Measuring minor victories

One person’s victory is another person’s reminder of failure.
I put my socks on by myself this morning. A minor victory don’t you think? No, not for most of you. Normally–and that word is loaded–I put my socks on every morning without thinking about what I’m doing. However, I hurt my back on Friday afternoon and [...]

Edwin Friedman on the search for solutions…

Consider Edwin Friedman’s counsel to leaders in book, A Failure of Nerve (Seabury Books, 2007)
In the search for the solution to any problem, questions are always more important than answers because the way one frames the question, or the problem,  already predetermines the range of answers one can conceive in response. (p. 37)
Seems true for [...]

What to do with a homeless cat?

Those who know me well know that I’m not a big fan of cats. I’d much prefer a dog the size of a lab. My wife is extremely allergic so I never had to deal with them nor thought that I would. However, in the last week my boys and some other neighborhood children have [...]

Why we fail to act (sins of complicity)

In the wake of the Ft. Hood massacre we are now hearing evidence of a very troubled man–trouble that it appears many observed over the last few years of the Maj. General’s life. Some of his former teachers and supervisors took note of his strange behavior, his loner tendencies, his rages. They even mused about [...]

When Sex in Marriage Doesn’t Work

Today is the first full day of the CCEF annual conference in Valley Forge, PA. The conference is entitled, “Sex Matters” and so all plenary and breakouts are on said theme. It is not too late to drop by if live in the area and want to register. I believe they will still take walk-ups.
Besides [...]

On-line counseling courses through Biblical Seminary

Those interested in taking an on-line, graduate-level counseling course might wish to consider this new joint offering from my school, Biblical Seminary, and the Christian Counseling & Educational Foundation (CCEF).
Counseling in the Local Church (2 credits)
The course is taught by Dr. Tim Lane, Director of CCEF and runs from 1/18/2010 to 3/19/2010. It is completely [...]

Stress & Christian mindfulness, part 2

In the last post I reviewed some simple definitions of mindfulness, including some of the Buddhist ideas behind a version of mindfulness. In this post I want to consider how mindfulness, when reconsidered in the light of Christian thought, can be a valuable part of counseling practice.
A thought about mindfulness and the brain
Let me detour [...]

Stress & Christian mindfulness, part 1

I’ve written about mindfulness in the past and based on numbers of folks coming to my blog looking for information about Christianity and mindfulness, I thought I might write just a bit more here. My intention is to write in two parts. Part 1 will cover some basics about stress and the idea of mindfulness. [...]

Thinking about moral responsibility and agency in TBI

Tonight I will assigned my Counseling & Physiology students a response paper to the following case study. As you read this fictional case, consider how you might answer these two questions:

What are the spiritual issues in this case and how do you consider Tim’s limitations in considering these spiritual issues? What is his personal accountability [...]

Orbinski on humanitarianism, dignity, and hope

 
Two days ago I had the privilege of meeting and hearing Dr. James Orbinski at the 2009 Frobese Day, an educational conference held at Abington Memorial Hospital each year. Dr. Orbinski is the former head of Medicins Sans Frontiers (Drs without Borders), current head of Dignitas, professor at U. of Toronto, author of An Imperfect [...]