When it comes to calming anxiety, we are becoming well-versed in strategies and coping skills. Take deep breaths, refocus your mind, talk with someone you trust, try journaling, and practice self-care! As helpful as these are, none of these are new to us and none are new to our teenagers. Teens are growing up familiar with these strategies, largely because they are a structured part of their...
In May 2023, the Surgeon General issued an advisory on social media and youth mental health. The report begins by stating, “Social media use by youth is nearly universal. Up to 95% of youth ages 13–17 report using a social media platform, with more than a third saying they use social media ‘almost constantly.’ Although age 13 is commonly the required minimum age used by social media platforms in...
In this episode of Straight to the Heart, our host, Rush Witt, enjoys a helpful conversation with Darby Strickland to learn more about her family and ministry in trauma and abuse care. Her newest book is Something Scary Happened, which helps children process their feelings after experiencing trauma. They discuss important questions about the challenges of abuse ministry, how her own story has...
Throughout his letter, Peter goes straight to parts of the Bible we might tend to avoid. He brings up accounts we find tricky to explain, or which are even embarrassing, in many cultures today. Creation in six days by the word of God? That’s not what science says. A worldwide flood of judgment? It must be an embellished tale about a local event—the fable about the boat won’t float. Fire and...
Over the past years, my wife, Barbara, and I have faced profound losses that reshaped our lives. We both lost our mothers. Then contracting Covid last summer further disrupted everything, as we battled the virus and its lingering effects. Even now, a year later, I find myself grappling with the daily limitations of Long Covid, a constant reminder of life’s unpredictability. Now, with the release...
