventions work by training a person how to challenge negative thought patterns and feelings with positive ones which then elicit positive feelings and behaviors. Meditation and gratitude exercises are examples of evidence based interventions proven to help overcome mental health symptoms.  This is where music can be a powerful resource to help overcome symptoms such as anxiety. Through repetition, it touches both our minds and our emotions at the same time. When a person engages with ...

My 6 and 8 year old were motivated to rush through their "prayer bingo" with the sole motivation to get a prize at church. However, they were missing the point of the exercise. Me: "Why do you think your teacher wants you to do prayer bingo? Is it just so you can get a prize?" E: "I don't know." Me: "Your teacher wants you to learn how to pray. And if you rush through it you won't learn how to pray." E: "We already know how to pray." Me: "Prayer is something we can always learn to do better. Let's try something. Close your eyes and imagine something Minecraft. Tell me exactly what you see and all the colors." E: "I see lots of wardens chasing a guy." Me: "What colors do you see?" E: "The wardens are blue and black and the guy is tan with brownish blackish hair." Me: "Okay now keep your eyes closed, and think of a pastor at church. Describe what they look like." E: "I see...