Category Archives: Despair

Four servants of God who battled fierce despair

Posted on March 5, 2020 by

Four servants of God. Each one reached an extremely low point in life. All of them felt that life was no longer worth living. Continue reading →

Posted in Abuse, Addiction, Anger, Anxiety, Assurance, Bitterness, Broken Relationships, Call to ministry, Character, Childhood trauma, Christian life, Comfort, Complaceny, Conceit, Conflict, Contentment, Crisis, Depression, Despair, discouraged, Discouragement, Divine Lottery, Doubt, Elders, elders in the Church, Emerging Leaders, Emotions, Encouragement, Failure, Faith, Fear, feeling hopeless, Freedom, God's Patience, God's Heart, God's Love, Grace, Gratitude, Grieving, Hope?, Kindness, Leadership, Life of a pastor, Loss, marriage problems, Meaning of life, Mercy, Middle life, Mind Renewal, Nihilism, Pain, Pastors, personal, Praise, Prayer, purpose, Questioning God, Repentance, Sadness, Seeking God, Selfishness, Spiritual Detox, Spiritual inventory, Spiritual transformation, Suffering, Suicide, Temptation, Trials, Truth, Victory, Walking with God, Will of God, Wisdom, Worship | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Some worship their past and their pain

Posted on June 11, 2019 by

Their pain becomes a temple ‘round itself, and they become devotees of anguish. Continue reading →

Posted in Despair, Pain, Suffering, Wisdom | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Conversation with my medical doctor

Posted on May 18, 2019 by

How adequately can a diagnosis be made in such a short amount of time? And how often do we misdiagnose normal sadness as disordered sadness?
Continue reading →

Posted in Depression, Despair, discouraged, Discouragement, Wisdom | Tagged | 1 Comment

Pick your parent day

Posted on March 27, 2019 by

Alex’s story took an unexpected turn when I asked him which parent he chose. He paused and looked down with tear-filled eyes as he admitted,… Continue reading →

Posted in 18 Year factor, Abuse, Child Abuse, Despair, Pain, Parenting, Wisdom | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Never give up on prayer

Posted on January 14, 2019 by

Why does God allow perseverance in prayer to be part of our experience with Him? Prayer is an appeal to one who can do what I cannot do and what others won’t do. Continue reading →

Posted in Christian life, Coming of Christ, Despair, Disciple-making, Discipleship, discouraged, Discouragement, Doubt, feeling hopeless, Following Christ, Hope?, Jesus Christ, New Christian, Prayer, Problem of evil, Spiritual disciplines, Teaching of Jesus, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

The expanded role of medical doctors

Posted on December 10, 2018 by

Although doctors are primarily charged with caring for physical health, over the last three to four decades, doctors have been called to take the role that was once reserved for a different profession. Continue reading →

Posted in ADHD, Anxiety, Biopsychology, Christian Counselor, Counseling, Depression, Despair, Doctor, Holistic ministry, Medicine, Neuroscience, Psychology, Social work, sociology, Wisdom | Tagged , , , , , | 1 Comment

My first funeral (a suicide)

Posted on December 8, 2018 by

There was standing room only at the funeral parlor as I faced some rather austere men and women dressed in the old black garb common to conservative Mennonites. Continue reading →

Posted in Christian Counselor, Counseling, Depression, Despair, Eternal life, feeling hopeless, Funeral, Hope?, Life of a pastor, Sadness, Suffering, Suicide, Wisdom | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment