What We Got Wrong About Behavior

Last updated on: July 29, 2025 at 12:37 pm By Karl J. Forehand

What We Got Wrong About Behavior It’s common to hear parents and teachers express frustration over the challenging task of parenting, teaching, and disciplining children. It can feel like you’re not doing anything right because of the inherent difficulties, and sometimes our misguided expectations. We’ve been influenced by our families, teachers, religious leaders, and personal experiences. However, at least for the past 100 years, we have also been misinformed. Behaviorism Whether we realize it or not, our perspectives on behavior... Read more

What Do I Fear?

Last updated on: July 19, 2025 at 9:37 am By Karl J. Forehand

Excerpt from the book Campfires in the Desert: A Deconstruction Travel Guide Copyright © 2025 by Karl Forehand What Do I Fear? “The wise man doesn’t give the right answers, he poses the right questions.” – Claude Levi-Strauss Having been raised as a Christian, I am well acquainted with the concept of the Christian holy book. The Bible often suggests that we should not give in to fear. As Christians, we observe instances such as the angels... Read more

We Don’t Need a God, We Need People

Last updated on: July 29, 2025 at 11:43 am By Karl J. Forehand

We Don’t Need a God, We Need People Most stories about God begin much like the story I told myself and others. I experienced a confusing set of circumstances in my life. I was treated badly, but there were some good people around me. I made both good and bad decisions, then realized I was missing something. I found Jesus, and He filled the hole in my heart, and now I want to help others realize the same thing. That... Read more

Finding Comfort in Solitude

Last updated on: June 26, 2025 at 7:22 am By Karl J. Forehand

Excerpt from the book Campfires in the Desert: A Deconstruction Travel Guide Copyright © 2025 by Karl Forehand Finding Comfort in Solitude “Loneliness expresses the pain of being alone and solitude expresses the glory of being alone.” – Paul Tillich We used to advise young married couples, “If you can’t be alone, you shouldn’t be together.” This conveys that understanding our identity and self-awareness is essential before merging our lives with others. Being comfortable with solitude doesn’t mean we are... Read more

Does God Require Worship?

Last updated on: July 19, 2025 at 9:14 am By Karl J. Forehand

Excerpt from the book Campfires in the Desert: A Deconstruction Travel Guide Copyright © 2025 by Karl Forehand Does God Require Worship? “The one who knows all the answers has not been asked all the questions.” – Confucius Much of the work I’ve done on my mental health and trauma revolves around addressing my low self-esteem and need for approval from others. Each person is unique, and our life experiences impact us differently. However, seeking approval from others often... Read more

Find a Trauma-informed Therapist

Last updated on: June 18, 2025 at 7:09 am By Karl J. Forehand

Excerpt from the book Campfires in the Desert: A Deconstruction Travel Guide Copyright © 2025 by Karl Forehand Find a Trauma-informed Therapist “If you want to go fast, go alone. If you want to go far, go with others.” – African Proverb As a pastor, seeking help from a licensed counselor felt unusual. While we occasionally talked about it and refrained from criticizing those who did, we also neglected to advocate for it as the best approach. There was a persistent... Read more

Learning to Celebrate Yourself

Last updated on: June 18, 2025 at 7:08 am By Karl J. Forehand

Excerpt from the book Campfires in the Desert: A Deconstruction Travel Guide Copyright © 2025 by Karl Forehand Learning to Celebrate Yourself “I celebrate myself, and sing myself.” – Walt Whitman Celebrating my accomplishments is something that I look forward to during every project, but it’s hard for me to do. Several guides in my life, including my current therapist, have reminded me of this fact. This issue is a sticky situation I find myself in because I... Read more

Learn to Trust Yourself

Last updated on: July 4, 2025 at 4:35 pm By Karl J. Forehand

Excerpt from the book Campfires in the Desert: A Deconstruction Travel Guide Copyright © 2025 by Karl Forehand Learn to Trust Yourself “When you reach the end of what you should know, you will be at the beginning of what you should sense.” – Kahlil Gibrán Organized religion and many other institutions operate under the mistaken belief that we cannot trust ourselves due to our inherent flaws. We often think leaders possess a unique ability that distinguishes them from... Read more

Learn From Survivor Stories

Last updated on: June 18, 2025 at 7:06 am By Karl J. Forehand

Excerpt from the book Campfires in the Desert: A Deconstruction Travel Guide Copyright © 2025 by Karl Forehand Learn From Survivor Stories “Just listening is what turns a victim into a survivor.” – Christine Ristaino When we ask women who have survived abuse and narcissistic relationships within organized religion what men can do to help the situation, they almost always express a desire for men to listen to their survivor stories. Religion encourages us to study theology, leadership,... Read more

Is God a Good Father?

Last updated on: June 26, 2025 at 7:43 am By Karl J. Forehand

Excerpt from the book Campfires in the Desert: A Deconstruction Travel Guide Copyright © 2025 by Karl Forehand Is God a Good Father? “A prudent question is one-half of wisdom.” – Francis Bacon The Scriptures (particularly those in the New Testament) were written by people who often portrayed God as a parent using the term Father. If God is Father and if He is love, then His love for His children must at least be better than the love... Read more

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