Kate Motaung

Mental health drives our experiences, choices, and daily lives. In turn, these things interact with and affect our mental health. This cyclical interrelationship helps humans to survive and thrive; however, too often it can cause humans to lose control. Mental health, according to Dr. Tim Sharp, is: “a state of psychological wellbeing; an absence of or minimal levels of distress, and the presence of positive emotions like happiness and satisfaction with life.” Therefore, your mental health plays an important

Talking about depression among people of faith can seem like a risky venture. After all, if I believe in God, the maker of heaven and earth, surely depression shouldn’t be an issue? Unfortunately, many people labor under the false idea that because you know God and follow Jesus through the power of the Spirit, illness, and struggle are no longer part of your existence, and to go through those things means you have weak faith. This is far from

Although it might sound cheesy at first, the perfect quotes on personal growth can motivate you, boost your self-esteem, and inspire you to overcome challenges and accomplish your goals. Here’s a curated list of quotes ranging from Paul in the Bible to successful businessmen and businesswomen through history. Personal Growth Quotes from the Bible Let’s not get tired of doing what is good. At just the right time we will reap a harvest of blessing if we don’t give

Our bodies are fearfully and wonderfully made, and with that comes complexity in how they interact with the world around us. The things that we consume by ingesting them into either our bodies or minds, leave their mark upon us. That makes it especially important for us to understand what we are putting into our bodies, how it affects us, and the various ways we can overcome any negative side effects of what we consume. One possible consequence of

We have all encountered stress that could potentially be the “straw that broke the camel's back.” Stress itself doesn’t have to be negative. Raising a family or beginning a new job can be positive, yet it can be stressful. Our stress response is the key to whether the stressor will make us feel ill or ignite us. Modern stress research confirms what the word of God told us long ago, a merry heart makes for good medicine, and anxiety

We all need a friend or two. Having great friends makes life richer and more interesting. Being social creatures, our affinity for relationships makes all the sense in the world. Having a good friend is something that you should hold on to because genuinely good friends are a precious and rare commodity, no matter what social media might try to tell us. While having great friends in your life blesses you, being a great friend for others blesses them.

Along with so many things affected by Covid-19, relationships have taken a substantial hit. Single people have struggled with an extreme amount of touch deprivation and even presence deprivation. Even those who aren’t single haven’t had the same amount of community available to them, and they are feeling lonelier than ever before. People are attending in-person church and other gatherings much less. Many students are doing online school, and workgroups are meeting over Zoom. Even counselors are seeing more

The television ads from the last half of the last century got it wrong – the idea was that our lives in the future (our present) would be far more leisurely. After all, with machines to help us wash our dishes, clean our clothes, and vacuum our floors, and with computers and other machines to take over menial tasks for us, surely, we’d have more time on our hands and find ourselves with loads of room for the joys

At some point in life, everyone will experience an underlying, lurking emotion called anxiety. Anxiety is defined as “a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease, typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome.” As we go forth conquering tasks day in and day out, the management and micromanagement of life’s events can become drudgery or weight. In the flesh, this proves challenging and can create a storm within. Perhaps you are already experiencing this. Some people

Emotional abuse, also referred to as psychological abuse, is often hidden from the public eye. Since this type of abuse doesn’t show with outward bodily bruises, it is harder for people to recognize. Adults in emotionally abusive relationships often have difficulty identifying the abuse until it has escalated. Children who want to please their parents are at a higher risk since they are less likely to ask for help. Whether you are caring for a child you suspect may

Whether you can voice them or not you entered marriage with expectations. You had a picture in your mind of what your marriage would look like. It may have reflected your parent’s marriage, or the marriages of close friends, your own hopes and dreams, or even TV and movie depictions of marriage. At some point, however, your expectations for marriage didn’t match reality. There was a gap between what you expected and the reality of your daily experience. When

Many go through life exhausted, craving rest for their physical body while others are longing for rest for their inner life, their soul (their mind and emotions). Still others are searching for spiritual rest and redemption, spiritual rebirth, and transformation. Jesus has invited you into a personal relationship with Him. A life-saving friendship you enter weary and heavy-hearted where you find deep, lasting peace and rest. It sounds too good to be true. Author and pastor, Dane Ortlund, in