The Lifeworks Group, Inc.

By Christine Hammond Religious abuse exists in every type of faith. Oftentimes, it is not the religion itself that is the problem but the people within the practice. This is precisely why it is hard to get away. Most likely it began with an attraction of sorts, a need being filled, companionship, and a sense of belonging. But those positive feelings were soon met with conflicting emotions of isolation, inadequacy, guilt, shame, and distrust. The confusion feels like physical abuse without the marks. Others who have left the religion are shunned, disgraced, and humiliated. You want to pull away but are unsure of how. Try these steps. 1.        Learn the signs of religious abuse. Memorize and identify when they are being used against you. Saying in your head, “This is abusive behavior,” promotes awareness and empowerment. 2.        Get a new perspective by sidestepping religious rituals. This is not about abando...

By Christine Hammond, MS, IMH You have believed, you have prayed, you have gotten wise counsel, you have checked that your prayer is consistent with Scripture and you have peace about the final outcome, yet nothing is happening. There are no small or large changes, everything seems to be still (almost to a stop) and then you wonder is this really the right thing? Is this thing that you have been praying for really going to happen or is it just another prayer on the long list of prayers that did not get answered or worse got answered in a manner opposite from how you prayed. So to distract yourself from the agonizing question, you become immersed in a project, in work, in church, or in a relationship. While the distraction works for a while, the underlying question looms and pops up in weird places like while driving, taking a shower, or sleeping. So you pray again but still no answer. You remind yourself of all of the blessings God has given you and give thanks but still no an...

By Chris Hammond, MS, IMH There are many definitions of marriage today with different states and churches adding their own definitions to the mix. You, like I, are each free to follow our own definition of marriage within the laws of our state. But as for me, I choose to follow the Biblical model of marriage which is a man and a woman united together in a covenant from God (Genesis 2:24). This unity is the beginning of a family unit to which children may be added in the future but it is also a departure from your family of origin. It is in its’ very nature a formation of a new relationship, a new bond, and a new unit. To better understand a Biblical marriage, some ground work needs to be laid. In His Image. Ever wonder why God created man and woman in His image (Genesis 1:27)? Could it be that He created man and woman in His image because we are to model Him here on earth? Several times Jesus tells us that we are “a light” to the world (Matthew 5:14). Our light does n...

By Chris Hammond, MS Anger is an intense emotion that sometimes comes without warning or justification; however, learning to question the sources of anger can provide healing. In the moment of anger, you are not likely to rationally evaluate these questions but returning to them later can help you to manage your anger in the future. The story of Jonah is familiar (he is the guy who was swallowed by a big fish and spit out three days later) but if it has been a while, review the four short chapters found in the Old Testament in the Book of Jonah. The Bible is filled with practical stories of people who struggled with the same things you struggle with today and provides practical application to your daily life. Who was Jonah angry with? Initially, Jonah’s anger and deep prejudice towards the Assyrians who were the enemies of the Israelites was revealed by his reluctance to go to Nineveh, the capital of the Assyria. Many years earlier, the Assyrians had invaded Judea and scat...

By Chris Hammond, MS Our recent economic times have hit many people hard with more people homeless, in the process of foreclosure, without jobs, working jobs well beneath their skill level or filing for bankruptcy than I have seen in my lifetime. While it is easy to blame others for our troubles and in this economic climate, there are certainly factors beyond our control; we also must look at the actions we have taken to contribute to the problem. Jonah, Job and Jerusalem all faced overwhelming difficulties and while we may not be swallowed by a great fish, have our home and family destroyed in a day, or have our king assassinate every family member in a feuding family, we can apply the lessons learned from their lives to ours today. Jonah. Jonah knew what God wanted him to do, he just did not want to do it so he took a ride on a ship headed for the opposite direction of what God wanted. The result was a great storm nearly sank the ship, the crew confronted Jonah, Jonah confessed ...

By Linda Riley Points to Consider: 1. Depend a lot on God and prayer. Pray for them and with them. 2. It is wise to control our children when they are young, as we cannot control the choices adolescents and teens will make. 3. Take an active role in selecting their peer group in their early years of school, choosing children who have parents with similar values. This avoids a lot of problems down the road. 4. Develop their character through deep-focused discussions, teaching important values and beliefs. 5. Provide them with a standard to help measure what is right and what is wrong. 6. Through communication, help them learn how to think and evaluate choices for themselves. 7. Model what you are teaching and what you believe. 8. Be interested in them and what they’re doing. 9. Look for character-building opportunities. 10. Don’t over-control, but confront them on accepting responsibility for their choices and actions. 11. Take children to church and Sunday/Sabbath school wh...