Self-Talk

The older I get (maturity yanno), the more people I counsel, with every person I get to know in a deeper, closer way, the more I’m convinced we’re all messed up to one degree or another.  Once you get past the veneers, the facades, the masks, have you ever met anyone who was not wounded in some way by a delusional, angry, mother, abusive father, weird relative, peer, spouse, teacher, pastor, priest, church, or boss?  I haven’t.  But if you’re like me, we tend to look at other people and say, “they have it all together.”  “Why can’t I be like them?” I recently attended a Christian men’s retreat designed to address a man’s shame, anger, loss, guilt, and fear.  The transparency from each man was astonishing and refreshing.  I met...

It’s amazing what observations can be made during a treadmill run at the Y.  I’m facing the clear glass spying the parking lot to help pass time during the painful torture of staying fit. I know it’s almost 9 am because minivans are rolling in and the lot is buzzing with parents and kids making their way into the gym for Saturday morning pee wee basketball.  Single moms, single dads, grandparents, mom and dad seem to be on a mission as they file into the gym. Some kids eagerly run ahead, excited about the challenge ahead.  One mom carries her 3 year old daughter in her arms as brother lags some distance behind with an anxious look on his face.  Reluctance. Clad in crinkled gym shorts, Y tee shirt, and size 6 tennis shoes, they are wondering, “Can I do...

As Mother’s day approaches this weekend, we recognize the vital and formative role mothers have on individual lives.  I’ll throw out the question, where would we be without our mothers?  Now if your mother was warm, welcoming, nurturing, loving, caring, emotionally healthy, and present, this is a no brainer.  If however, your mother was not “present” either physically, emotionally, or otherwise, then it’s a more difficult question to reconcile. Many clients (especially men) seeking help for depression, anger, or personality disorders, often describe their mother as cold, depressed, unavailable, ambivalent, distant, burdened, intimidated, lonely, and often a victim of abuse themselves.  The abuse can be emotional, physical, or sexual in nature.  One...

II Corinthians 4:16-17 encourages us to not lose heart or become discouraged even though our outer man is decaying, our inner man is being renewed  each day.  It’s a daily “process” in which light affliction is producing for us an eternal weight of glory far beyond all comparison. God seems to transform and bring healing to us in at least two distinct ways;  an instantaneous miracle, or through a process of peeling back multiple layers of spiritual, emotional, and psychological walls, often compared to “peeling an onion.”  This latter process usually occurs over extended periods of time often requiring years or even a lifetime to accomplish. In my experience with counseling those struggling with sexual addictions and sexual sins,...

Christmas 2009 [display_podcast] Transcript (not verbatim) below: What are you telling yourself on Christmas Eve? An evening with Rick Creasy 12/24/2009 Rick: Are there any questions for me tonight? Clint: I have a question. I like Fox News but I’m trying to figure out how can I get more Fox news. I know it comes in on the TV, but is there any other place I can get Fox News? Rick: Yeah, I think Bill O’Reilly has a book out….Fresh…something. You can get it on the internet, do you have internet? Cause you know Al Gore discovered the internet and it’s really begun to take over. So if you have the internet you should check it out Grandma Howard: And what about getting it on the iPOD? Rick: That’s a great question, Grandma! And this is...

If you are reading this entry, you’re probably well informed about the meaning of Christmas.  In all likelihood you could recite most of the New Testament Scriptures that reveal the mystery and divinity surrounding the birth of Christ.  As Christians, we’re all aware of the of the significance of Savior, Prince of Peace, Reigning King, coming to earth and beginning life in such a lowly place as a stable for animals.  Through the years, it has become increasingly more difficult to remain focused and intent on keeping Christ at the center of this celebration.  We’re all easily torn away from the core of the birth celebration, by the commercialization that seems to be hoisted upon us each Christmas season. The attack by retailers usually begins now in early...