Advent Week 2: Silence
“Advent leads to a growing inner stillness and joy allowing me to realize that He for whom I am waiting has already arrived and speaks to me in the silence of my heart.” Henri Nouwen Silence and stillness – a practice many of us struggle with in this hurried modern world. Phones, ema
Advent Week 1: Anticipation
This week marks the beginning of Advent leading us up to Christmas. In the liturgical calendar, this is a season of intentionality that we invite you into with us, wherever you find yourself in the world. We’ll be sending a weekly email for the coming four weeks with a simple advent / mental
Gratitude for All Seasons
Gratitude is an emotion, and certainly you’ve experienced it spontaneously before- perhaps when you received a thoughtful gift, an answer to a heartfelt prayer, a call from a friend when you’re feeling lonely. But gratitude is also a practice, the conscious act of turning your attention to what
Living (Involuntarily) on the Pedestal
by Corrine Gnepf, LCMHC, NCC “You are so brave!” How many times have I heard those words from people in my passport country when they found out where I used to live or now currently live. Sometimes the first comment was followed by “I couldn’t do it.” In that person’s mind I had re
The Confusing World of Sexuality
by Steve Scruggs, Psy.D. LET’S TALK ABOUT IT: Forward by Lisa Green, LPC – MHSP Executive Director When I was a youth, there was a popular song by the group Salt N Peppa that scandalized a large part of a generation, called “Let’s Talk About Sex.” Interestingly, the music vid
HEART, SOUL, MIND, & STRENGTH
by Nick Steffen, LMHC, Pastoral & Clinical Counselor In the gospels, Jesus recalls the book of Deuteronomy when asked what the greatest command is. He instructs us to love God with all our heart, soul, mind, and strength. While the conceptual understandings of these words may have shif
The Language of Art
by Amber Goodloe, LPC Pablo Picasso said, “painting is just another way of keeping a diary” and I love this. So often when we think of expressing our emotions, or “getting things off our chest” we think of using words – talking to a friend, writing in a journal, praying, etc. B
God is a Good Father
by Nick Steffen, LMHC The book of Jeremiah presents to us the voice of a grieving prophet having lived through a transition from the relatively stable nation of Israel under King Josiah through its utter destruction. We can hear the echoes of the despairing and bereft within his text, but he also pr
Parenting Overseas Can Get Tough
by Corinne Gnepf, LMHC, NCC Parenting can be the most beautiful and rewarding role on earth. It also can be the most frustrating and challenging role. Parents find themselves sleepless, stretched, elevated, concerned, proud, tense like a fully stretched rubber band, crying from joy or frustration. &
Serving While Single
by Amber Goodloe, LPC A couple months ago I was standing at my kitchen sink doing the dishes and then suddenly I was covered in water and standing in a puddle and couldn’t figure out why. When my brain was finally able to register what had happened, I discovered that my sink had literally come [