One of the many jobs I had while in college was as a nanny. One day I walked into my employer’s stunning beachfront home to find her sitting on the top of the staircase. Her hands were crossed over her legs and she had a far away look in her eyes. I said hi and asked how she was doing, wondering what might be wrong. Her reply went a little something like this: “Laurel, have you ever been reminded of... Read more
“I’m having an anxiety attack!” Have you ever heard those words from someone…maybe even coming out of your own mouth? I’ll share a mental health pro’s insider secret with you: Anxiety attacks don’t exist. Let me clarify: The term “anxiety attack” is not a clinical term. It is a term that someone came up with to describe an experience. You won’t find this term in the Diagnostic Statistical Manual (the book that explains mental health diagnoses). Instead, you’ll find terms like... Read more
When I first started watching This Is Us, I posed a question to my Facebook friends asking for their thoughts about the show. Not “Do you like it or not” because, hello, most everyone who watched it loved it. Rather, I was asking about the merits of Christians watching it. After all, the show started off with a bit of nudity, sex outside of marriage, swearing, and drunkenness…and that was just the first episode. At the same time, there have... Read more
You see, we so often chase after what the world offers and when we do that…well, nothing will ever be enough. Read more
I’m really not the best person to write about waiting well. I mean, I get antsy waiting for people to finish eating their dinner when I’m ready for dessert. And that’s a mild example. I try and work on my patience, but when I’m tired or hungry or don’t feel well or…well, you get the picture. My patience? She wears thin easily. I’ve heard it facetiously said that you should not pray for patience because if you do, God will... Read more
King Solomon didn’t play around. Read more
We simply do not believe in the sanctity of human life. We are entertained by killing. We throw people away if we perceive they are a burden. Read more
For many children, hearing bits and pieces about the political landscape and world news leads to confusion, questions, and fear. Read more
In a meeting on immigration reform, after a proposal that would involve increasing the number of immigrants from certain countries, President Donald Trump allegedly asked why we would want more immigrants from “s***hole” countries like Haiti, El Salvador, and those in Africa. After learning of this supposed remark, I sounded off to my husband about how horrid this comment was. After all, even if the governments of some of these counties are corrupt and the majority of their people live... Read more
It should come as no surprise that Christians are crying out #MeToo. After all, as my mama used to say, the church is a hospital for sinners, not a haven for saints. Read more
Dr. Laurel Shaler
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