Helping The Suicidal
by Derek Dickinson on August 5th, 2020
HELPING THE SUICIDAL Suicide. An ugly word for a desperate act. Most people have been touched by the pain of someone giving up on life. Suicide is the tenth leading cause of death in America (Rings Of Fire, Leonard Sweet, 97). Statistics tell us an American takes their life at least every twenty-two minutes! (Rings of Fire, Leonard Sweet, 98) That means you could easily find yourself talk... Read More
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Overcoming Temptation
by Derek Dickinson on July 30th, 2020
NEWSMINER ARTICLE—OVERCOMING TEMPTATION One of my favorite fictional superheroes is Superman. You know the story—the man of steel, faster than a speeding bullet, incredible strength. But even heroes have a weakness. Superman’s is Kryptonite. A substance from his own planet that weakens him (Killing Kryptonite, John Bevere). Have you ever thought about what’s your kryptonite? What is that... Read More
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Dealing With Rejection
by Derek Dickinson on July 17th, 2020
Author Louie Giglio tells a story of being a senior in high school and he made it to state in doubles tennis but only because of his partner. His dad had never watched a match but when he came to the state tournament Louie messed up again and again. When he returned home his dad who normally called him by the nick name Ace said, “Well I guess we can't call you Ace any more we’ll have to ca... Read More
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Dealing with Anger
by Derek Dickinson on June 24th, 2020
DEALING WITH ANGER Anger. A powerful word. Just saying it probably brings a scene to your mind. Possibly, your father screaming at your mother when you were a child. Maybe a moment where you saw two people literally come to blows. Or maybe it's more subtle, like a caustic email you received from a co-worker. Anger is everywhere. There is no escape. Like a raging emotional pandemic all... Read More
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Learn To Listen
by Derek Dickinson on June 10th, 2020
LEARN TO LISTEN I had never thought much about the power of listening until I worked for a crisis line. My job mostly consisted of deescalating people who were threatening to commit suicide. One lesson that I learned quickly was to talk less and listen more. Offering people in crisis a listening ear is a precious gift. To be honest, offering anyone a listening ear is a valuable gift. In... Read More
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How Does God Guide Us?
by Derek Dickinson on May 30th, 2020
HOW DOES GOD GUIDE US? I admit that I am a directionally challenged person. One time when visiting my parents in Indianapolis, IN. I drove over an hour following the GPS directions, attempting to get to Warren, Indiana, but was actually heading to Warren, Illinois. Oops! We have to make so many decisions in life. Columbia researcher Sheen Lyengar has found that the average person makes abo... Read More
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G.R.I.T.
by Derek Dickinson on May 22nd, 2020
HOW DO I START OVER WHEN I'VE BLOWN IT?There are many faces of failure. Some are our fault. Some are just an unfortunate life incident. President George H.W. Bush was once at a state dinner in Tokyo. Many Japanese and American business leaders were there, seated around a table covered in white silk, and using gold utensils. Representatives from the world's media were there with open microphon... Read More
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Lessons from my favorite mothers
by Derek Dickinson on May 8th, 2020
As mother's day approaches I thought I would share a few traits I have learned from two remarkable mothers in my life--my mom and my wife (mother of our five children).It's my hope to "honor moms" as God commands (Exodus 20:12). First, both of these women believe Jesus is most important. My mom stayed home with my sister and I full time. She made sure...
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The Power of the Pause
by Derek Dickinson on April 24th, 2020
THE POWER OF THE PAUSE When we watch Netflix or a DVD we have this remarkable feature we can use any time. We can pause the movie. It allows us to greet someone who has just arrived home, run to the bathroom or go make some popcorn. Pause gives us a few minutes to regroup. Today as a country, because the Coronavirus, it's like God has hit a massive pause button. I want to return to norma... Read More
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Good Friday
by Derek Dickinson on April 10th, 2020
WHAT IS GOOD ABOUT GOOD FRIDAY? On this somber, yet beautiful holiday we call Good Friday, let's investigate what's good about it. On its face, we are remembering the only perfect man to ever lived being killed by Roman conquerors at the request of jealous religious leaders. Another example of the deep flaws of a human justice system. What is there to celebrate? What is good about Good Fr... Read More
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The Importance of Connection
by Derek Dickinson on April 6th, 2020
THE IMPORTANCE OF CONNECTION Last night I was supposed to participate in an online class through a Zoom meeting. After about 15 minutes of trying I gave up and skipped the class. I just couldn’t get a good connection. Today with the challenges of COVID-19 many are struggling to connect. Social distancing has basically shut down much of the human contact we normally get. But in this diffic... Read More
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Dealing with Worry
by Derek Dickinson on March 29th, 2020
DEALING WITH WORRY Worry and Anxiety are huge issues in the U.S. In a given year nearly 50 million Americans will feel the effects of a panic attack, phobias or other anxiety disorders. Anxiety is the number one mental health problem among women and second only to alcohol and drug abuse among men (Anxious For Nothing, Max Lucado, 5). Even followers of Christ are struggling with worry a... Read More
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