Self-injury. Thankfully now many have become more aware of what it is and how to encourage or help someone they know who is struggling. March 1st was designated–though not entirely officially–as National Self-Injury Awareness Day.
But what happens when the issue slides off our radar? Continue reading
Recently I had a conversation with a parent of a young adult who is now out of the house, has chosen not to live according to his parents’ faith values, and who is in a new relationship. The father said, “I just told my son to be sure he was having protected sex.”
He felt powerless to challenge anything different. Continue reading
A safe place. Somewhere to talk about the tough issues—the real issues. To test and see if it’s okay to ask the questions, to tell someone what’s been going on inside . . . maybe for the first time.
Today I spoke to a twenty-something-year-old reflecting on her teen years. She recalled what a difference it made when a youth leader finally began talking honestly about topics that hit her and others where it mattered. Other leaders and teachers were nice, helped her feel accepted and welcomed, but none went deep. And that’s what she craved. Continue reading
The second book in the Live Free series has received a finalist nomination for the Christian Retailers Choice Awards in the Youth/Teen category. Winners will be announced this coming Monday, July 13, during the International Christian Retail Show (ICRS) in Denver.
An excerpt from the press release: Continue reading
Take an American girl who has lived outside of the U.S. for a few years, reintroduce her back into this culture, and what you’ll get is an enlightening perspective of the crazy road we might be traveling down. Meredith Whitmore is a new writer for Plugged In Online. She wrote a three-part article—lengthy, but well-worth the reading—about what she has observed since returning to the U.S. Continue reading
Good Friday. It isn’t called that everywhere. Those in Germany call it Karfreitag, meaning Mourning Friday. Not surprising. God’s hand was raised against the darkness of sin that day long ago when Jesus was led to the cross. And it became a grievious day of loss for those who loved their friend and servant-master and did not yet understand this act of love as Immanuel–God in the flesh giving his life for us. Continue reading
What do you do when someone tells you they are self-injuring?
Most just want you to be there to listen, but realize that more often than not, they may share their story gradually. They’ll test the waters, see if they can trust you, but also if they can trust themselves to handle telling the story. Doing so may be difficult, painful, or shameful for them. For some, the anxiety they feel while even speaking about their struggle could trigger the compulsion to self-injure again.
More tips . . . Continue reading
