There is a path through grief. Helping our grieving teens make progress along that path is so important. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kathy Knochel and Craig Stickling give us practical tips on doing just that.

Things to remember as you walk with a grieving teen:

• Acknowledge the difficulty.
• Listen to their thoughts and feelings.
• Ask for permission.
• Remember anniversaries.
• Remember the intensity of grief will over time subside.
• Healing comes by moving though the grief cycle. https://www.accounseling.org/phases-of-grief/
• Healing comes by processing the loss.
• Healing comes by connecting with Christ.
• Healing comes by acceptance.
• Healing comes by doing.
• Healing is possible.

Grief is always hard no matter the age. Yet, our teens experience a unique challenge when it comes to working through loss. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kathy Knochel and Craig Stickling walk us through the complexities of grief on the maturing heart and mind.

Grief and loss can be troubling to teens...

• Their knowledge is outpacing their experience.
• Their notion of a safe world is challenged.
• While they are learning to take control of various aspects of their lives, they learn that they don't have control.
• Grief can be unsettling during a time when they are forming their identity.

While a teen's grieving experience varies dramatically, it will likely include...

• Shock
• Denial
• Depression
• Anger
• Sometimes confusing competing emotions https://www.accounseling.org/grief-and-emotions/

The cigarette is falling out of favor with the general public. Stepping into its place and gaining favor is the modernized e-cigarette. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Dr. Aaron Plattner helps us understand the growing appeal of vaping.

Sometimes little things make big differences. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Kaleb Beyer relays three small things that exist in happy marriages.

3 Small Things

Be Purposeful

• Highly happy couples generously focus on what their mate is giving to them. The spouse, in turn, deliberately tries to give back.

Be Present

• Highly happy couples fully invest emotionally in their marriage by risking vulnerability; this leads to a dramatically increased security and happiness in the relationship.

Be Positive

• Highly happy couples give their spouse most of the credit for their relationship success – and they live in regular, conscious gratitude as a result.

Taken from "The Surprising Secrets of Highly Happy Marriages: The Little Things That Make a Big Difference" by Shaunti Feldhahn

Like a faulty check engine light that comes on prematurely, some consciences trigger signals of guilt when they shouldn't be triggered. This is called false guilt. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Ted Witzig Jr explains the difference and how to detect if that check engine light is real or not.

• True guilt is grounded in truth.
• False guilt is grounded in feelings.
• True guilt motivates us to deal with sin and move forward.
• False guilt causes us to stall and spin in confession.
• True guilt listens to scriptural objectivity.
• False guilt listens to anxiety and depression.

How to deal with false guilt: A person dealing with false guilt typically hold themselves to standards they would not impose on others. They may benefit from getting perspective and counsel from other people. They should focus on moving forward and will need to elevate Christ's promises to them and not allow their feelings to undermine the truth.

Both guilt and shame are similar feelings. Both can be triggered for similar reasons. But they each motivate us toward drastically different ends. In this episode of Breaking Bread, Ted Witzig Jr. sorts out the distinctions between guilt and shame and how we should respond to each.

Birth is sacred and yet, so is death. For many people they will have the opportunity and responsibility to care for their folks as they age and pass. This responsibility is met with challenges, difficulties, opportunities, and blessings. Roger Gasser and Tim Funk let us in on some of these responsibilities and help prepare us to walk these important days with our aging parents.

• Realize the aging process of giving up control.
  • Give parents control where you can, as control is taken away.
• Realize every situation is difficult.
  • Be careful when comparing your situation to the next. They are not the same.
• Realize communication with the entire family is important.
  • Be patient with family members as understanding comes at different rates and at different times.
• Realize grief management is needed. From physical to emotional, the losses are many.
  • Walk with your loved one through the cycle of grief.
• Realize that guilt on many levels is likely.
  • Use the following stems often: "I love you." "Please forgive me." "I forgive you." "Thank you."

At some level, we all want to be successful. Yet success can have ill-effects. On this episode of Breaking Bread, Brian Sutter and Fred Witzig tackle this topic of success. Approaching the topic from a historical, clinical and biblical perspective helps provide insight into this "success" we all want.

Show Notes:

How healthy is my success?

• Success should promote humility.
• Success should not promote arrogance.
• Success should promote thanksgiving.
• Success should not promote entitlement.
• Success should promote a dependence on God.
• Success should not promote an independence from God.
• Success should promote a healthy mind.
• Success should not promote out of balance.
• Success should promote good relationships.
• Success should not promote negligence.
• Success should promote a healthy view of God.
• Success should not promote misconceptions of God.
• Success should promote a high view of people.
• Success should not promote a condescending view of people.
• Success should promote joy.

Conviction of truth. Compassion for people. Context for our society. And comfort in Christ. These are our goals. Join Ted Witzig Jr. as he speaks to the important topic of gender and sexual identity with grace and truth.

Conviction of truth. Compassion for people. Context for our society. And comfort in Christ. These are our goals. Join Ted Witzig Jr. as he speaks to the important topic of gender and sexual identity with grace and truth.

Conviction of Truth

• Mark 10:6-9
  • Gender is a divine creation.
  • Marriage between a man and a woman is a divine institution.
  • Fidelity is the divine intention.

Compassion for People

• See people as Christ sees them. Love them.
  • We are created in God's image.
  • We are loved by God.
  • We have undying souls.
  • We are in need of salvation.

Context for our Society

• Common Cultural Script
  • I feel attracted to my same sex.
  • Attraction is a central identifier to who I am as a person.
  • Happiness is found in fulfillment of my identity.
  • I must live out my same sex attraction to flourish as a person.
• People do not choose their sexual attraction. Attraction is complex.
• Changing sexual attraction is not simple. Sometimes it happens. Sometimes it does not.

Comfort in Christ

• Jesus attracted people who had brokenness.
• The repair that Jesus offers is much deeper than sexual orientation.
• Jesus offers us an alternative script and it is good news for all of us.
  • I feel attracted to my same sex. This is just one example of brokenness in my life.
  • Sexual attraction is not the central identifier of my life. Rather, my identity in Christ is who I am at the core.
  • Happiness is found in fulfillment of my identity in Christ.
  • Human flourishing happens when I am conformed to Christ's likeness. Thus, I do not need to act on sinful sexual urges.
• Jesus offers the good news of conversion to anyone who wants it. A transformation occurs when we were once slaves to our brokenness and become new creatures with new minds set free to live according to Christ's example.