-
Kate Motaung : Curator
Kate Motaung is the Senior Writer, Editor, and Content Manager for a multi-state company. She is the author of several books including Letters to Grief, 101 Prayers for Comfort in Difficult Times, and A Place to Land: A Story of Longing and Belonging. Kate is also the host of Five Minute Friday, an online writing community that equips and encourages Christian writers, and the owner of Refine Services, a company that offers editing services. She and her South African husband have three young adult children and currently live in West Michigan. Find Kate’s books at katemotaung.com/books.
It can be difficult to know what our “best” looks like in the workforce. It can be so easy to compare ourselves to those around us and set a standard based on what someone next to us is doing. The truth is that our professional development goals should be based on God’s Word rather than what someone in the cubicle next to us is doing. The reality is: You will work around people you do not always agree with.
Anxiety and panic attacks have certain similarities, but they are two different conditions. How can you tell which is which? The main differences between them are the way they present themselves at their onset and the intensity, severity, and duration of the symptoms. The DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) describes a panic attack as “a sudden episode of intense fear that triggers severe physical reactions when there is no real danger or apparent cause.” It does
Conversations around anxiousness and stress management are becoming more and more common in our society’s public dialogue. From A-list celebrities talking openly about their mental health struggles, to friends and family admitting how hard it has been to get back to normal after the isolation of early-COVID quarantine, people of every class and creed seem to be experiencing greater feelings of social anxiety and fear than they have before. Many mental and emotional health conditions have been exacerbated by
Are you feeling depressed? Everyone feels depressed from time to time. Whether you’re dealing with situational depression (perhaps you got passed over for a promotion you worked hard for or caring for an ailing parent) or seasonal affective disorder, or chronic depression, depression hits everyone. God knows what you’re going through, God is ready to listen and to comfort you, and God provides resources to help you when you need it. Below are six Bible verses you can meditate
As a parent, watching your children suffer is one of the worst forms of heartache. Whether it is the common cold, a bump on the head, or deep issues of growing up and navigating the world, parents want to soothe the sickness and relieve the pain. When your child struggles with bad dreams and anxiety, you will feel stress creep into your own life. 4 Ways to Help Children with Anxiety and Nightmares Here are four ideas you can
When someone hurts us, and their words and actions ring in our ears and minds causing wounds to deepen and fester, it can seem all but impossible to extend forgiveness and mercy. To forgive, by definition, means to stop feeling angry or resentful toward (someone) for an offense, flaw, or mistake. As followers of Jesus, we are called to forgive just as Christ chose to forgive us. We are the most like God when we choose to forgive others.
Children, at times, may experience depression. However, unlike adults, they likely have not developed the insight to identify when they experience depression-related symptoms, the vocabulary to explain how they are feeling or the insight into how their behavior toward others may impact their relationships. Parents may notice a change in their child’s demeanor, behavior, or ability to tolerate stress. Luckily for children, they may be blessed with resourceful parents that are looking to better understand changes in their child
If you are recently engaged, there is a high chance your head is spinning with excitement at the prospect of marrying the person you love most in the world and premarital counseling may be the farthest thing from your mind. You may be neck-high in bridal magazines, potential venues, guest lists, registries, and honeymoon planning. What an exciting time of life this is for so many soon-to-be brides and grooms. When a person becomes engaged to someone they love,
God has masterfully designed rhythms for all of life. A quick flip through Genesis' initial chapters unearths the flow of rest and activity for life in concert with our Creator. Genesis offers practical insight for synchronizing one's daily pulse with the One who originated the beginning, with the rhythm of His own voice, declaring, "Let there be light!" In Eden, God established rhythms for worship, work, relationship, and rest. Through His example and the picture of Adam and Eve’s
As a counselor, I find one of the most common complaints that people bring to my office that of some form of anxiety. In recent years, the collective anxiety of our culture has dramatically increased. The presence of COVID-19 and political discord along with the accelerant of social media has made it so that our minds rarely have respite from a barrage of information. Rarely helpful, this information overload has caused many to experience anxiety in one form or
If you have a family member who is addicted to alcohol, you are probably dealing with many fears and frustrations every day. Alcohol dependence is a disease that affects not just the addict, but the entire family. Alcohol addiction creates complex problems within the family system. Often family members are too close to the problems to understand what can be done. As family members seek help for themselves, the situation can dramatically improve. Whether the alcoholic chooses to get
"Keeping up with the Joneses" is a phrase most of us have heard and many have attempted, in one form or another. Besting our neighbors or at least trying to keep pace with other people's lifestyles predates social media and reality television. However, as internet outlets abound and technologies advance, an existing human bent toward “othering,” preoccupying ourselves with others, is ever noticeable. On one hand, we view others through a skewed lens: to blame, to idolize, to envy,