How do I deal with difficult people?

Let's start with identifying and recognizing what is going on in our brain when conflict takes place.

Quick questions to ask yourself:

1. What is being triggered?

2. After I am triggered, what do I do?

3. Am I being solution focused or whining like a brat?

Are YOU my people? Why do I feel isolated? Why is my family so broken?

Let's chat about these questions and identify what we can do together, to help us with fear, anxiety, and stress.

Dr. Edward T. Welch, a licensed psychologist will share his wisdom and experience as he gives us tips to climb out of the darkness.

You Want “Clout?” Don't be

“basic;” simply learn the Gen Z slang and you'll be “totes Gucci.”

They are living a new narrative. In today’s world they are growing up in a time that is both exhilarating and frightening for them.

They don’t want to imitate the millennials and they don’t want to be identified with the millennials – as lazy slackers, entitled co-workers or narcissistic people.

Gen-Z, or the I-Gen say they are gritty, money savers, frugal and thrifty and ready to stand up for a cause. (Or make a website for a non-profit)

They are significantly more stressed about:

• mass shootings

• rising suicide rates

• climate change

• separation and deportation

• sexual harassment and assault

How are we Parenting them? Let’s look at some best practices . . . or challenges:

Practice #1:

Get them outside be intentional about less screen time.

Practice #2:

Be aware of your approach during significant conversations. Don’t freak out and panic. Be cool.

Practice #3:

Listen. Especially as they express anxiety and the pressures they are feeling. Let them vent.

Practice #4:

Let them taste failure to understand success.

– Being a teen is hard. Pressures to fit in, be the best, and conform push in from every direction, even from within. Yet, each and every person was uniquely created by a God who loves them. Emma Mae Jenkins, a young writer and social media influencer, wants to reach teens with exactly that message. She has inspired thousands of girls online with the freedom she has to be herself—a dearly loved child of God.

Question: How many of you woke up this morning and said, “ I really want to be ordinary today? With my ordinary spouse and my ordinary kids.

I want to push the snooze button at least 5 times and survive through this day as a hot mess!?”

Best tips:

• Understand and recognize your emotions

• Understand how your emotions affect others

• Manage your emotions not people.

• Reduce your negativity. Look at the bigger picture.

“We have exchanged real light for artificial and we wonder why we are anxious.

Why do we even like social media? Why are we drawn to this other two-dimensional filtered version of ourselves and other people? This online version of looking through the windows at our neighbors - what is so appealing about it?” ~ (Rachael Dymski. Anxiety Interrupted)

Best Tips and Challenges:

Give yourself some white space

Shut down devices after 9 pm.

Remove social media apps.

Start sharing stories, learn how to laugh together!

Talk through life’s’ biggest questions.

Be still and know that He is God.

"Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing himself.”

Are you in a place where you want to change some of your habits? Do you feel like God is lovingly tapping you on the shoulder with areas you need to change?

Listen in to "Need for change" . . . Helen Thorne!

Do you every feel less than - less important or less valuable than others on social media, at work, or even in your own friend circles?

Would you like to know with confident assurance just how precious, loved, and valuable you are to God and believe that God has a purpose-filled plan for your life?

Bethany Jett, best-selling author, and inspirational speaker gives us great insight as she shares a peek into her new book Platinum Faith.

#BestTips:

Habits that are life changing:

- sleeping

- working out w/weights 3x week

- daily walking

- daily reading

- drinking more water and less of everything else

- turn your phone off (ouch)

Have you ever felt like your life has just been turned upside down? You wake up and realize . . . “this is not the way I envisioned my future?”

We all understand there are consequences to our decisions, but how do we deal with the after effects of the choices of . . .others?

There are times when things happen beyond anyone’s control where we feel completely stuck.

Let’s get unstuck together.

Listen in to Natalie Chambers Snapp, who will give us great tips and poignant thoughts that will inspire and help us through this journey.

Tips:

1. You will indeed emerge with new eyes of strength dignity and greater wisdom.

2. Grief is hard. It is ok to not be ok.

3. Offer yourself grace.

4. Talk to someone. See a counselor.

When we were taught about the Ninth Commandment as children, in the simplest terms, we learned that we weren’t supposed to lie. But is telling an intentional untruth all there is to bearing false witness?

Listen in as Dr. Samuel T. Logan, Jr. delves into the dangers of bearing false witness among Christians, especially when dealing with disagreements, which can cause damage to individuals, the church, and the good name of Jesus.