I remember working with a military service member wrestling with bondage to sexual sin. As we talked, he eventually said, “You know, this reminds me of the training I received about what to do if I was ever stranded in the ocean off a sunken ship.” I was perplexed and intrigued. Maybe you feel the same as you read his reply. I asked him to explain what he meant. He described why the temptation to...
Helping children navigate mistreatment by others can be very challenging. At times it is happening to them; at times it is happening in front of them; and at times it may even be happening by them. It is important that we help children understand what bullying is and what it is not. The language of bullying can be used as a blanket label to describe many forms of unkind behavior—a mean look, a...
I recall many years ago when our youth ministry had our annual party to welcome new middle school students to our youth and family ministry. It was always a joyful time when student leaders from our youth ministry would welcome the rising middle school students to the youth group with icebreakers and games. We would share a huge meal together, and then we’d usually go outside to my backyard and...
The concept of “boundaries” has long been used as a metaphor for setting limits on relationships. There have been a number of bestselling books exploring this concept, often encouraging readers to establish necessary relational boundaries so that they won’t be taken advantage of by others, leading to overcommitment frustration. In recent years, this concept of relational limits has expanded to...
As I stepped forward to take the witness stand, I gripped a gold locket in my hand, trying to keep my nerves from unraveling with each step past the judge, jury, prosecution, and defense. Inside the locket was a photo of my baby girl when she was four months old. I was about to testify in the capital murder trial of my ex-boyfriend—the man who had sexually assaulted her and shaken her to death. I...
