Life Over Coffee With Rick Thomas

I have struggled with insomnia—intermittently—since 2003. It has been so long that I rarely talk about it unless someone asks. I resigned myself to insomnia as a way of life. My insomnia is like an unwanted friend who periodically shows up late at night. He makes his visits without warning. I can go for weeks with relatively good sleep, though I have probably not had a sound sleep the way a child enjoys sleep since I was a child. Read, Watch, Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/insomnia-causes-and-cures/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

The interplay between our physical and spiritual selves needs responsible engagement within the Christian community, especially how a conflict between two people can lead to diminishing health. I have counseled many spouses with declining health that often paralleled the sinful relationships with their spouses. In nearly every case, their spouses had corrupting speech patterns: demanding, angry, manipulative, controlling, and other forms of selfish anger, including relational passivity and neglect (Ephesians 4:29). Read, Watch, Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/how-does-the-ongoing-sin-of-others-impact-our-physical-health/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Rose was a member of my small group. One night, she asked me what I thought about smoking cigarettes. I said, “It’s not what’s between your fingers that is a problem; it’s what is in your heart.” At that moment, the Lord did the miraculous. Over the next few months, her heart changed. I was oblivious to all these things. Months later, she shared with me what happened. Please enjoy her confession and praise to God. Read, Watch, Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/confession-of-a-former-cigarette-smoker/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

All external, behavioral idols have the same insidious root cause—unbelief, or its synonym, self-reliance. The self-reliant spirit is not trusting God. If you don’t deal with this universal heart problem, you could easily stop one sin while jumping to a different idol. Have you ever played “whack-a-mole” at an amusement center? It’s one of those games where plastic moles randomly pop up while you try to whack them with a rubber mallet before they retreat into their holes. You never know when or where one will pop up. As soon as you knock one down, another one jumps up. Read, Watch, Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/idol-swapping-i-stopped-looking-at-porn-but-gained-30-pounds/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Doing things without thinking about what we’re doing is one of God’s greatest favors to us. It is a communicable attribute. God has given us the ability to respond as sentient creatures to the mundane things of life so we can spend our time thinking about the vital things of life. Great habits—developed over time—free us to image God more effectively because they enable us to focus on what is essential for spreading His fame. Read, Watch, Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/the-blessing-of-doing-things-without-thinking/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

The New Testament provides three categories to help people think about and work through their temptations. Resolving debilitating short-term and life-long habits does not always happen the same way for all people. Not only are there different strokes for different folks, but there can be different strokes for each person depending on how a specific temptation causes them to stumble or stall. These three ways to overcome temptation and sin can overlap and intersect as you work through a recurring problem. Let’s take a look at each one. Read, Watch, Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/the-blessing-of-doing-things-without-thinking/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

One of the hardest things a Christian parent will ever experience is a child choosing not to walk with the Lord. Attached to this personal struggle is the temptation to force or manipulate righteousness on the child. You’ll know if you’re susceptible to these struggles if you are over-worrying, over-caring, or over-trying to get your child to change. Read, Watch, or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-31-you-cannot-change-your-children/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

If our children learn not to take themselves too seriously, it will be easier for them to live in relationships with others today and after they become adults. Not thinking too highly of yourself is to think humbly of yourself. A lack of gospel-centered humility keeps an individual from living well with God and others. Read, Watch, or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-30-teach-your-children-to-laugh-at-themselves/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Parents have the responsibility and privilege of guiding their children into a practical experience of knowing and loving God. Though all children are born with limited God awareness, you can cooperate with the Lord in connecting that immature, innate awareness of God in practical ways that could lead to their salvation and progressive sanctification. Read, Watch, or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-29-one-reason-children-rebel-against-their-parents/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Every loving parent wants their children to turn out well. However, they are also aware they have a role to play. Though God is the primary change agent, parents are secondary agents who must cooperate with the Lord to transform their children. Here are seven tips to help those parents. Read, Watch, or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-28-seven-point-checklist-to-have-fantastic-children/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

What do you hope your child will be after he grows up? Many Christians would say they hope their child loves God and others more than himself (Matthew 22:36-40). Those are two great goals, but what do they mean? Read, Watch, or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-26-the-perfect-goal-for-your-child/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

When you think about your heavenly Father, you are immediately aware of His kindness, patience, forbearance, and affection for you. These thoughts about your heavenly Father are fundamental because how He treats you is how you are to treat others, especially your children. Read, Watch, or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-25-a-parents-secret-weapon-to-motivate-a-child-to-change/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

You cannot create unity from disunity. What is on the inside will come out on the outside. If disunity is in your marriage, disunity will flow out of it. If disunity characterizes your marriage, the likelihood of your children being relationally dysfunctional is strong. Read, Watch, or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-24-the-best-thing-some-parents-can-do-is-stop-parenting/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Parents love and care for their children, which is a good thing. Some parents over-care for their children, which is challenging, especially when their kids are not walking with the Lord. Many of these parents struggle as they rehearse all the ways they failed their children. Read, Watch, or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-23-i-failed-as-a-parent-now-what/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

The best way to learn how to be the best parent is to learn from the best parent. God, the Father, is the best parent the world has ever known. Understanding and applying His parenting to your family is one of the wisest things you can do. Read, Watch, or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/five-tips-from-the-best-parent-the-world-has-ever-known/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Two people can’t agree on everything completely. If you are married, you know this is true. Two fallen people living in proximity to each other will always have a few perspectives and preferences that will never be the same. It is unavoidable, and it does not have to be a bad thing. Read, Watch, or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-21-two-acceptable-conflicts-in-your-home/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Pragmatic parenting is a rule-based, heavily structured, and self-reliant methodology. Some of the family rules are good and biblical, while others are based on preferences and conveniences. It’s an unwise parenting model. Read, Watch, or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-20-the-danger-of-pragmatic-parenting/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

After all these years of counseling and all the trouble I’ve seen in people’s lives, it has become more real to me than ever how we need a better worldview and foundation on which to land when we fall. Learning how to fall well is God’s mercy to us. Read, Watch, or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-19-if-you-could-export-only-one-thing-to-your-child/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Teaching curse words, language use, biblical parenting, cultural engagement, redemptive speech, heart motives, child training, gospel-centered language, parental guidance, Christian worldview. It is impossible to engage our culture at any level and not hear curse words. Whether it is a television show or a stroll in the park, the words of our culture do not discriminate. They do not care who you are. Read, Watch, or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-18-the-wisdom-of-teaching-your-children-curse-words/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.

Introducing children to the world, biblical parenting, cultural awareness, gospel-centered parenting, sheltering vs. exposure, child training, spiritual preparedness, real-world engagement, parenting wisdom, family dynamics. The little people in your home will only be in your home for a nano-second. They may spend ninety percent of their lives outside of your parental jurisdiction. Equipping them to live well in the world that will make up nearly all of their earthly existence is wise. Read, Watch, or Listen: https://lifeovercoffee.com/day-17-the-wisdom-of-introducing-your-children-to-the-world/ Will you help us to continue providing free content for everyone? You can become a supporting member here https://lifeovercoffee.com/join/, or you can make a one-time or recurring donation here https://lifeovercoffee.com/donate/.