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The Pragmatic Christian
February 9, 2012
Sick To Death
February 2, 2012
The Real Lesson from the Sinking of Costa Concordia
January 26, 2012
Porn
The Real Lesson from the Sinking of Costa Concordia
January 26, 2012
There are a multitude of lessons in retrospect from the sinking of the huge cruise liner off the coast of the Italian island,...
January 26, 2012
There are a multitude of lessons in retrospect from the sinking of the huge cruise liner off the coast of the Italian island,...
The Other “Game” in Dallas
February 3, 2011
The annual Super Bowl event becomes larger and glitzier every year, and seems to hardly take notice of any recession. It is the single largest sports event in North America. Only the quadrennial FIFA World Cup Final of world futbol (soccer) surpasses it in worldwide TV audience, with the exception of the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing and Princess Diana's funeral. Some students of history have compared our modern day Super Bowl to ancient Rome and the "sporting events" in the Roman...
February 3, 2011
The annual Super Bowl event becomes larger and glitzier every year, and seems to hardly take notice of any recession. It is the single largest sports event in North America. Only the quadrennial FIFA World Cup Final of world futbol (soccer) surpasses it in worldwide TV audience, with the exception of the opening ceremonies of the Olympics in Beijing and Princess Diana's funeral. Some students of history have compared our modern day Super Bowl to ancient Rome and the "sporting events" in the Roman...
Signs and symptoms of Internet sexual addiction
November 11, 2009
National Council on Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity has defined sexual addiction as “engaging in persistent and escalating patterns of sexual behavior acted out despite increasing negative consequences to self and others”. Signs and Symptoms of Internet Sexual Addiction include: Frequent use of the Internet to visit sexually oriented sites Binging—hours spent surfing the net or engaged in online sexual activity Preoccupied with thoughts of "getting online", or of sexual behavior...
November 11, 2009
National Council on Sexual Addiction and Compulsivity has defined sexual addiction as “engaging in persistent and escalating patterns of sexual behavior acted out despite increasing negative consequences to self and others”. Signs and Symptoms of Internet Sexual Addiction include: Frequent use of the Internet to visit sexually oriented sites Binging—hours spent surfing the net or engaged in online sexual activity Preoccupied with thoughts of "getting online", or of sexual behavior...
What are some tips for parents who want to take an active role in their teen’s recovery from addictive disease?
September 28, 2009
Part 4 of facing your teen’s addiction Here are some tips: Start a conversation by asking open-ended questions. Open-ended questions… cannot be answered “yes” or “no” allow your child to give spontaneous and honest answers—she should tell her story in her own words usually begin with: “Tell me about…” “Describe…” “To what extent…” “What was that like?” “Help me understand…” Affirm his worth, courage and challenges....
September 28, 2009
Part 4 of facing your teen’s addiction Here are some tips: Start a conversation by asking open-ended questions. Open-ended questions… cannot be answered “yes” or “no” allow your child to give spontaneous and honest answers—she should tell her story in her own words usually begin with: “Tell me about…” “Describe…” “To what extent…” “What was that like?” “Help me understand…” Affirm his worth, courage and challenges....
What are the emotional challenges that parents will face when their teen is recovering from an addictive disease?
September 26, 2009
Part 3 of facing your teen’s addiction Substance abuse hinders emotional development in teens. This is due to the psychoactive effects of drugs on the emotional center (limbic system) in the brain. All drugs of abuse change how this part of the brain functions. Teens learn that using drugs and alcohol will quickly change their mood. When a teen is bored, smoking marijuana makes the time pass. When they feel depressed, alcohol or cocaine works wonders—for a while. We become emotionally...
September 26, 2009
Part 3 of facing your teen’s addiction Substance abuse hinders emotional development in teens. This is due to the psychoactive effects of drugs on the emotional center (limbic system) in the brain. All drugs of abuse change how this part of the brain functions. Teens learn that using drugs and alcohol will quickly change their mood. When a teen is bored, smoking marijuana makes the time pass. When they feel depressed, alcohol or cocaine works wonders—for a while. We become emotionally...
What are the social challenges that parents will face when their teen is recovering from an addictive disease?
September 25, 2009
Part 2 of facing your teen’s addiction One of the indications of addiction is the extent to which one’s life becomes organized around using drugs or alcohol. For addicted teens, there is almost always a well-defined sub-culture of friends, associates, parties, and rituals that becomes the center of their social life. Healthy activities that used to capture their imagination such as sports and academics soon become secondary to the “party” culture.” Helping teens find a new, drug-free...
September 25, 2009
Part 2 of facing your teen’s addiction One of the indications of addiction is the extent to which one’s life becomes organized around using drugs or alcohol. For addicted teens, there is almost always a well-defined sub-culture of friends, associates, parties, and rituals that becomes the center of their social life. Healthy activities that used to capture their imagination such as sports and academics soon become secondary to the “party” culture.” Helping teens find a new, drug-free...
How Parents can take an active role in their teen’s recovery from addictive disease?
September 24, 2009
Part 1 of facing your teen’s addiction During illness, good parents instinctively attend to their children’s needs and provide an ample supply of love and comfort. As the child recovers, family life quickly returns to normal. Unfortunately, it’s not the same when a teen becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol. Drug and alcohol dependence are chronic, debilitating disorders where recovery is possible, but a cure is not. Some addicted teens require prolonged treatment or multiple stints in treatment...
September 24, 2009
Part 1 of facing your teen’s addiction During illness, good parents instinctively attend to their children’s needs and provide an ample supply of love and comfort. As the child recovers, family life quickly returns to normal. Unfortunately, it’s not the same when a teen becomes addicted to drugs or alcohol. Drug and alcohol dependence are chronic, debilitating disorders where recovery is possible, but a cure is not. Some addicted teens require prolonged treatment or multiple stints in treatment...
Why guys get addicted to Porn
September 16, 2009
Guys get addicted to pornography because their brains cannot distinguish between pornography and the real thing. Men who view porn can achieve full arousal within seconds. Because of dopamine reward, sexual images and memories are given priority by the brain because, like hunger and thirst, our sex drive is key to our survival. Like important files on a computer's hard drive, pornographic images and associated emotions are easily provoked, accessed and opened. For teens in particular,...
September 16, 2009
Guys get addicted to pornography because their brains cannot distinguish between pornography and the real thing. Men who view porn can achieve full arousal within seconds. Because of dopamine reward, sexual images and memories are given priority by the brain because, like hunger and thirst, our sex drive is key to our survival. Like important files on a computer's hard drive, pornographic images and associated emotions are easily provoked, accessed and opened. For teens in particular,...
Do you know what is affecting your children? Trends Youth Are Facing
September 9, 2009
A long time ago, I was a stockbroker. In those days, I constantly paid attention to various fundamentals and influences on the market. Why…because it was critical to my ability to invest my clients’ assets into the proper investments and answer questions that they might have. Beyond that, I recognized there were a lot of influences on the market and to do a good job, I had to know what was going on to meet my clients’ varying needs. Is it possible to stay ahead of trends youth today...
September 9, 2009
A long time ago, I was a stockbroker. In those days, I constantly paid attention to various fundamentals and influences on the market. Why…because it was critical to my ability to invest my clients’ assets into the proper investments and answer questions that they might have. Beyond that, I recognized there were a lot of influences on the market and to do a good job, I had to know what was going on to meet my clients’ varying needs. Is it possible to stay ahead of trends youth today...
Protecting your child in a seductive world
August 21, 2009
Sexuality and the act of sex is a beautiful thing designed by the God who “knit us together in our mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139) But like all beautiful things God designed for us, they are beautiful in the form and shape, boundaries and plans of the author and creator. Just as a sculptor’s handiwork is fashioned from clumps of clay or marble chiseled from unformed matter, when the sculpture’s artistic shape and the boundaries that define its beauty is destroyed, the wonder and magnificence...
August 21, 2009
Sexuality and the act of sex is a beautiful thing designed by the God who “knit us together in our mother’s womb.” (Psalm 139) But like all beautiful things God designed for us, they are beautiful in the form and shape, boundaries and plans of the author and creator. Just as a sculptor’s handiwork is fashioned from clumps of clay or marble chiseled from unformed matter, when the sculpture’s artistic shape and the boundaries that define its beauty is destroyed, the wonder and magnificence...