How to Be Present in a Pandemic Marti Wibbels, MS, LMHC While the world focuses on social, physical, and financial ramifications of COVID-19, increasing rates of anxiety, depression, substance abuse, suicide, and domestic violence point to a growing mental health pandemic. Research from Kaiser Family Foundation indicates “45% of Americans say the coronavirus pandemic is…

Shepherding Your Family During a Global Pandemic Joel McDonald Pastor Joel McDonald (Family Church West, West Palm Beach, Florida), is this month’s guest blog writer. We appreciate his encouragement for all of us navigating the ongoing challenges of COVID-19. As a father of three young children, Joel provides practical ideas, perspective—and hope to keep on…

Doubting Your Doubts Marti Wibbels, MS, LMHC With news reports daily delivering reports of death and loss, it’s easy to begin to experience fear, uncertainty, and doubt. We know God says to live by faith, not by sight (2 Corinthians 5:7); wouldn’t the opposite be to live by fear, doubting (distrusting) God?  Instead of having…

Godly Triumph in the Midst of Anxiety Marti Wibbels, MS, LMHC Our guest writer today is Steven Madonna, Pastor to Children and Families, at Family Church West in West Palm Beach, Florida. His life, family, ministry and work exhibit the ideas [and joy] he shares in today’s blog. Steven writes: “When I first came to faith…

From Russia, with Hope Marti Wibbels, MS, LMHC Today’s guest writer is Andre Furmanov, a Russian pastor who became a Christian in 1987, while studying English philology and translation at Leningrad State University. Now serving as lead pastor of Vyborg Christian Church in Russia, Andre focuses on making disciples, missions and family discipleship. With their…

Do Desperate Times Call for Desperate Measures? Marti Wibbels, MS, LMHC Being quarantined drives many to a sense of desperation or fear. Instead, let’s consider the global pandemic with new perspective. If we allow COVID-19 to minimize our lives, it will. But we don’t need to give it that kind of power. We can discover…

A Mountie, an Architect, and Cambodian Trauma Survivors Marti Wibbels, MS, LMHC Our guest blogger this week is Scott Stober, an architect who has designed housing, banks, schools, colleges, and churches for 30 years. Now retired from his architecture firm, he continues allowing God’s creativity to motivate him to help people in his own community…

An Unclear Yet Present Danger Marti Wibbels, MS, LMHC I didn’t plan to write another blog article this week but felt compelled to do so when I watched the video at the end of this article. As a psychotherapist specializing in working with trauma survivors, I’ve met with thousands of men, women, and children who…

Contentment Amidst Trauma Marti Wibbels, MS, LMHC Contentment could be described as being satisfied. It’s realizing we can survive traumatic stress and be victorious amidst life’s unavoidable challenges and concerns. Not only does an attitude of contentment include choosing to be joyful; it’s relaxing in God’s provision of strength, peace, and hope. Whenever we don’t…

Celebrating Love Marti Wibbels, MS, LMHC Those words can bring joy, sadness, hope, or even fear, depending on a person’s experience, expectations, or situation. But we can choose to make it a happy day, regardless of where we are in life. How? We can choose to put our hope in God instead of people. Realizing…