In Matthew 27:10, Jesus talks to some women. It wasn’t unusual for Jesus. His interactions with women are recorded throughout Scripture. In our 21st century, we often overlook these encounters because they don’t seem out of place. But, make no mistake, it was not common for a man to speak to women in that day and age. At least not like Jesus did. The book of John records two of the most well-known examples of his dealings with women. People... Read more
With Easter less than two weeks away, there is no better time to focus on the meaning of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Many people are fascinated by this phenomenon,whether or not they are Christian or regular church attenders. In fact, Easter is a holiday that leads many of those individuals to church for a variety of reasons. Regardless of the reason, this is a good thing – we Christians should want people to come and join us on the most... Read more
As a licensed social worker and national certified counselor; as the director of a professional counseling program and former psychotherapist; as the author of a book on trauma, stress, and overwhelming life events…I’ve had my share of friends coming to me with their problems. To a certain extent, I don’t mind. I am reminded of the old quip “to have a friend, you must be a friend.” While I have learned that it is not my role or responsibility to... Read more
Have you ever peopled watched? You know – where you sit at a table in the mall food court or on a bench in the middle of Main Street and just see who passes you by. I don’t have much time for people watching, but I do take notice of who is sitting around me at restaurants. Recently, I noticed an older couple – not elderly, but old enough that if they had children, the kiddos would be long grown.... Read more
After a recent, and rare, evening out, my husband and I asked my baby-sitter sister how things went with our 14-month old daughter. After assuring us everything went well, she shared how during the one time baby girl woke up, she was calling for “mama.” This melted and broke my heart all at once. I loved that I was on her heart and mind. Yet I hated that she wanted – needed – me and I wasn’t there. I was... Read more
By all accounts, Reverend Billy Graham was a good man. He lived for 99 years and was never personally embroiled in any kind of scandal. What a rarity. He was faithful to his wife, whom he loved dearly. His children, grandchildren, and extended family have only wonderful words to share about the famed evangelist. The only apparent challenge was his frequent traveling. While difficult, it was accepted because of the purpose for him being away from home so much. Graham... Read more
Shortly after returning from my first speaker and writer conference over 5 years ago, I was catching up with one of my mentors. As we sat on her couch sipping tea, we talked about my experience of being surrounded by many women who felt called to speak or write professionally. While there was no competition involved, it was still intimidating. I couldn’t imagine how God might use me – or why he would want to – when there were so... Read more
The famed evangelist one said, “Someday you will read or hear that Billy Graham is dead. Don’t you believe a word of it. I shall be more alive than I am now. I will just have changed my address. I will have gone into the presence of God.” The time has come. We are reading and hearing that Billy Graham is dead. Age 99 at that. It’s tempting to be sad about this news. Yet, I find comfort in this... Read more
Dealing with grief is hard. Even as a licensed social worker, I struggled with this. So much so that I took a course and immersed myself in the death and dying sub-culture. (Yes, that is a real thing.) While this was an uncomfortable experience, I grew so much by sitting in support groups of those with terminal cancer and learning from loved ones of dying children. Since that time, my ability to be supportive of those who are grieving has... Read more
This time last year, I shared the following blog on my website… The year was 2004, and my husband and I were spending our first Valentine’s Day together as a married couple. Being completely unaware about these types of things, we neglected to make reservations for one of the restaurant industry’s busiest nights of the year. As we drove around town seeing packed parking lots and learning wait times were far too long, my husband became increasingly hungry and angry... Read more
Dr. Laurel Shaler
Ad-Free & Subscriber Log-In