Relationship Prescriptions with Dr. Carol

It's the second day of Christmas. We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives. Today - Christmas is not just for you! What does it mean to share - your story, and perhaps your resources? The verse for today: "And Stephen, full of grace and power, was doing great wonders and signs among the people. Then some . . . rose up and disputed with Stephen. But they could not withstand the wisdom and the Spirit with which he was speaking." Acts 6:8-10

Merry Christmas! We're celebrating Christmastide - 12 days of brief Scriptures and thoughts to let the message of Christmas nourish our heart and impact our lives. Today, Christmas Day, we consider what it means that Jesus entered our world - God becoming human. The verse for today: "And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth." John 1:14

The Christmas season brings lots of emotions; anticipation, hope, joy – and for some, deep loneliness, pain, or grief. Being intentional about how you celebrate the holiday season will make it so much more meaningful. In this holiday episode Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Andrew Fox, pastor and professor, about the deeper meaning of Christmas including some unique and fun differences in how Christmas is celebrated in the U.S. versus Great Britain. Find Dr. Fox on his website, Facebook, Instagram, or YouTube. Check out Dr. Carol's article How to Plan Your Way through the Holiday Blues Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.

What stays with you from what you read or hear? Isn't it stories you remember best? Our human minds are created to run on story. In our information-saturated world, what does that idea have to say about our relationship with God? About Scripture? About how we share the gospel with others? In this fascinating episode Dr. Carol talks with Jerry Jenkins, author of over 200 books including "The Chosen" novels, about his 50-year career in writing stories. Also they talk about his writing process, what it's like to be the father of Dallas Jenkins (co-author and producer of "The Chosen" TV series), and much more. Find Jerry Jenkins on his website (with tons of help for other authors), Facebook, or Twitter. Find Jerry's latest book The Chosen: And I Will Give You Rest: A Novel Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can leave a confidential message here.

To be human is to suffer. And we don't like that! Much of our energy is expended is seeking to prevent or stop suffering. It's not that such efforts are not good; they are. But if we are to get through this human experience with any hope at all, we will need to change our relationship with suffering. To help us do that, Dr. Carol talks with Dr. Curt Thompson, Christian psychiatrist, about the journey from suffering through perseverance and character to the formation of hope. If you suffer, you need to hear this! With deep caring and insightful theology, this conversation will show you how to experience the transformation of suffering that God invites us into. Connect with Dr. Curt Thompson on his website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and YouTube Find Dr. Thompson's latest book The Deepest Place: Suffering and the Formation of Hope Check out Dr. Carol's articles: - How to Experience God's Presence in Your Past Trauma - How to Find "Your People" When You Need Help Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave a confidential message here.

Fractured marriages, sexual addiction, deep anxiety - these are just a few of the kinds of struggles Dr. Carol Ministries is privileged to help people find healing from. In this unusual Giving Tuesday episode, Dr. Carol says Thank You to YOU for your prayers, sharing, and support. You'll hear stories from several individuals and couples who have found hope, lasting transformation, and joyful wholeness through our resources. We ask for your prayers, and for your financial support so we can continue to help rescue more hearts. Make your gift now. ------------- The resources mentioned during this episode: - Article The Most Powerful Prayer I Ever Prayed - Our Relationships Resource Page - Online course Fully Alive Marriage - 30 day email devotional Toward Sexual Wholeness - online course Sexpectations

Your relationship - or lack thereof - with your earthly father impacts your relationship with your heavenly Father. If your earthly father was absent, or unpredictable, or harsh and abusive, or neglectful, or emotionally unavailable, you'll experience God the same way. Overcoming father wounds is a challenge for so many people. Kia Stephens has experienced father wounds. In this episode she talks with Dr. Carol about the long process of her healing, and how she has built a healthy relationship with her Heavenly Father. Kia now helps countless others find the same healing - in their earthly relationships, and even more in their connection with God. Connect with Kia Stephens on her website, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Find her book Overcoming Father Wounds: Exchanging Your Pain for God's Perfect Love Check out Dr. Carol's articles: - God Is Your Father: Good News, or Bad? - How to Develop a Healthy Internal Picture of God Dr. Carol loves to hear from you! You can leave her a confidential message here.

Don't you often wish God would "zap" you from here to there? If you need to change and you ask Him to change you, don't you wish it would happen quickly? But all longterm followers of Jesus discover that spiritual transformation is a process - and one where we learn to cooperate with God. Jonathan Daugherty has experienced that transformation, and now as founder and president of Be Broken Ministries he helps many others experience that as well. In this episode he talks with Dr. Carol about the 3-stage process to become spiritually mature and whole, and what you can do along the way. Connect with Jonathan Daugherty on the Be Broken website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. Find Jonathan's latest book Grace-Based Transformation: The 3-Stage Journey to Wholeness in Christ Check out Dr. Carol's article Ways of Being With Jesus that Bring Transformation Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.

Christian culture has promoted the idea of purpose and calling. But the struggle to find and fulfill one's purpose and calling has left many feeling frustrated, tired, and discouraged. Longing for significance and greatness seems often futile and disappointing. Do our priorities and perspective need to be changed? Dr. Carol talks with Kelly Needham, Bible teacher, author, wife and mom, about how we've been fooled in our understanding of purpose. Striving for meaning and longing for significance is not fulfilled by things we do, but by Who we know. This conversation just may set you free and open the door to real joy. Connect with Kelly Needham on her website, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, or YouTube. Find Kelly's book Purposefooled: Why Chasing Your Dreams, Finding Your Calling, and Reaching for Greatness Will Never Be Enough Check out Dr. Carol's article Being With Jesus in Ways That Bring Transformation Dr. Carol loves to hear from you. You can leave her a confidential message here.

Every marriage is the union of two sinners. And that sets every couple up for pain and disappointment. Most couples simply react to the stresses their marriage encounters, or don't think about it much until a crisis hits. Grace and intentionality can change all that. On this episode Dr. Carol talks with Brad and Marilyn Rhoads about how their own marriage was desperately challenging in the beginning, and how grace change both of their hearts. They then address how grace impacts communication, sex, money, and more, and why a foundation of God's grace and being intentional is the only way a marriage can thrive. Connect with Brad and Marilyn Rhoads at Grace Marriage, Facebook, Twitter, or Instagram. Find their book The Grace Marriage: How the Gospel and Intentionality Transform Your Relationship Check out Dr. Carol's resources on Relationships Dr. Carol loves to hear from you; you can leave her a confidential message here.