Counselor’s Comments

Pushing Buttons, Stirring Pots & Poking Bears

Pushing buttons, stirring the pot, poking the bear, etc. are all terms used to get someone worked up to the point where a reaction takes place. Usually the reaction caused is not a positive one. I was working with a couple and at some point, in the process, received a request from the husband. His…

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Is Church Attendance Still Important?

For Christmas last year, my daughter, Amber, got me a gizmo to hold my phone while I am driving. It fits in the air vent. You may have seen one or have one yourself. On the first Sunday morning of this year, I took it out to the car and installed it. Next, I attached…

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A Clean Slate!

October 31, 2018 marked the completion of DayStar Ministries 5th year in operation. The first five years of any organization are crucial from a business standpoint. Over those five years many stories could be told of the goodness, mercy and grace of God. We have been honored to help churches, individuals, couples and families. To…

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Recognizing Suicide

I want to talk to you about recognizing  suicide in your world. In 2015, over 44,000 individuals took their own life in the United States. Suicide is the 10th leading cause of death in America. Between the ages of 15-34, suicide is the 2nd leading cause of death. In Oregon, one person dies by suicide…

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The Power of Giving Thanks

Giving thanks. Being thankful. Seems like the same thing but there is a difference. One is proactive, the other reactive. Is either one wrong? Absolutely not! Both are right. Both are needed. Consider an obvious Scriptural example. Dr. Luke tells a true story of ten men, which he records in Luke 17:12-18. If we cheat…

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Grace or Disgrace?

If you had the choice would you prefer to receive grace or disgrace? I suspect, overwhelmingly, you would prefer to receive the former. Grace gives us a good feeling, disgrace not so much. A synonymous word for disgrace is shame. Nobody enjoys being disgraced or shamed. The most frequent New Testament word for grace denotes…

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Don’t Fake It Till You Make It!

The first time I remember hearing the phrase, “Fake it till you make it,” was at a MLM meeting over 35 years ago. The ‘preacher’ was on the stage doing a good job of working the crowd. People were on their feet shouting and clapping. Many of the people were already following the guy’s advice,…

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Building & Rebuilding Trust

As a young father of very young daughters, I would place them, one at a time, on our kitchen counter. When I was ready, I would tell them to jump, which they did and I would catch them. They would laugh and I would smile. It was a good time. As time progressed, I had…

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Indirect Behavior

It is highly likely if you don’t have indirect behavior, somebody in your world does. I see it show up many times in various forms of relationship. One person assumes the other knows what they want because they are thinking it. The other person has no clue what is wanted since what is wanted has…

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The BIBLE

One of the songs I learned growing up in Sunday school was “The BIBLE.” It goes like this: “The BIBLE, yes that’s the Book for me. I stand upon the Word of God, the BIBLE.” When we sang the word “BIBLE,” we would spell it out. It was great fun. The Psalmist had much to…

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Selective Hearing

What is selective hearing? Selective hearing is a type of selective attention and involves the auditory system of the nervous system. Selective hearing is characterized as the action in which people focus their attention on a specific source of a sound or spoken words. So says Wikipedia. My first experience I remember with selective hearing…

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The Ministry Of Forgiveness

The ministry of forgiveness is an absolute essential in the experience of every successful marriage. Paul wrote in Ephesians 4:32, “And be ye kind one to another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.” When a man and woman live as intimately as a husband and wife live, there are going to be…

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