Tag Archives: beliefs

Why Santa Doesn’t Visit My Home

When my husband and I had our first child we were asked by grandparents if we were going to encourage her to believe in Santa Claus.  We both responded with a united no but with different reasons.  My husband felt it was a distraction from the true meaning of Christmas.  We are in agreement on this point.  But even if I could be persuaded the two concepts could live side by side, I would still struggle with keeping up with it.  I can’t even take a daily vitamin on a regular basis.  I also thought…and forgive me…having a child believe … Continue reading →

The Benefits of Being in the Same Spiritual Boat (Or Not)

In Marriage and Spiritual Quests I wrote about how once upon a time I set out in search of spirituality. And found it. But Wayne was concerned I’d make him adopt whatever way I decided upon too. While there is much to be said for sharing the same faith as your spouse, there is also much to be said for not sharing one too. Wayne and I have experienced both realms. Neither Wayne nor I can claim a denomination. Just as my parents were raised Catholic and that’s the first church I was ever introduced to (just not formally), Wayne’s … Continue reading →

Religion and Marriage

A coupling of one believer and one non-believer can pose some serious issues. Many religions, or factions of certain religions, teach that people of faith should not marry someone who does not believe in God. Some people see this as people of faith thinking they are better than others are. In fact, I see it as a cautionary statement, warning of potential problems. While the two may get along in many or even most areas, there is going to be some disagreement. You may have been involved in volatile discussions concerning religion with someone who doesn’t believe, or you may … Continue reading →

Finding the Right Church

Many have trouble finding the right church for their family. These include people who are new to the Christian faith, people who’ve grown up in religious homes and want something different, those who have located to a new area looking for a place to connect, and those who are unhappy in their current church. So when looking for a new church here are some things to think about: • Word of mouth is one of the best ways to find a good church. Asking other Bible believing Christians about their church or churches they’ve attended is a great way to … Continue reading →

Practical Ways to Build Self Esteem (2)

Lani is 28 and hasn’t had a serious relationship for over four years. She believes that she is dull and unattractive, and this is confirmed in her mind by the fact that men show little interest in her. A couple of “arranged” dates set up by friends failed miserably. These incidents only serve to strengthen Lani’s beliefs about herself. Despite Kane’s considerable academic achievements, he feels like a loser at work. A junior partner in a small-town law firm, he feels that he should have achieved a higher status by the age of 35 and be earning more money. His … Continue reading →

Social Phobia – Treatment

Earlier we looked at the problem of social phobia from the viewpoint of a fictitious character named Jeff. Let’s now look at some methods Jeff can use to make life a little bit more bearable. Not too many years ago, the prescribed treatment was to throw social phobics “in at the deep end” by advising them to join a speech-training organization like Toastmasters. This probably provided help for some sufferers, gradually allowing them to build enough confidence to cope better in their day-to-day lives. But for others, such a step was just too great, with each Toastmasters meeting becoming an … Continue reading →