HOW IS BROKENNESS A BLESSING?
Has a painful past experience or upsetting circumstance left you reeling, and you figure you'll never reach your potential for Christ? Do you think that a frail temperament, insecurity in social situations and recurring episodes of depression disqualify you from a...
Do You Need to Laugh Today?
Life is too short not to horse around now and then. "Lighten up, dad!" That's what my younger son Stephen told me several years ago after a couple of blogs I wrote illustrating the harsh symptoms of a depressive episode. He wasn't minimizing the effects of...
How Do I Deal with My Spouse’s Depression?
A letter from Dolly Powell (Terry's wife) to a friend who sought her input. Dear Ellen, You asked me how I deal with my husband's depression. I'm happy to share my thoughts and experiences, but I'll say right from the start that one's God-given temperament...
How and When Do You Handle Your Storms?
Is a storm assailing you? Figuratively speaking, a storm is anything that threatens your sense of security. It's an alarming situation that instills uncertainty, fear and anxiety. Are you facing any of these storms? An estranged relationship with a loved one, who...
Are You Putting Too Much Faith in Your Faith?
He knew the ice! Allow me to back up and describe the context for that remark. Fear Sabotaged Fun A church asked me to speak at a winter retreat for the youth group, held at a camp in northern Wisconsin. As my wife and I arrived, I thought we were entering...
O COME, ALL YE NEEDY!
In 2022, it emerged as one of my favorite words in the Bible. In terms of significance, it's right up there with grace, mercy, faith and cross. What is this word? It tells me what to do when I'm physically or emotionally exhausted. It offers a strategy when...
When Christmas Isn’t So Merry
A Special Introduction To An Invigorating Truth A few data-based studies I've read on the prevalence of depression among the general population do not report an escalation of serious mood disorders during the weeks leading up to Christmas. Stress increases for a...
Do You Listen With Your Heart?
In 2013, as I wrote the first draft of the final chapter of a book titled Serve Strong: Biblical Encouragement to Sustain God's Servants, despair overwhelmed me. That week, a severe depressive episode enveloped me. My soul ached, and I couldn't identify an...
Is That A Thermometer In Your Mouth?
How To Tell When There's An Infection In Your Heart When a young child acts cranky or listless, his or her mom normally pops a thermometer into the kid's mouth or scans the child’s forehead with a device that reveals the body’s temperature. If the temp is...
Is The Cross of Christ Comforting You?
Nothing is more comforting than the gospel of Jesus Christ. According to several respected authors, the key to enjoying and celebrating that gospel is preaching it to ourselves. Preaching the gospel to ourselves is a spiritual discipline that is both proactive and...
How Long Should Love Last?
Why is the proliferation of divorce in our culture a threat to marriage commitment between a new bride and groom? I answer that question in today's post. From Terry Years ago, I posted the poem I wrote for my son's wedding on my blog, but I didn't add commentary...
An Alarming Word
Please pray that you don't become too familiar with the word around which I am framing this post. There is a kind of darkness far worse than major depression. "Oh Lord, use my reflections on this one alarming word to keep us out of that darkness." The Heart...
