Are therapists to blame for the rise of adults cutting off their parents? Elizabeth Bernstein on a concerning issue I’ve posted on (see here): “After decades of urging families to communicate better and work on their issues together, some therapists are now taking an opposite tack: They’re encouraging estrangement as a means of self-care.”
Wrestling with “Your will be done”: Kirsten Black says, “We can learn to process this pain and disappointment as a form of lament. God invites his children to cry out to him over and over. It rarely, if ever, will look like praying one time and the pain is resolved. Rather, it is approaching the throne of grace time and time again, knowing that our Father is good and kind, even though the circumstances of our lives feel anything but.”
The fairytale gospel: Ellie Dodson says, “We all absorb a narrative or story that gives us a unique sense of joy. Whether it’s a group of kids defeating the upside down (Stranger Things) or a hobbit defeating all odds to destroy a Ring that would have upended the world (The Lord of the Rings), we all crave a happy ending. But what is it about these fairy stories that capture our longings?”
Leaving a church well: David Carlson says, “Ultimately, your goal should be to leave in such a way that you could joyfully return to your church without shame or awkwardness. We know we will be reconciled in worship of Jesus for eternity, so let’s live reconciled today.”
The price of happiness around the globe: The cheapest two places for happiness in the globe? Ethiopia and Nigeria. The most expensive? Iceland and Australia.
Photo by Jacqueline Munguía on Unsplash