Kate Motaung

Being able to communicate better will help you improve your relationships immeasurably. Not only does great communication allow people to understand your needs and know how to meet them, but it also allows you to know them in turn. There are very few gifts you can give someone that are better than them knowing that you really see, hear, and know them. That is something we all yearn for, but it is sadly in short supply. Unfortunately, we tend

A cursory glance at the world around us will show us there are many things to fear - conflicts, violence, persecution, crime, natural disasters, terrorism, economic upheavals, unemployment, discrimination, broken politics, rampant disease, and death. All this can generate an intense feeling of insecurity and fear. We carry fear for our children’s futures, our other loved ones and their safety and health, our financial situations, and our own safety and well-being. There are many ways we can try to

Anxiety can present itself in a wide variety of ways. One person may experience insomnia while another tends to pull the covers over their head and sleep all day. One person may tend toward impatient outbursts while another becomes quiet and withdrawn. Even within one person, you can see a variety of manifestations of anxiety, sometimes linked to different situations and sometimes seemingly random. Some level of anxiety can actually be helpful. As a reaction to stress or dangerous

We plan to go on dates, but a child gets sick, or something comes up at work. We plan to make communication a priority, but it can be easy to adopt a “we will do it later” attitude, which can quickly put your marriage on the back burner. We plan to make intimacy a priority, but it gets easy to say “Later when things settle down” or “We are just too tired.” If your marriage is struggling, please read

Divorce is a painful event, bringing with it enormous change, transition, and emotional upheaval. And that doesn’t just apply to parents, but children as well. Here are some ways that children of divorce may feel and how parents can help them through it. Ways to Help Children of Divorce Taking sides Children of divorce may defend one parent or another. Particularly when a child is old enough to understand some of what has happened to cause the divorce, he

Relationships require constant work, and the work of love is never really over. This is never truer than when it comes to dealing with the people closest to us, including our kids. Our children are a gift from the Lord. The Bible tells us this when it says, “Behold, children are a heritage from the LORD, the fruit of the womb a reward.” (Psalm 127:3 ESV) Of course, if we are honest with ourselves, we may not always feel

In today’s world, it can feel like you may need what others would define as “a problem” in order to seek out professional counseling. However, that is not true. Family issues can be everything from a series of communication breakdowns to a new developmental stage or continual fighting between siblings. Times of transition such as a job change, big move, the blending of families, or the birth of a child can also create family issues that can be worked

Forgiveness is an abiding theme that God has woven throughout His Word. We embrace it as an immutable tenet of our life of faith in Christ. It is the perfect expression of who God is, as love. The Father gave His best, in the person of His only Son and our Savior. Jesus Christ, sacrificed His life, remitting humanity’s sin, so that we could joyfully abide in fellowship, indwelt by His Spirit in this life, and eternally, face to

Are you single, but not loving the season of singleness you’re in? Whether you have never been married before, or you are newly single after a breakup, divorce, or death, you can learn the tips for being single and loving it. Here are seven encouraging tips for you. Apply these tips for greater satisfaction in your singleness, no matter how long that season lasts. 1. View singleness as an opportunity rather than a burden. To the unmarried and the

Depression, anxiety, and many other mental health disorders have been reportedly on the rise in recent years. More and more adults are opening up to their families, friends, and doctors about their internal struggles. So, where do discussions about children’s mental health fit into the larger conversation? Children, just like adults, can be at risk for any number of mental health conditions. The prevalence of ADD, ADHD, and OCD among school-aged children tends to be widely accepted these days.

In a culture of all things anti-aging. In a culture of all things not pretty enough, not thin enough, not kind enough, not gracious enough, not disciplined enough. As women, this not-enough-ness is enough to destroy our beauty and we aren’t even aware of the destruction. It can be a sad fate to live this life without ever knowing our place and our presence of beauty in the world. Much of this has to do with learning to define

A toxic relationship is “any relationship [between two people] who don’t support each other, where there’s conflict and one seeks to undermine the other, where there’s competition, where there’s disrespect and a lack of cohesiveness” (Dr. Lillian Glass, 1955). Toxic relationships are not limited to romantic partnerships. They can exist in families, between friends, and in the workplace as well. The difference between a healthy and a toxic relationship In a healthy relationship both people enjoy each other’s company,