Some days, nothing works out. The toddler screams and throws his toys. The four-year-old refuses to nap and the seven-year-old crosses her arms and pouts over her math. All. At. The. Same. Time. You cleaned your house yesterday, but today, dirty dishes cover the counters, an unattended spill dries on the carpet, and toys threaten… Read More
Dealing with Emotional Pain: Press on the spot where it hurts
Have you ever been riddled with muscular knots all over your back? Doctors call them “trigger points.” As a woman living with fibromyalgia, my back frequently hurts with several of these. The only way to truly dissolve the knots is by pressing on them. Hard. It seems counter-intuitive. But, if I avoid this crucial action,… Read More
Dropping Our Bag of Hurts for the Holidays
Ah, family. Sometimes this time of year is not full of joy and love and wonder. For some, it is a time when they pick up their bag of hurts and go from one family gathering to another trying desperately to keep the opening tightly shut. The weight of this burden of bitterness and resentment… Read More
The Year I Had No Name, Part 2: A Story About Bullying
If you missed part 1 of this story, you can read it here. This week, we find out how to stop bullies. What happens in part 2 may surprise you. Remember, this is copyrighted material and Julie Polanco retains all rights to her work. If you wish to own your own copy, you can purchase… Read More
Writing as Therapy: Bring Healing to Your Hurting Soul
Sometimes our pain is so deep, we can’t utter the words that might bring healing to our hurting souls. There are times that we commit private sins that we are too ashamed to share with another person. Have you ever felt resentful that God kept growing your family when you felt that it was large… Read More
Will the Real Jesus Please Stand Up?
How can we show non-believers the real Jesus, the Jesus that forgives us our sins and offers us a new life? The first step is to allow Jesus to be the judge, and not us. We can be a living, modern example of Jesus’ response to sinful behavior among unbelievers, as exemplified in the… Read More
