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Showing posts from September, 2005

Can you explain the trend of high school graduates attending vocational schools instead of heading off to attend a state university?

The classic family board game, "Life" taught another generation that winning in life comes from going to college because it guaranteed success.  That's not true any more.  Corporations have switched from looking for strong diplomas to finding strong workers who put big numbers on the board instead of big certificates on the wall.  The film, Jerry McGuire, has a line that calls this philosophical switch 'show me the money' .    The old system required advanced, formal education to move ahead in career and cash flow.  That system doesn't work well anymore, so now young people have figured out that it's about impressive results way more than impressive resumes.   The line between adulthood and adolescence begins with the ability to pay your own bills because the rent comes due at the first of the month for everybody. High school graduates who don't have wealthy parents to pay for college discover this truth years ahead of their peers w

How do city leaders respond after a major natural disaster?

I believe that real change only comes because of a crisis or a choice.   Crisis forces change after a major disaster because people don't want their kids to ever have to live through the trauma they experienced as they watched their city destroyed in front of their eyes.   Choice is a different motivator because it's driven by learning from the mistakes or difficulties of others.  Focused leaders know there will be more disasters, it's just a matter of time until its their turn.  By developing stronger cities now they are better prepared for whatever may come in the future.    When community leaders show they are being proactive by planning ahead of future storms they model the one thing you can control in a disaster situation- how prepared you will be to face it.    Consider this example- The terrorist attacks of 9/11 forced the passengers on United Flight 93 to quickly change by giving them two things.  One was accurate information and the other was an

Moving from Relationship Stress with Relationship Strategies

By Dwight Bain   Relationships, we all have them and we all need them.     So why does it seem so hard to find healthy ones?     Simple, we all are different, and those differences either make for a wonderful “blending” of people and personalities, or are the basic ingredients of a major war!   Since none of us have time for more stress from OPP… (other people’s problems), and everyone is longing for the best relationship possible, here are some quick tips to help you have healthier relationships.     First, start with you.   Are you taking responsibility to deal with the major issues in your life?    For instance, if you know that you have a short temper, take ownership of your anger before you begin to look for another group of friends or family that will just “put up” with your behavior.   Scripture teaches to “ do unto others as you would have them do unto you” and “be slow to anger” so let’s start with looking into the mirror of our souls to see what nee

Water. It is essential for life.

Our body must have pure water to survive physically . Our body must have practical water for the soul to survive psychologically . You need safe, bottled water from a trusted source to recover after a crisis. StormStress.com provides 'bottled water for the soul' to those impacted by the negative psychological effects of Storm Stress. Emotions like anger, fear, guilt, depression, grief, stress, anxiety, loss or panic can feel overwhelming after a natural disaster like a Hurricane, Flood, Tornado, Earthquake, Fire, Mud Slide, Blizzard or after man-made disasters like a school shooting or terrorist attack. Our group specializes in showing you how to overcome Storm Stress by using strategic resources, focused research and connected relationships. This approach helps you recover faster after a crisis through the combination of education, equipping and empowering people, even during the most difficult of circumstances. These positive coping skills are an effective way to stabili

What's the difference between traditional psychology and Biblical counseling?

I believe that psychology is the study of human nature and behavior, which is extremely useful to reveal Why people do the things they do.  However, psychology is unreliable on guiding people with What do to about their behavior because it is based on a humanistic view of right and wrong which changes with each and every situation.    When people from different backgrounds are facing difficult situations- they tend to justify their decisions and excuse their choices to fit what is most comfortable for them.  God's Truth, as described in the Bible, is always the same and never changes.  Having faith in Christ provides the main foundation for a person to view and consider every other element of their lives.  As a Believer in Christ, my perspective on everything is changed, especially on how to provide wise counsel that is consistent to a Biblical world-view instead of from an ever changing secular world-view that tends to follow the advice or trends from different experts and

How can you avoid conflict over special occasions (like holidays or birthdays), when co-parenting after divorce?

 I've seen thousands of families go through the many transitions associated with divorce and noticed two kinds of parenting styles.  Reasonable and responsible or the exact opposite, unreasonable and irresponsible.   Know which style you naturally lean toward, and which approach the other parent or stepparent is likely to use before deciding how to plan for family interactions like the holidays.  Here are some tips to help you focus on the memories of special days instead of the stress.   1) Unreasonable people don't understand reason-so save your breath.   Better to let a detailed email give information than to get into one more argument with someone who isn't listening.   2) Irresponsible people will break the rules-count on it.   Whatever it is that you have warned them not to do, say, spend or follow up on will not be done at all so give up on hoping that they will grow up.   3) Reasonable & Responsible people make the world a better place thr

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Surviving Storm Stress ~ Dealing with Psychological Trauma of Natural Disasters

By Dwight Bain, Nationally Certified CounselorKiller storms like Hurricanes, Tornadoes, Floods, Earthquakes, Tsunamis, Blizzards, Forest Fires or Mud Slides are dangerous and often deadly. Emergency weather management organizations send out serious warnings before natural disasters in an effort to protect the lives of our children, homes and communities, yet nothing can prepare us for the emotional distress that follows a major natural disaster. This guide was designed to help you and your family understand the warning signs and symptoms of Storm Stress so you can recover more quickly after the storm. Storms come in all sizes but all share one thing in common- they are unpredictable and uncontrollable. Any time you pick up a newspaper or see a television report about a natural disaster, remember that it’s more than just a news story told by a journalist. It’s the very real story of people just like you and me who are fighting to regain control of their daily lives. Fighting with imposs