Category: Uncategorized

One of the benefits that Brentwood Baptist provides her ministers is a monthly retreat day and 5 year sabbaticals.  But have you ever wondered how you ought to spend your time on sabbatical or your spiritual retreat days?  For some, imagining and planning what to do becomes so stressful that they end up doing nothing. They are concerned that...more

It is still a little over a week before Thanksgiving and Christmas decorations are already going up.  I am used to that in retail stores, but not in the neighborhood.  But this year, house after house has the Christmas lights, wreaths, and decorations already up.  Of course, this is 2020 and why should we be surprised?  This year, nothing...more

Boredom!  This may not seem like a mental health issue, but we are seeing an increasing number of clients whose presenting issue in counseling is boredom.  The current pandemic has created a loss of social support, the inability to enjoy seasonal activities, the loss of interaction with co-workers, isolation at home, and all of this has created a perfect...more

One of the consequences of the current pandemic has been disappointment: loss of jobs; delayed weddings; postponed events; graduations curtailed.  Some of these are life events that can never be replaced.  Some people find it very difficult to move past disappointment.  They get stuck in blame and resentment.  Others move through disappointment and find ways to grow in spite...more

Do you have a task that you have put off and put off and now it’s causing you some real anxiety?  Why can’t you bring yourself to do it?  At some time or other, we have all procrastinated.  Have you noticed that the task never gets easier because we put it off?  It is always still there, waiting and...more

The days are getting shorter and the weather is beginning to cool.  There are signs that Fall is just around the corner.  For some, that means the beginning of SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder.  You might sometimes hear people talk about “the winter blues.”  It’s a real thing.   For many, the shorter days and cooler weather do bring an...more

It is day 176 for me of working from home as a result of the coronavirus pandemic and there is currently no end in sight.  There is still no vaccine and no treatment and so, we wait, and we develop new routines for work and leisure.  I think we are all looking forward to being able to go to...more

We are all hoping that the COVID-19 pandemic will end soon.   There is great concern about how long the social distancing and sheltering in place orders can last without permanently endangering the economy and people’s emotional health.  We are constantly hearing different reports about the length of time before life will return to normal.  Will things be up and...more

Today is my first day to office from home.  We now have 4 adults officing in the same home.  Life has certainly shifted for all of us in many ways.  We are enjoying each other, but there are some challenges to being at home all the time, all day. In a recent post, I gave 10 suggestions for maintaining...more

We are not there yet, but all indications are that we will soon be quarantined at home.  Staying home for a day or two, maybe even a week, sounds like fun.  At week of “at home vacation” can be a great way to spend your free time, but what happens if that week extends into two weeks, or a...more