HOW GRATEFUL ARE WE?

HOMILY FOR TWENTY-EIGHT SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR C. Readings: 2Kings 5:14-17;Psalm 98; 2Timothy 2:8-13 and Luke 17:11-19. Some of us often recount our pains, challenges, difficulties, disappointments, setbacks and often forget the goods we have received from God. With today’s liturgy, we recall the outbreak of Ebola disease in Nigeria sometime in July 2014 […]

The Path from OCD to Freedom and Peace

Most people recognize the term OCD (Obsessive Compulsive Disorder); however, most people generally associate the OCD label with people who like things neat, tidy, and orderly. While this may be true for some individuals who suffer from OCD, it goes far beyond a personality quirk. If you or someone you love has been diagnosed with […]

Spiritual Disciplines List

This Spiritual Disciplines List features some main disciplines for life in Christ with concise definitions for each. We call these “spiritual disciplines,” but the activities are physical, not spiritual. They are bodily activities that can engage and effect our whole person (Romans 12:1-2). So a more accurate term for the exercises in this list is “disciplines for […]

The Path from Domestic Abuse to Safety

Abuse is not part of God’s design for marriage. Domestic abuse is completely contrary to what God had in mind when he said a man would leave his father and mother and become one with his wife. But domestic abuse happens more often than we realize. The National Domestic Violence Hotline reports: An average of […]

The Path from Discontentment to Contentment

Shakespeare’s play Richard III, Act-I, Scene-I, Lines 1-4, begins with the following famous stanza: “Now is the winter of our discontent Made glorious summer by this son of York; And all the clouds that low’r’d upon our house In the deep bosom of the ocean buried.” The opening lines of the play set the scene. […]

Manipulation Untangled

At some point, you’ve been manipulated by someone, or worse, you’ve likely been manipulated by someone you love. Because we want to please those we care about, we may mistakenly allow ourselves to be manipulated (which isn’t love). Someone once referred to a relationship with a manipulator as being in an emotional black hole. Maybe […]

The Path from a Dead Marriage to a Healthy Marriage

No marriage is perfect. This really shouldn’t come as a surprise since marriages are made up of two imperfect sinners who fall short of God’s glory (Romans 3:23). But it is easy to believe the grass is greener on the other side when we scroll through social media and see photos of seemingly happy married […]

The Path from Pain to Thanksgiving

Thankfulness is extremely hard when you are suffering. It almost feels cruel to say, “Thank you,” when you are grieving. It may seem callous or naïve. But sometimes people remind us to be thankful at moments when it feels the most impossible. I don’t believe most people say this to hurt us. I don’t think […]

The Path from Selfishness to Selflessness

Dictionary.com defines selfishness as “devoted to or caring only for oneself; concerned primarily with one’s own interests, benefits, welfare, etc., regardless of others.” No one wants to be considered selfish. But the problem is the majority of people are selfish. Even those of us who call ourselves Christians. And … selfishness is very difficult to […]
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The Path from ADD to Focused Mind

Whether you or your child has been diagnosed with ADD or ADHD, you have likely faced your share of challenges, and there may be struggles at school, work, or church. The inability to focus or pay attention gets in the way, and it makes simple things difficult. If this sounds familiar, you’re not alone. According […]

The Path from Procrastination to Discipline

Do you put the “pro” in procrastination? If so, you shouldn’t wear it like a badge of honor. Procrastination is an unhealthy habit. Unfortunately, our culture has made it acceptable to procrastinate, even making jokes about it. Even if society says procrastination is the norm, it doesn’t mean it is good. There are plenty of […]

The Path from Anger at God to Trust in Him

At some point, we’ve all been angry at something or someone. Anger is defined as “a strong feeling of annoyance, displeasure, or hostility.” Some people experience anger at other drivers, some people experience anger at their circumstances, and others become angry at God. Some of you who read it may immediately think this is blasphemous, […]

How to Forgive Myself

The reason you struggle with forgiving yourself is because self-forgiveness is a myth (a very popular one). If you doubt that, write a letter to your mortgage company, and carefully explain to them how you’re no longer going to make your payments because you’ve forgiven yourself of your mortgage debt. Self-forgiveness puts the totality of […]