Father’s Day Letter From a Hurting Teen

  Keep praying Dads!  Your teen or young adult will one day come back and thank you too for never giving up on them.  This dad knows it.  There is HOPE!  Keep your faith in God as you continue to lift up your child to Him.  And thank you to this Dad for sharing this…

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New Year’s Resolutions for the Hurting Parent

  Every year, friends, family, and co-workers talk about their New Year’s resolutions. Some of the favorites are losing weight, go on a long awaited trip, spend less money, and even go back to school.  When we are a parent with a child in crisis however, our goals fade and we lose ourselves in the…

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Holiday Merry or Holiday Misery?

Parents who struggle with a teen in crisis find it extremely overwhelming to get through the holidays.  Although Thanksgiving has passed, another holiday is around the corner – Christmas. While every other parent around you is singing in holiday cheer, you are thinking about how you can just get through the day.  While your co-worker…

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When They Just Won’t Listen

One of the biggest frustrations parents have is when their teen/young adult child is unwilling to listen to sound wisdom.  Even more frustrating is when your child is in crisis and thinks that their wisdom is more sound than yours.  Teens and young adults are wrapped up in their emotions, feelings, and urgency of the…

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Surviving the Storms of Crisis

The aftermath of Hurricane Harvey was a devastating blow to the state of Texas.  Although the warnings were there ahead of time, what couldn’t be predicted was the amount of destruction it would cause. The families in Texas feel lost, depressed, discouraged, and unsure of the future.  For some, it left catastrophic effects and major…

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It’s a Scary World For Our Teens, and Us Too

  Today, we are seeing a rise in violence and harm towards our children, pre-teens and teens.  Whether it is gun violence, physical/sexual assault, or self-inflicted harm, the younger generation is broken and hurting like never before.   In our country, there is an increased devaluation of human life.  The sex-trade and human trafficking has…

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Weeds.  I Hate Weeds!

  I’ve been ignoring it.  I’ve been walking by it.  I’ve put it off day after day.  But today, I couldn’t close my eyes to it anymore.   Weeds.  I hate weeds. Obviously they are a nuisance.  They get out of control.  They will overtake you.  They will drive you insane.  What is more irritating…

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Is Your Teen in an Abusive Relationship?

She was 16, pregnant, and involved in a relationship with someone in their twenties.  When asked why she would be with a man who obviously didn’t care about her, all she could say was, “I could never leave him.  I love him.  Yes, he has hit me.  But I’m okay with that.” The young man…

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Grooming: Could Your Hurting Teen Be Another Elizabeth Thomas?

Every other day, I have been tracking the news story of Elizabeth Thomas, the young teen who was kidnapped by her teacher Tad Cummins from Tennessee. Parents across the country are shocked that this could have happened.  The term “grooming” is a word often used when an adult figure manipulates, deceives, and earns the trust…

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When You Have Lost Your Joy at Easter

Everyone is in the Easter holiday spirit.  It’s that time and season in which you bring out all of the spring décor and clothing.  As you rip into the closet or boxes in the basement, there you find tucked away in the corner is your child’s Easter basket.  Memories take you back to when you…

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