Following Christ is not a “gay to straight” journey (both are false constructs.) Discipleship is a matter of changing one’s mind and worldview to believe we are all simply human beings. Together. That path requires real repentance (a change of mind) and an environment that can facilitate life in Christ alongside self-knowledge, understanding of our past, perspective on our gifts or strengths, honor, dignity, transformation, hope… essentially, it requires the kingdom of God.
Read MoreTalk about pornography early. Talk about pornography often. Make sure your kids have permission to always talk to you about digital “stuff.” And that includes giving your kids permission to talk openly about pornography.
Read MoreWhen you see someone you’re attracted to, awesome, opportunity time. Ask yourself, “what am I attracted to about this person? What do I like about him/her?” Is it his confidence? Is it her kindness? Does he represent a really good caring dad to me - one that I wish I was or wish I had when I was growing up?
Read MoreJoin Debra Fileta who is a licensed professional counselor who is focused on relationships, and an advocate for “healthy people make healthy relationships”. In this podcast Debra, Caitlin and Sloane dive into the common myths about purity culture and break the boxes surrounding them. “It isn’t a toxic purity culture, it’s toxic shame culture. Purity is not toxic, it is the shame, the isolation, the hiding.” Sex is so sacred and is created to be beautiful within the perimeters of marriage. In Debra’s story, shame and guilt didn’t help her break free of sexual sin but the realization that sex is God’s gift and is beautiful in the right place and time. Perspective is empowering, before marriage, but also how it impacts us within a marriage. It is time for all of us to break out of the shame of our histories and step into the fullness God has for us!!!
If you want to hear more from Debra her Instagram handle is @truelovedates
Resources:
True Love Dates by Debra Fileta
Choosing Marriage by Debra Fileta
Love in every season by Debra Fileta
The Naked Truth about Sexuality by Havilah Cunnington
Read MoreIf you’re watching porn thinking it will teach you something about sex, you’re training for the wrong game. Porn will give you an education, but it only teaches toxic, exaggerated, and fantasized lessons that harm individuals and relationships.
Read MoreBefore you’re married it’s easy to see marriage as the grande finale. It’s the thing we dream of and live for. It’s the force propelling us forward into this destination we call life. And then it finally comes! Now what?
Read MoreOur sex drive allows us to connect with our spouse and create a bond for life. It’s the glue that seals together. As much as we’d like to think we’re rubber and people can just bounce off of us, the reality is that when we have sexual encounters, we’re being glued together.
Read MoreJoin Damien Giacchino, who is the associate pastor at Real Life Church in Sacramento California and has his masters degree in counseling. Damien joins Caitlin Zick and Sloane Wilson and shares his story of how the Lord restored his life from living a worldly life to encountering the Lord and having his story be redeemed. During his pursuit of the Lord, he was given the message of the importance of not awakening love too early. He talks about the effect of hookup culture, the impact of having the voice of fathers/mothers in our lives, the pursuit of abstinence, how to manage loneliness while single and much more!! If you want to hear more from Damien his Instagram handle is @dgiacchino.
Read MoreWe realized that we couldn’t expect our children to express what made them uncomfortable or scared if we didn’t teach them to understand and express a broad range of feelings, especially the uncomfortable and difficult ones. Our hope is that as we create space throughout our days to talk about difficult feelings, our children will be able to more easily verbalize instances where someone makes them feel unsafe or touches them inappropriately.
Read MoreFriends- do not keep this in the dark anymore. Go tell someone! The enemy wants us to believe that we should be embarrassed or shameful but thats not truth. The Lord died on the cross for ALL of our sins. Not just some - ALL. This is a normal thing women go through - don't let the enemy tell you that you are the only one. I would encourage you to find someone to keep you accountable in this. When you feel temptation coming... text or call them.
Read MoreWhen it comes to being a safe place, healthy communication is essential. Refuse to engage in disrespectful conversations. Bravely step into vulnerable conversations where you show the person your heart and invite an exchange of truth. Listen well, seek to understand them, identify what they are needing, and help to meet that need.
Read MoreIn a recent survey I conducted, one of the top 3 ways currently married people found their partner was thanks to the world of online dating websites and apps. All this to say, people are using online platforms more than ever before, and with the stay at home orders, the online dating world has seen an increase in numbers of people.
Read MoreAs a child, you were creating habits and building these connections at a faster and stronger rate than at any other point in your life. So, the earlier and more frequently you experience things like porn, abuse, and sexuality, the more these things feel like they are part of you.
Read MoreFor many partners, finding out their significant other has secretly watched porn can feel just they discovered they’ve been cheated on. For some other partners, they may feel upset but not betrayed. And still, for others, they may not be bothered at all by their partner’s porn habit.
Read MoreDr. Margaret Nagib, Christian Clinical Psychologist, joins Caitlin Zick and Sloane Wilson as they dive into attachment styles. Attachment styles the base of how you relate to people from childhood. They create patterns of how you think, feel, and respond to people in relationship based on what you learned when you were younger. Dr. Margaret talks about the different types of attachment styles, and how you can identify which you relate to the most and why.
Read MoreIf you’re struggling to build success in your life, find yourself surrounded by small-minded people, or feel like the community you’ve cultivated fails to bring about the best in you, I want to challenge your perspective on friendships today! In fact, I believe this key is so powerful that it can unlock, activate and propel you into greater kingdom impact in every area of your life!
Read MoreChurches are becoming afraid to offer us support since any approach suggesting emotional healing or restoration in one’s sexuality could be called “conversion therapy,” or worse, anti-LGBTQ hate. We Christians who have experienced LGBTQ, whether openly gay or closeted in our churches, wrestle with our public response to Christ. The uproar over so-called “conversion therapy” reveals the painful challenge of that pursuit.
Read More“For me, Playboy was my gateway into full on pornography addiction. My dad had a Playboy left out at age five and it’s affected almost every choice I made for the rest of my life…. From age five till now, having to kick the habit and it just presents itself in the open like it’s okay and I stand up and say, ‘No, it’s not ok.’” 1
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