Author: Natalie Atwell Counseling

Dr. Natalie Atwell is a Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor in NC and a Board Certified Professional Christian Counselor. She values being transparent, honest, knowing when to be silly and when not to be silly (which isn't that often) and thinks laughter is a gift from God.

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christian counseling

Passover and Mental Health

I imagine many of you have questions about this title. Is Dr. Natalie Jewish? What does Passover have to do with Mental Health? This seems strange…

Well over the past year or so, I’ve taken a deep dive studying the Feasts of Israel and have learned a ton some of which I want to share, especially with what God has shown me regarding mental health.

First of all, no I am not Jewish nor am I converting to Judaism. However, I do believe that as Christ followers/Christians, we should learn and understand Jewish culture, etc. so we can fully understand God’s word. The Old Testament was written in Hebrew after all. There are so many assumptions of things we should know seeing as how the writers were Jewish writing to Jewish audiences. Is the Bible for all people, absolutely, but the Jews were the people chosen by God to bring about salvation to all (Jesus was Jewish). All other nations had completely gone against the one true God, so God chose Israel as a nation dedicated to Him alone and to bring about the Messiah so all nations could have a way back to God.

Here are a few reasons to consider observing or at least learning about the feasts as a Gentile (non-Jewish people).

  • Some of the 4/5th century church councils made questionable decisions about Jewish people and they desired to get rid of the “roots”. The council of Nicea in AD 326 and Synod of Sardia in AD 344 were influenced by powerful anti-semitic leaders who sought to remove the celebrations of the feasts. 
  • These councils wanted to demonstrate the power of Christianity over Judaism. This was never God’s plan. He came for both the Jew and the Gentile. Man always seems to get in the way…This hurt our calling to show Christ to the world. Romans 11:11, 17
  • As mentioned above…We have LOST so much by not learning the significance of the feast and by not practicing these.
  • Jesus observed the feasts so why shouldn’t we?

The Feasts were given to the Jews originally as ways to remember, to honor God, and to have hope in the future. If you or your family had gone through a horrific time in history, a feast that helps you remember how God brought you through the trauma is in a way a healing mechanism. In counseling, we help people process and reprocess trauma to find healing. Isn’t it beautiful that God designed the feasts in such a way that would allow for processing, reprocessing, and for remembering God’s goodness? This is the mental health piece:).

Passover starts today in 2022. It is a day to reflect on what God has delivered the Jewish people from (slavery in Egypt) and for believers in Jesus to reflect on our deliverance from the slavery of sin. Leaven represents unconfessed sin (pride mostly). If you’ve ever held a piece of Matzah, the unleavened bread, you will see strips and holes in it. They did this to ensure no leaven was present. Scripturally, it reminds us, Isaiah 53:5 But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his stripes we are healed.) Jesus was this bread of life who was pierced for our transgressions and by whose stripes we are healed. This is only one of many symbolic things we can learn and be amazed by if we celebrate Passover.

During Passover, we reflect on any sin we have that could be negatively influencing us and repent. We reflect on God’s provision, protection, and presence. We remember God’s promises fulfilled in Jesus, the Messiah.

I challenge you today to study the Feasts and maybe even make their observance part of your family traditions. In these, you may just find healing in many areas of life including mentally.

Happy Passover,

Dr. Natalie

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christian counseling

Nicaragua: Hope in the Present Age

Last week, I was blessed to have the opportunity to serve with a team of diverse individuals with a non-profit of which I serve on the board. One of my dreams in life has been to do missions as a mental health professional and over the past several years, the dream has become a reality. It began as I started consulting with a ministry in the Philippines in 2019 resulting in a trip in 2023 (due to Covid pushing back the original travel dates) which is now an ongoing partnership, a trip to Europe to work with Ukrainian orphan refugees in 2023, and this year so far to Nicaragua.

As I sit and reflect on the trip to Nicaragua, the likely “high” of the trip was being able to have a front-row seat to the experience changing the life of a first-timer. One of my amazing counseling staff members was able to go with me to teach and train the staff of a ministry organization that serves the poor in Nicaragua in various ways. She said it was a “bucket list” item to go on a “mission trip”. Later on, I learned that she promised her dad in her last conversation on earth with him that she would “change the world” and this was an effort to keep her promise.

Watching her experience a new culture, seeing people live in some of the poorest conditions in the world, wash feet and then pass out shoes to grateful children, feed a community of hungry people, hold a baby who had no diaper (yes even this is a luxury for some), train a staff on trauma who were overwhelmed with their work, work on the fly with anything thrown at her, deliver bunk beds and mattresses to those who’ve never had one, room with a stranger, and SO much more WAS so beautiful to me.

It was beautiful to see the tears that flowed as she realized how blessed she truly was with material possessions. It was beautiful to see her concern over the lack of support she received from her friends who didn’t “understand” her going on a mission trip. Beautiful to see start a trip with strangers and return home with friends for life although from ALL walks of life. Beautiful to see her grow as she was completely out of her comfort zone. Beautiful to see her struggle with the emotions of all that comes with serving in such a way. Beautiful to see her heart for God in serving and so much more.

My goal in missions was always to bring mental health resources and hope to those who lacked access. As I said “yes” to the Lord in small things he asked of me, He has taken me on such an adventure with him where all of my dreams have come true. The most amazing thing about it all though is the things I never even dreamed of being gifted to me as well, like the beauty of watching dreams transform the lives of those you never even planned or thought of in the process.

While the world may seem so broken in so many ways, going to Nicaragua, and working with the Hope Project International and Present Age Ministries truly gave me so much hope in this present age as long as we focus on serving God and loving others.

If you’d like to learn more about these adventures, how you can get involved, or how you can seek to have a team help your mission, stay in touch with us on social media, this blog, and associated websites.

https://counselor-threads.myshopify.com

http://www.concord-nacounseling.com

FB: Natalie Atwell

IG: @drnatalieatwell @counselorthreads

Be hopeful today as you serve and love others,

Dr. Natalie Atwell

PS My book is finally about to be released by June 2024!!! Stay tuned…

Categories
christian counseling

The Hard ? or the Weird ?

The other day I was in a meeting with someone impressive who often has to ask “the hard questions” in her job. We were discussing how people and things have changed over the years which in turn often changes the way we do our jobs. The conversation led to me encouraging her to not only ask the hard but to ask the weird questions.

Lately, in my job, I find the need to not only ask the hard questions but to ask the weird questions. Asking the weird questions does not mean the person is weird, it may simply mean the person is dealing with something outside of the typical questions asked.

You may be wondering, so what is a “weird question”. One in particular I know a counselor recently asked was “Has anyone ever had a client say she was abducted by aliens?” I get it, you may think that is just crazy. However, can you imagine being someone who actually was or who believed she was abducted by aliens? Who do you go to for help? A pastor? A friend? A family member? A mental health professional? Can you imagine?! Yet, when strange things happen we all need a safe place to be able to ask the weird things!

Personally, I believe Jesus asked some weird questions. Can you imagine meeting some new “influencer” and the person asking you, “Who do you say I am?” Mark 8: 27-29. You may suddenly think “Why does that even matter?” or “Is this person having an identity crisis?”

What about these:

Jesus asked a blind man: “Do you see anything?” Mark 8:23

Jesus asked with a woman standing next to him: “Do you see this woman?” Luke 7:44

Or one of my personal favs: Jesus asked a paralyzed man “Do you want to be well?” John 5:6

While today, I’m not going to go down a laundry list of weird questions I may ask clients at times, let me leave you with this encouragement….

Jesus may have also asked weird questions. Jesus provided answers to weird questions. Jesus can handle your weird questions, so do not be afraid. Personally more than any other book, I believe the Bible provides answers to the weird things.

Weirdly yours,

Dr. Atwell

Categories
christian counseling

Focus, why it matters and how to increase the ability to focus properly

Over the New Year holiday, my family and I went to Arizona and were able to visit the Grand Canyon for the first time. The vastness of the beauty is overwhelming. I can understand now why some have studied it and explored it endlessly for years. One thing that at first made me confused was these looking scopes that didn’t magnify anything but rather simply forced you to focus on one aspect of the canyon you could see. The scopes definitely helped by blocking out in a way all of the surrounding sites. It reminded me of the value of focus and how what we focus on matters.

The ability to focus is of increasing interest to many. Recently, I read that more adults since the pandemic have sought prescriptions for Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (formerly ADD, now ADHD). Trust me, I can relate. The older I get, the more responsibilities and things to manage; the harder I find it at times to focus. I am not against medication because it has been a life-saving means for many who struggle to the point of needing medication and before I dive deep let me suggest that you never judge someone for taking it…again as it may be saving their life in a way.

At any rate, let me explain a little about the brain. Focus is managed in the prefrontal cortex of the brain and is the management of your attention field of thoughts, feelings, and emotions. Your brain was created to have the ability to focus and to be distracted. At times, we need to be distracted for example when a child screams. You should be able to react to distress calls even if you are focused on doing a task.

However, sadly over time, we have overused the distraction part of our brains in part due to the overstimulating nature of technology. We also have designed education in part to be suited more for girls who want to sit still instead of allowing for more physical activity which boys need and were created for. Of course, girls and boys need both. Many studies have proven that given more time for physical activity and breaks, test scores improve, yet school systems continue to disregard this vital information. This is one reason I believe ADHD has increased in many populations. In addition, sleep training has often been discouraged in parenting for most recent generations, and has been replaced with co-sleeping and allowing infants to set their own schedules which if it leads to (which often does) sleepless nights or not sleeping until a child is 3/4 thru the night can lead to a future diagnosis of ADHD. This has also been widely proven in research. Sleep matters especially for an infant… and parents. There are many other reasons and also genetic factors. Again regardless, we must not judge those who struggle or whose kids struggle.

Instead, let’s try to focus this year on a few things that can help us not only manage our attention but also positively influence our brain health, relationships, and overall well-being.

1-Take control over as many distractions as possible. Put your phone down, turn it off, turn off notifications. Keep it in a separate area. Do a social media fast regularly, etc… Set boundaries with people who distract you by shutting your door to finish an important project for example.

2-Give yourself breaks. Do not stay on one task without taking a break longer than 30 min and at max 1 hour. Unless you are a brain surgeon… It is helpful for your brain to have breaks and you will be more productive. Get up and walk around every 1.5 to 3 hours. Take the lunch break. Leave when it is time.

3-Do focusing brain activities like deep breathing or allowing yourself to daydream and then force yourself to focus on your breathing. This can help you focus better long term. Find other brain exercises for focus.

4-Rest: Only in the Abrahamic religions is a day of rest commanded. Rest is an act of faith in many ways as we allow God to provide for us on a day we cease working. Rest is also proven by science (which I believe is created by God) to be absolutely necessary for survival. I’m sure we’ve all seen those studies about how the lack of sleep is dangerous… but rest in general is SO needed yet neglected in our society. Be intentional about times of rest or it will simply not happen. For those of us who are Christ-followers, it is also a command.

5-If you are doing all these things, seek medical attention such as speaking to a physician, and consider counseling.

6-Finally, be intentional about what you focus on as Philippians 4:8  says, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence, if there is anything worthy of praise.

Be blessed and be intentional as you focus on things that truly matter this year!

Dr. Atwell

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christian counseling

Want to know what decreases the likelihood of developing a mental illness?

Recently, I was able to hear George Barna from the Barna Group present at a conference and this statistic stood out to me above all. Current research suggests if you believe in the following 7 tenants of the Christian faith your chances of developing a mental illness decrease to 2%:

1-God is eternal, omniscient, and the Creator. I would never look at a master artist and question his creation or tell him it would work better another way…Trust the Creator and worship him NOT his creations.

2-Humans are sinful by nature. We all screw up by nature. We are not perfect.

3-Jesus freely offers and gives forgiveness of sin and eternal life.

4-The Bible is true. Rest in this, it is freeing.

5-Absolute truth exists. Just FYI, if you say “absolute truth doesn’t exist”, that statement in itself is an absolute truth…

6-Success is defined by obedience to God. Period…

7-The purpose of your life is to know, love, and serve God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength.

If you think about it, sense can be made of it all. So much pressure of life is taken off of the individual when we have a solid belief in something greater than us, something beyond what we can see in this life, and a hope of a life without sin.

Knowing the absolute truth that God is sovereign, the creator who sees and knows all, and understanding that humans are sinful but we have Jesus who forgives sin gives me hope. I also know that hiding God’s word (the Bible) in my heart combats bad thoughts/lies with truth. Finally, walking in obedience to God and knowing his purpose for my life gives me peace.

Talk about and teach these truths to all you know,

Dr. Atwell

Categories
christian counseling

The growing crisis of seeking comfort…

For a while, I’ve noticed the addiction to all things comfort especially in the USA, as I’ve noted before, there is literally a mattress store on every corner these days. Feel free to go back and listen to my podcast episode and the danger zone of comfort, but today I want to share some insight on a book called, The Comfort Crisis, written by Michael Easter.

The book is not based on a Christian perspective but there are many things discussed that truly point to truths written but sadly rarely preached in scripture. The author shares his story based off of an evolutionary perspective but I hope he learns about the Christian faith because I believe if he does much of his research and studies will make much more sense.

The first thing that I noticed is that Michael is likely a millennial who was raised to achieve things that led him to live a “comfortable” life. However, he learned that the comforts of the world actually do not make one fulfilled and satisfied but rather, they make one anxious and ofttimes depressed. He noted that people who have more do not stop complaining, but rather their threshold for what they complain about changes. For example, if you no longer have to worry about where your next meal comes from, you may begin complaining about the type of food you have. It is a very sad truth but I see it played out daily as I’m sure you do.

Another thing Michael mentioned in his book was that if we stop doing hard things or never challenge ourselves or allow ourselves to be challenged, then we never learn how much we are truly capable of. As a parent, I have watched many parents handicap their children by making everything easy for their children.

Finally, I’m still reading…so stay tuned for more in the weeks ahead, but he noted that the reported happiest places on earth are not the ones with the most money or comforts but he mentioned a place he visited that was very poor yet extremely happy. One of the requirements of living in the place he visited near Nepal was “to think about death once daily”. Yes, I realize this sounds morbid but the idea is to remember how short your life is and to make the most of it each day.

Here are the biblical truths that should be taught are were told WAY before Michael wrote this book…

Phil 2:14-15 “Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world”

Proverbs 14:23 “All hard work brings a profit, but mere talk leads only to poverty.”

Romans 5:3-5 (NIV)“Not only so, but we also glory in our sufferings, because we know that suffering produces perseverance; perseverance, character; and character, hope. And hope does not put us to shame, because God’s love has been poured out into our hearts through the Holy Spirit, who has been given to us.”

James 4:14 “Yet you do not know what your life will be like tomorrow. You are just a vapor that appears for a little while and then vanishes away.”

And here are a few things I have learned or am learning: We truly have nothing to complain about in the USA. Also complaining makes you feel worse, not better. I’ve been in parts of the world, where they have no electricity or clean water. We never have to worry about that in the US for the most part, so stop complaining about taxes…

After a friend challenged me to complete a Spartan super race in Asheville, NC (one of the hardest courses they offer), it made me realize I could actually complete a full marathon, and did (although when I was born the doctors said I may never walk…) The strong will I gained as a child having struggles involving multiple surgeries has served me well…

I want my life to make a difference in the world because I believe that this world is not the end and I will stand before the Creator of all one day and give an answer for what I did with the gifts and talents he gave me. I do not want to say I buried them and did nothing.

Phil 4:13, “I can do all things thru Christ who gives me strength.”

Do something challenging daily,

Dr. Atwell

Categories
christian counseling

The Sound of Freedom Part 3

So far on the journey, I’ve explained how I began working with people in the area of human trafficking. Often God leads you down very interesting paths that you could never imagine. In fact, there are many things I’ve done in my life that I never planned or had a strong desire to do from an early age. I simply have just said yes to the Lord in small things which led to some amazing journeys.

The next part of my journey was being asked to be on the human trafficking task force for my county. It is actually one of a few in the entire nation. Our DA knows it is happening around us and wants to stop it. So, she organized a team of community people, law enforcement, agency leaders, etc. to discuss, consult and work together to combat it. I love this group of people and believe they are some of the best in the business.

One of the members of this committee is a leader in the community who runs an agency that directly works to prevent and intervene with minor girls who have been trafficked. She is a force to be reckoned with, and is I believe the best in the field. This relationship led to me being asked to be a board member for her agency, Present Age Ministries (PAM).

PAM is an agency that works in our area doing many wonderful things to first prevent sex-trafficking of girls such as training for law enforcement, presentations for groups interested, groups for at-risk girls, developing curriculum for schools, and more. The intervention efforts include rescuing victims, partnering with counselors (like me and my staff) to provide counseling for victims, providing resources for families impacted, education for victims, training law enforcement, and more.

PAM also works internationally to do the same work in places such as Kenya. Last year, I went with PAM to Kenya and met some beautiful students, who during a school training in an area where we work, shared some very hard stories. I am so thankful we are working in this area…

So my sound of freedom now is the voice of my sweet friend, Hannah saying “Not on my watch”. Someone has to fight against this evil. Join me in supporting this work by donating to

Present Age Ministries by using the QR code below or going to https://presentageministries.org

Dr. Atwell

Categories
christian counseling

Sound of freedom continued

If you didn’t read my previous post, go back and read it first. This post is a continuation of my story of experiencing the sound of freedom related to human trafficking.

Continuing from last week, the first sound of freedom for me was the sound of my professor’s voice. He taught me that research matters. One of the things the film did well was mentioning some of the statistics surrounding the “business” of trafficking. Human trafficking is one of the fastest-growing industries in the world. Humans can be used over and over while drugs cannot so in essence is it more lucrative from a monetary standpoint. Statistics and research on these matters are important although dark.

When I met my friend the DA, I will never forget what she told me when I asked her how she could prosecute sex offenders for over 25 years. She said to me, “Natalie, God asked me to go into the fiery furnace but he promised that I would not be alone and that I wouldn’t get burned or even smell like fire, just like Shadrack, Meshack, and Abednego.” I knew we’d be friends for a long time once she said that…

Her voice was likely the next sound I experienced on the freedom journey for the battle again human trafficking. She is very passionate about putting away bad guys and I love her for it. Since the time we met, I have been honored to serve alongside her with many other community partners, agencies, leaders, etc to discuss ways we can combat human trafficking in our area. One of the things we talk about often is that in a nice suburb, many people do not think that it happens or they simply want to not think about it. Thankfully, part of our work is educating the public.

Knowledge is truly power. I cannot protect my kids from everything, but I can work extremely hard to prepare them. Honestly, mine probably get tired of hearing “Remember not to talk to strangers online. I’m monitoring you. I don’t care if others’ parents allow them to ….., etc.” but because I know, I have to prepare my kids and part of that is discussing difficult and uncomfortable topics with them. As I often say, you do nto want your kids to use “Google” as their educator, If you talk often to your kids, they will know they can come to you to ask. You also do not want your kids to need attention or affirmation from strangers online, so make sure you are giving them adequate attention and affirmation often.

In conclusion, I’ll tie this all together by sharing with you one of the most startling statistics I found in my research and that was that adolescents whose fathers worked many hours away from home were one of the highest groups at-risk in the US. Think about this….Our kids may not act like they want or need us still, but they do!

Spend more time with your family today,

Dr. Atwell

Categories
christian counseling

How I’ve experienced the “Sound of Freedom”…

To be honest, when I first heard of this movie, I thought…hmm, “Do I want to go watch a movie about something that I deal with regularly? Do I want to watch something that may not portray sex trafficking correctly? etc..”

However, I’m so glad I went to see it because it reminded me why I work in the space of helping victims, why I advocate for those who are rescuing and helping victims, and why I love being a part of preventing the problem for as many as possible.

So, I’ve decided to do a new blog series by the same name of the movie, which by the way is a must-watch. Go and take everyone you possibly can with you!

Many times, I’ve been asked how I became involved in the work of sex trafficking intervention and intervention, and honestly, I think it started with doctoral studies. Prior to my studies and in turn research, I saw clients in private practice as a counselor who had been a part of sex trafficking in one way or another (yes sadly, I was ordered to see a guy who has been a part of distributing child porn- which was not fun or easy as I honestly wanted to just punch him in the face), but my interest and desire to do more truly started around 2016.

I had this amazing professor who I initially had a love/hate relationship with who did a ton of research in the area of pornography. He had a desire to shed light on the immense problem it has become in the church. He wasn’t a counselor, but rather an expert statistician and he had a great reputation for helping students complete their dissertations so he was my choice. This choice meant I may have to research something he had an interest in, which ultimately led to me researching school counselors (since I had been one previously) and their experiences with how pornography impacted students (sexting, distribution of images of self/others, students looking is up during school, etc.) This led to me learning so many disturbing facts and finding some interesting findings. One, in particular, is that 1/3 of the internet is pornography. Think about this and imagine the rabbit holes your mind can go down….Imagine the money, the business, the darkness…this is how my research began…

When someone completes a dissertation, which is basically writing a book, researching a topic for years, and becoming somewhat of an expert in an area, it is published for others to read. Of course, I thought no one would ever be bored enough to read it. Shockingly enough, a local detective read it and told the local DA about it which led to a meeting. This meeting led to a friendship and an appointment on the county human trafficking task force….The story just keeps getting better so tune in soon for the unfolding of the rest of the story…

In conclusion, I’ll say this week’s sound of freedom for me was a professor’s voice telling me that research can make a difference in the lives of others. I have always wanted to make a difference in the world and my parents always allowed me to believe that I could so I try daily. One major thing I have learned is that if you simply say “yes” to God each day, one “yes” leads to another and another and before you know it, you have gotten the chance to be a part of some amazing good work that overcomes evil!

Say yes today to one small thing and keep saying yes,

Dr. Natalie

Categories
christian counseling

Help: My teen is depressed

If you only knew the number of times, I hear this on a weekly basis, you may experience some depressed feelings. Friends text me, potential clients email me, my family calls me, and I consult with colleagues as my own children have their moments, etc. The amount has increased exponentially in the past several years.

There are many factors I believe (from what I’ve seen and heard) that have contributed to the increase: increase use of technology for social purposes, 24/7 access to anything and everything, decrease in time spent in person with others, decrease emphasis on spiritual families (church, youth group, godly mentors), unhealthy spiritual families, increase focus on talent/intellect/abilities OVER focus on development of character, increase in divorce and family splits that are much more volatile, a push for medicating problems over uncovering the root of issues, the push of social/cultural agendas, and more but these are the biggest factors.

You may or may not be shocked by the “factors” I’ve identified, but the truth is teens are experiencing depression at higher rates than ever before. So how can we respond as parents:

1-Monitor your teens’ social media. Tell them why and explain that you are trying to help them manage their mental health by having time off. Gradually, allow them to have social media as they mature, but regularly monitor and talk to them about it. My personal recommendation is 30-60 minutes a day max on social media.

2-Take time off. Help your kids take time off too not just from technology but from everything. Prioritize family time again. Rest and reset often. Model this for your teens. While you are “off” spend time with your kids. Maybe you have 3, 4, or more kids and you think it is impossible. Make it happen no matter what. This is a life-or-death issue. Your kids need your one-on-one attention more than anyone or anything else, period. Weekly is preferred with each child in the home (at least an hour uninterrupted or split up over days).

3-Make sure your family spends time in person together regularly. Eat dinner as often as possible together. Have your teens invite their friends over. Encourage and require in-person activities.

4-Find a spiritual family/church to be a part of. I prefer the term spiritual family because this is what it should be. You and your family should be making healthy attachments to godly people. If you do, the chances of drug/alcohol addiction and all types of other unhealthy behaviors will decrease.

5-Make sure your spiritual family is a healthy one. Know the people teaching your kids at youth group. Make sure your pastor is preaching the truth of God from the Bible, which requires you to know the Bible…so read it daily, study it, meditate on it. This is the only truth and one that promises to set us free.

6-Place more attention on the development of character by fostering growth of the fruit of the spirit: love, gentleness, patience, kindness,  love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control OVER grades, sports, music lessons, etc. These things can be used to help foster character but often we (yes me included) focus more on how well they perform over their attitudes.

7-Fight to keep your family together. If this isn’t possible, make every effort to get along. Kids ALWAYS interpret parents who do not get along as their fault in divorce situations. So stop it!

8-If your child needs medication (should be a last resort), couple this with counseling so that they learn to deal with the root of the problem and prayerfully overcome it OR learn tools to cope with it that make them stronger.

9-Do not allow society or culture to tell your children WHO or WHAT they are. Teach them and show them that they are who God (their creator) says they are. They are designed perfectly as his creation. They are fearfully and wonderfully made in the image of God. (Psalm 139:14). Others are trying to teach your children something counter to God’s truth so make sure they know and do not assume. They are precious in the sight of the Almighty.

Finally, remember you are NOT alone. Pray for your children. Invite the Holy Spirit to fill you and your child to do the work that only He can do. Seek Godly counsel. Spend time with your children as often as possible. Get help from godly counselors as needed. Find good physicians who will listen first and not just prescribe after a few minutes.

There is a supernatural fight for our children, but remember that the weapons of our warfare are righteousness, peace, truth, God’s word, salvation through Jesus, and faith. Do you know why David in the battle against Goliath picked up FIVE stones? I believe it is because Goliath had four brothers. So pick up all the stones you need to fight the battle against your teen. We will take down every giant in this world if we fight the right way and remember that HE who is within us is greater than he who is in the world.

Slaying giants for your children and mine,

Dr. Atwell