by Lucy | Sep 15, 2009 | biblical counseling |
A dear friend shared this with me. She doesn’t know the source. If it’s you, do tell. ~ Lucy
Women have strengths that amaze men.
They bear hardships and they carry burdens,
but they hold happiness, love and joy.
They smile when they want to scream.
They sing when they want to cry.
They cry when they are happy
and laugh when they are nervous.
They fight for what they believe in.
They stand up to injustice.
They don’t take “no” for an answer
when they believe there is a better solution.
They go without so their family can have.
They go to the doctor with a frightened friend.
They love unconditionally.
They cry when their children excel
and cheer when their friends get awards.
They are happy when they hear about
a birth or a wedding.
Their hearts break when a friend dies.
They grieve at the loss of a family member,
yet they are strong when they
think there is no strength left.
They know that a hug and a kiss
can heal a broken heart.
Women come in all shapes, sizes and colors.
They’ll drive, fly, walk, run or e-mail you
to show how much they care about you.
The heart of a woman is what
makes the world keep turning.
They bring joy, hope and love.
They have compassion and ideas.
They give moral support to their
family and friends.
Women have vital things to say
and everything to give.
HOWEVER, IF THERE IS ONE FLAW IN WOMEN,
IT IS THAT THEY FORGET THEIR WORTH. — anonymous
Sweet sister in Christ, you are SO valuable. God says so. Share this with a friend.
Then came hope. Jesus. Real Hope Biblical eCounseling
You Are Loved, Lucy
by Lucy | Sep 13, 2009 | biblical counseling, emotions
Marianne felt lonely.
On the outside all looked fine. A great husband, two girls, vibrant and busy in an under-four-kind-of-way, a master’s in education, and the good looks of Jennifer Aniston. She read her Bible daily and went to church. Inside she hurt terribly. She didn’t know who to tell.
The women at church had it all together. Or so it seemed.
If we stop and look, we each will see hurting women in our churches. Are you among them?
If so, you are a “sheep” who has fallen down, a “very pathetic sight,” writes Philip Keller in A Shepherd Looks at Psalm 23. “Lying on its back, its feet in the air, it flays away frantically struggling to stand up, without success. Sometimes it will bleat a little for help, but generally, it lies there lashing about in frightened frustration.”
To stand you need help. You need spiritual CPR: Care, Prayer, Repair.
Years ago, God gave me the passion to help hurting women who hurt. This passion led to my seminary studies to learn pastoral care to women. It led me to counsel women at my church with the Word. Later, I began counseling hurting women whom I met through Twitter and founded Real Hope Biblical eCounseling.
Step One: Care
What does spiritual care look like? A lot like the story of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37). You remember: On the road to Jericho, a man was beaten by robbers and left for dead. A priest saw him and walked on by. So did the next Jew. When a Samaritan (considered a despicable “half-breed” to Jews) saw him, he stopped and helped.
You have immediate needs. Groceries? A ride to a doctor’s appointment? Help figuring out which bill to pay next? Most important, do you need someone to listen. As someone listens to your pain, your healing begins. But listening is only the beginning.
Step Two: Prayer
Pray to our Lord Jesus, the Great Physician. Tell him your needs. Of course, he already knows. Praying will increase your connection to him. Ask him for wisdom concerning your next steps. The Holy Spirit will guide you. He wants you to experience his peace.
“I am leaving you with a gift — peace of mind and heart. And the peace I give is a gift the world cannot give. So don’t be troubled or afraid” (John 14:27 NLT).
Step Three: Repair
Now identify your real pain. Often you need someone to help you do this. For example, when I asked Marianne, mentioned at the top, why she felt sad, she said she missed being in the workplace. Her real issue was much deeper; it involved believing God will never reject her.
Do you have junk from childhood? The death of a loved one, her parents’ divorce, a trauma like rape? Any of these can affect you now. Do you experience unforgiveness, worry, addiction and so on. These keep you caught in a downward spiral of negative emotions.
When Marianne and I shared iced tea in her backyard while our children played, she talked and I listened — a lot. I learned she had two major life transitions: she was newer to our community and she had left a job she loved. We talked many more times. Once she realized that these transitions — and her fear of rejection — had led to her mild depression she stopped fretting. She joined a moms’ group at church and contributed her gifts of leadership and drama.
God had not abandoned her as she feared. He brought her a friend who listened and cared. He provided direction through the Bible. Most of all, he gave her Jesus.
Do you need CPR for the soul? Just like Marianne and many other women I counsel biblically (by phone, typically) through Real Hope Biblical eCounseling? Send me an email and put “I want wholeness” in the subject line and get a session free. To check out more information on biblical counseling, go here.
You Are Loved, Lucy
by Lucy | Sep 8, 2009 | biblical counseling
Climbing the ladder, eyes wide, heart pumping — dressed in a real cute pink floral tankini — I reached the top.
In all my 47 seven years, I have never never never dove off the high dive. Jumped, yes. Head first, no. This day I decided to face my fear. My fear? I’d rotate on the way down, land flat on my back, and die.
Okay, not die. But hurt bad, real bad, from the sting and from embarrassment.
On my lounge chair lay Max Lucado’s newest book Fearless, Imagine Your Life Without Fear. No doubt this was my prompt to climb the ladder.
I hate to confess this — though I know confession soothes the soul — because I want to hold on to the false belief I have it all together. (How stupid is that?) The truth: This economy has rocked me. I’ve taken my eyes off Jesus. I applied for Medicaid. I awake many nights at 12:01. Always 12:01.
The solution was obvious. Take a dive, face my fear. Thanks, Lucado for the encouragement.
In typical Lucado style — alliteration, rhymes, anecdotes — he wrote Fearless at the height of fear in our nation. I recommend it with a caveat. For his poetic statements to stick, make the time to seriously answers the questions in the discussion guide at the end of the book.
As I toed the edge of the diving board, I looked down and wasn’t afraid. The water actually looked close. I bent my knees, stretched my arms overhead, and dove.
A new problem: My bottoms slid.
As I kicked my way to the surface while yanking up my bottoms, exhilaration filled me. I hit the air, breathed deep and knew my fears had shrunk.
You Are Loved, Lucy
by Lucy | Aug 31, 2009 | biblical counseling |
Here is an eco-friendly,
energizing,
mood-stabilizing
healthy and oh-so-delicious recipe.
It first published in my book Energy Eating, Peak Nutrition for Maximum Physical Performance, Brain Power, Body Strength and Mood Enhancement!
How does food stabilize mood? I’m so glad you asked. 🙂
A predominantly carbohydrate meal prompts your brain to increase serotonin, a neurotransmitter. Equation #1: Increased serotonin equals greater calm. A meal with a carb0-protein mix causes a tyrosine, also a neurotransmitter, to rise, and your energy increases. Equation #2: Increased tyrosine equals greater energy.
Energy and calm together spell g-r-e-a-t m-o-o-d.
Here is a recipe that combines carbs and protein, so feasting on it will give you greater energy.
Next post: Two recipes for calm.
Quick Black Bean Burritos
This dish pairs legumes and cheese with healthy carbs, and it’s ready in just 20 minutes.
Sauce:
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tsp. minced fresh garlic
1/2 tsp. ground cumin
One 14 1/2-ounce can diced tomatoes
1 to 2 Tbs. minced green chilies, fresh or canned, seeded
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
Burritos:
Eight 10-inch flour tortillas, preferably whole wheat
One 15-ounce can black beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 red onion, diced
3/4 cup cooked brown rice
3/4 cup shredded reduced-fat sharp cheddar cheese
1/2 cup nonfat sour cream
1/2 avocado, diced (optional)
2 Tbs. fresh cilantro leaves for garnish
Sauce: Place the ingredients in a blender and puree until smooth, about 1 minute. No blender? Mix well by hand. Set aside.
Burritos: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. lay a tortilla on your working surface. Spoon about 1/4 cup black beans across the center of the tortilla, followed by a tablespoon each of onion, rice, and cheese. Roll up and place the burrito seam side down in a 9-by-13-inch lightly oiled baking dish. Repeat with the remaining tortillas, onion, rice, and cheese.
Spoon the sauce over the burritos and backe for 12 minutes. Serve the burritos topped with the sour cream, avocado if using and cilantro. Serves 4.
You Are Loved, Lucy
by Lucy | Aug 27, 2009 | biblical counseling
Something has been bugging me lately. Daddy long-legs. Not the creatures. But my perspective on these little beasties.
While seven or so danced atop our family tent this month, I felt sickly curious. Would one eat the other during a “tango”? Or would they play nice? As quiet as a, well, daddy long-leg, I leaned toward my camera to share this dance with you then remembered I had left the memory card at home. The very last thing I wanted to do: Wake my daughter. She detests spiders.
Her enemies are my friends. . .at a distance.
Life’s troubles are like daddy long-legs. You want to keep them at arm’s length. But what happens when one lands in your lap?
I’m trying to befriend them. Kind of. Rather than find a place to hide, I want to redefine them as life’s learning opportunities. This is hard. On my (partial) list:
* Paying school costs. In the past, this had been a no brainer: write a check. Now? In this economy? Errrr.
* Helping someone dear to me take responsibility for her life.
* Realizing that I’ve pushed God off this throne and worshipped my time, which means I served my ultimate god: me.
So how am I handling my learning opportunities? As I said, it comes down to perspective. Are these spiders — ahem, opportunities — my friends or enemies?
Excuse me. I need to find a old shoe to whack a daddy long-leg. Where is the blasted shoe?
I know, I use my husband’s. Wait, wait. . .got it!
I’m back.
What are your “spiders”? Shall we squish them together? Or groove to the music?
You Are Loved, Lucy
Need help handling your spiders? As a biblical counselor and graduate of the pastoral care to women program at Western Seminary, I’ve helped hundreds of women discover God’s answer to their problems. Setting up appointments by phone, webcam or email is easy and affordable. Check out my site Real Hope Biblical eCounseling or email me at Lucy@LucyAnnMoll.com.
