Care

Sometimes you just don't know who God will put in your path or for what reason, but when He does, trust Him!

Earlier this year we welcomed our second child and just shy of two weeks later my dad unexpectedly died. We were in shock and were in the stage of sleeplessness newborn baby life. I was overwhelmed, in shock, and really needed some support. Thankfully the Care Team came alongside us....

Souls and how they change: I've found that rudimentary concepts of Christian life are essential in counseling. A biblical understanding of what our souls are is one of these. Our souls are not so much a thing, but who we are as a person. Just who will be the person who sees Jesus' face to face in heaven? Volumes have been written on the subject, but here is a primer. I use this essay to help my counselees understand a clearer picture of why God made them. What is their purpose for their lives ... their day.

My path to becoming a biblical counselor began with God giving me an urging when I was an Elder to start a lay counseling ministry. I started my research by talking with various local churches. I concluded that the magnitude of a church counseling ministry would require a Pastor, so I started praying to that end. Thank you, Lord, for answering my prayer in an awesome way!

What happens when you live in fear or sadness, but perhaps you don't share or confess for fear of judgment? Do you feel that you are all alone and yearn to be with and feel connected to others? This feeling describes the emotion of loneliness.

I believe I was always being prepared by the Lord to be a biblical counselor. Of course, I didn’t realize it until I was older. But as I look back on even my childhood years, I know that each situation in my life was teaching me about hardships. And even though my spiritual life was quite shallow then, I always felt Jesus was with me and cared for me.

As you apply soul care to others, whether as a Biblical Counselor, or as one in a shepherding/disciple-making role of any kind (e.g., groups leader, mentor, parent, Pastors/Elders, ministry leader), what does it look like for you to be cared for in similar ways?