Self Awareness

On Masturbation

By Ryan Bailey / 2016-11-14 /

This post may disappoint you. Because I think in a topic like masturbation, we are often looking for one of two things: assurance that it’s okay (that essentially we’re okay and normal) or clear Biblical passages on why it’s not okay. What you’ll find instead is my perspective, which is one of many other perspectives on the topic of…

The Problem with Porn

By Ryan Bailey / 2016-11-14 /

This week, I got the chance to hear from Ryan on the impact of pornography use on our well-being. Ryan has years of experience working in pornography addiction recovery and has walked with many clients towards freedom and healing in this area. I’m thankful to have gained his expertise on this sensitive topic. It’s no secret that…

Sex as Worship

By Ryan Bailey / 2016-10-23 /

Sex and worship are not often used in the same sentence in the Christian realm. We are told not to worship sex, of course. Our limited minds have a way of taking what is meant to bring worship to the Creator and instead, we settle for worshiping the creation itself. As C. S. Lewis says,…

To Know and be Known

By Ryan Bailey / 2016-10-23 /

“To be loved but not known is comforting but superficial. To be known and not loved is our greatest fear. But to be fully known and truly loved is, well, a lot like being loved by God. It is what we need more than anything. It liberates us from pretense, humbles us out of our self-righteousness, and fortifies us for any…

The Soul of Shame

By Ryan Bailey / 2016-10-14 /

I had the chance to hear Dr. Curt Thompson speak this past week about his new book The Soul of Shame. In his second book [the first being The Anatomy of the Soul, also recommended], Dr. Thompson dives into the biological, psychological, and social roots of shame. It is something we all experience, and as I read this…

Breathing Life Back Into Marriage

By Ryan Bailey / 2016-08-19 /

By Ryan C. Bailey Jack and Jill have been married for years. Jack runs his own company and Jill keeps more than busy taking care of the house and shuttling the kids to all their church activities, sport trainings, music lessons, play dates, etc.   They are both exhausted and are trying to keep their heads…

Words of the Heart

By Ryan Bailey / 2016-02-19 /

“Thus I spoke, more and more softly; for I was afraid of my own thoughts and the thoughts behind my thoughts.” -Friedrich Nietzsche “Are you always analyzing us now?” By the above statement, you can probably guess how excited people get when a future therapist shows up at a party. I often get asked if I’m…

Is Your Perception Accurate?

By Ryan Bailey / 2015-11-18 /

“We tend to perceive what we expect to perceive.” -David G. Martin In my reading this week I came across a short paragraph about pushing people toward experience. The quote above reflected one of the many ways we resist leaning into our experiences by relying more on our expectations and faulty perceptions. To prove this…