Ryan Bailey

Breathing Life Back Into Marriage

By Ryan Bailey / August 19, 2016 /

By Ryan C. Bailey Jack and Jill have been married for years. Jack runs his own company and Jill keeps more than busy taking care of the house and shuttling the kids to all their church activities, sport trainings, music lessons, play dates, etc.   They are both exhausted and are trying to keep their heads…

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The Holiness of Communing with God’s Work

By Ryan Bailey / August 12, 2016 /

I’m on vacation this week so this will be short… I like to read non-psychology related things when I have some time off. I came across this section in an essay by one of my favorite writers, Wendell Berry, about work that has really hit me hard this week: “Good human work honors God’s work.…

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The Cost of Isolation

By Ryan Bailey / August 5, 2016 /

“Anxiety is the dizziness of freedom.” Søren Kierkegaard There’s a fantastic series on PBS called “This Emotional Life” that explores the nature of our emotions and how the brain reacts in all sorts of funny ways. When describing fear, this series talks about the function of our amygdala and its relationship with the prefrontal cortex.…

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Gospel-Centered Sexuality: Fostering a Healthy Dialogue on Sex

By Ryan Bailey / August 4, 2016 /

We’ve been silent. We – as followers of Christ, as parents, as pastors and influential leaders – we’ve been silent on the topic of sex. We’ve been silent in teaching our children the purposes and beauty of sex. Silent in our personal sexual struggles. Silent in supporting singles in the Church as they navigate sexual desires.…

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What is My Role?

By Ryan Bailey / July 29, 2016 /

“The meeting of two personalities is like the contact of two chemical substances: if there is any reaction, both are transformed.” -Carl Jung  I taught a group this week on the various roles we play in our families. We primarily discussed these roles in a dysfunctional family and how they serve to protect the family “secret” that…

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Listening to Understand

By Ryan Bailey / July 22, 2016 /

“If you can’t explain it without an explanation, you can’t understand it with an explanation.” -Haruki Murakami I’ve always been interested in improv. It’s such a fascinating construct to put people together and have them work off the natural energy and flow of conversation to create something funny. There is something special to the way improv…

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When Losing Control Means Gaining Peace

By Ryan Bailey / July 15, 2016 /

“Be not angry that you cannot make others as you wish them to be,  since you cannot make yourself as you wish to be.” -Thomas à Kempis I read this week how our need for control can be a response to anxiety. When anxiety floods our brains, our natural response system kicks in – do I fight?…

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How to Talk to Your Children about Sex: When Children Become Teenagers

By Ryan Bailey / July 13, 2016 /

This past couple of months, we’ve discussed some critical tools to begin the conversation about sex with your children. I hope that you’ve begun to feel more comfortable and empowered to explore this topic with your child. More than anything, I hope you feel less alone in the matter. However, I recognize that there is…

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How to Talk to Your Children about Sex: When Children Become Teenagers

By Ryan Bailey / July 13, 2016 /

This past couple of months, we’ve discussed some critical tools to begin the conversation about sex with your children. I hope that you’ve begun to feel more comfortable and empowered to explore this topic with your child. More than anything, I hope you feel less alone in the matter. However, I recognize that there is…

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How to Set Smart Goals

By Ryan Bailey / July 8, 2016 /

I fear setting goals. Call it the Millennial part of me…I have some very vague and general goals for my life…but when it comes to making a plan and taking steps, I can freeze in indecision. Setting a goal means I have set up something I may not be able to meet. It is a…

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