Have you ever stopped to think about how the families and social groups you belong to shape the way in which you express your emotions? Every group has its own unspoken rules about the sorts of feelings that are acceptable and the ways of expressing them that are seen to be normal. The problem with … More The Trauma Survival Guide Part 4: Do I Have the Right to Feel Traumatized?
When the night season descends upon our lives and we find ourselves surrounded by sorrow and trials, we would all like to imagine that our faith will hold us fast and that we will feel God’s presence more strongly than ever. But the reality is often more confusing than this. Traumatic experiences take us out … More The Trauma Survival Guide Part 3: Are the Father’s Arms Really Safe?
What’s the difference between trauma and post-traumatic stress disorder? Is it possible to go through traumatic events without them leading to PTSD? In this second video in my “Trauma Survival Guide,” I explore some of these questions, as well as how the definition and understanding of trauma has evolved over the years. I will put … More The Trauma Survival Guide Part 2: What is Trauma?
I’ve decided to venture out of my normal comfort zone (writing) to do a video series called “The Trauma Survival Guide.” After going through my own experiences with the Israel-Gaza war, as well as other stressful events that have happened over the last few years, I have realized that there are many tools that can … More The Trauma Survival Guide Part 1: Learning How to Thrash
For several years now, God has been teaching me about trauma. As I have accompanied our adopted children on their healing journeys from a background of risk, and as I have experienced various painful situations myself that could be described as traumatic, I have often had the sense that God is preparing me in some … More Faith in Times of Trauma
Living here in Israel in the aftermath of 7th October, I sometimes feel like a rocket has landed right in the middle of my own life and sent all my foundations flying. Of course, this is an exaggeration. When I really think about it, I can see that plenty of solid foundations remain very much … More Is Depression a Moral Failure?
When news first broke of the terrible massacre that was unfolding in southern Israel and we suddenly found ourselves plunged into the middle of a war, I had no words to pray. All there was inside me was a deep sense of horror. It was too raw to even articulate. I didn’t want to look … More Underneath are the Everlasting Arms
We have been walking through some emotional difficulties with our 9-year-old son in recent months. He is a relatively high functioning autistic child who experienced significant rejection and bullying at school last year. Now he has just started a new school that seems like a better fit, but he is still carrying a lot of … More It’s Time to Stop Labelling Emotional Distress as Madness
I never used to realise just how radical and counter-cultural the Bible was in its treatment of women. God’s passion to set the captives free and to stand against injustice shines through the biblical passages about women both in the Old and New Testaments. What a different place the world would be today if women … More The Gospel Message Sets Captive Women Free
As a parent, it can be the scariest thing when our child’s behaviour is out of control. Our home turns into a battlefield. Techniques that work for other people don’t seem to do anything for us (not that it stops others from trying to tell us about them). We might pull back from social activities … More Five Drug-Free Ways to Help a Child with Challenging Behaviour
Higher Than Me 