Posts Categorized: The Counselor Is In

In August 1776, a large British armada arrived at New York with troops to add to the British artillery. It was the beginning of an engagement that would become our war for independence – a war which lasted over five years until Cornwallis surrendered at Yorktown in October 1781. As I finish Jeff Shaara’s novel,…

“Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.” Phil 4:6-7 This month our focus has been on graduations, with a suggestion that we stop…

Graduation means you have accomplished something – you have spent time studying and learning and are now ready to apply that learning. But your education has just begun You are leaving one institution of learning for another. The University of Life is less structured; you don’t meet at a particular time of day or have…

As I listened to my granddaughter give her speech at the graduation ceremonies from elementary to middle school, I was impressed by her ability to reflect on important markers in her young life, her aspirations for the future and her ability to deliver these thoughts. It wasn’t just her Mom and I who were proud but…

The graduation gown has been removed, replaced with our every day work clothes. Life is full of promise and possibility – we are energized and eager to conquer, to carve our niche in the world. While this might sound like the typical rhetoric we hear at graduation, graduation is an exciting moment in life at any age….

Full of promise and new beginnings As I sat and watched my grandson’s graduation ceremonies, my son and I exchanged glances of pride knowing the hard work of the students. And we exchanged comments about the opportunity and joy that teaching gave us. We both share that passion for teaching. It was a special night as…

In our world of speed, we speak in shorthand, abbreviations and identifying labels. We don’t go to the store and buy a can of beans – we buy sodium, sugar, carbs, and calories. We don’t have a problem in our lives; we are suffering from ADHD, PTS or OCD. We are not just stressed but…

Part of the challenge of confronting adversity, unwanted change and tragedies is coming to terms with what has happened. Losses mean we have left something of importance behind. Life will not be the same even if we construct a similar environment. It is gone. We are left with the remains of what was and need to…

If we could stand back and observe our lives, we might see the many unnecessary battles we have initiated, the casualties sustained and the injuries we have allowed to cripple us. The personal battles we need to step into are ones where there is abuse: physical, emotional or psychological. It will take the battle gear…

Every day we are faced with battles of some kind. We draw a line in the sand with our kids or with an encroaching neighbor. We war inside ourselves about decisions we have to make. We spend hours in our mind defending our position within relationships and places of employment while preparing ways to stand up for…