brian shivers

The best things in life are free... Except when you are talking about stress! Stress often comes as the free add on to many of the things we do and experience in life.  And STRESS can be a MONSTER!  You are more keenly aware of this than anyone else as finals are breathing heavy down your neck. So, what's a person to do? It is more than a bit ridiculous to think that someone can live a stress free life. Responsibility brings with it a certain amount of embedded stress. It is part of the deal.  As was said above, it comes free of charge as an added "bonus" to much of what we do and experience in life.  Because of this, the question shouldn't really be how you can eliminate stress from your life. That is unrealistic. The real question is how can you manage the stress that exists in your life so that it no longer dominates your mind, your body, and your health. There really is no secret potion or magic arrow for the complete elimination of the STRESS MONSTER becaus...

Below is a link to a short video on the teen brain and brain development research. Sometimes living with a teen can be one of the most challenging things in the world.  There are moments of intense joy and laughter as well as moments of incredible discomfort and raised voices - sometimes in the same 30 minutes! A teenager's life, body, and experience are all about change.  Very few things are stable for them.  Even the chemicals in their bodies and the function of their brains are in flux.  This can lead to emotional outbursts and moments of seemingly irrational thoughts. It is important for us, as parents of teens, to remember that there are times when their emotions do "get the best of them." Therefore, we have to work hard to keep our wits about us, or what we say and do may actually escalate the situation and deepen the problem.  It is hard work, but it is more than worth it. Here are some suggestions... - Don't forget to breathe - this slows us down and giv...

Hope you had a blessed Easter. Here is a brief sermon from Good Friday on Jesus saying, "My God, my God why have you forsaken me?" from the cross. Good Friday – My God, My God The Fourth Word - 45 From noon on, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. 46 And about three o'clock Jesus cried with a loud voice, "Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?" that is, "My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?" “ I feel so alone, ” she said to no one in particular perhaps because no one was there. At least that is the way it seemed to her that afternoon. “ I just feel so alone, ” she repeated under her breath. As she sat there in the uncomfortable pleather chair, waiting for the news, the weight of her solitude began to push in upon her with a ferocity she was not sure she would be able to bear. “ Why, ” she thought, or perhaps she said it out loud, not that it really mattered. “ Why in this moment when I need comfort the most do I feel so alone? ...