Author: John Pierce

healing through creation: how art and metaphor help us mend

Creativity in Life’s Valleys The other day, I found myself lying in my garage after a walk, stretching beside shelves of old tools and forgotten projects. My gaze wandered upward until I noticed the one unfinished sculpture that I had started five years ago. Layers of dust and plastic clung to its surface, and the project—though incomplete—seemed to hold something unspoken. As I stared at it longer, it dawned on me that this sculpture represented one of my greatest losses in life. When I started, I never intended for it… Continue reading healing through creation: how art and metaphor help us mend

three simple steps toward a life that god desires

“How do we quit stepping on each other’s toes?  It seems like every time we start into this dance it ends up in more hurt, more distance, and less hope that our relationship can ever be a place of safety and promise.” Quick, slow, slow…quick, slow, slow…quick, slow, slow seems like a simple rhythm to learn for a dance—and maybe it is when you start learning the steps by yourself—but adding a partner to the mix can be more complicated to coordinate.  And learning the new step is doubly complicated… Continue reading three simple steps toward a life that god desires

building on a solid foundation: the barnabas center model paper

As a Christian counseling center, we are committed to helping people heal, grow, and thrive in their relationships with God, themselves, and others. We believe that counseling is not just about fixing problems, but also about discovering God’s purpose and plan for our lives. We believe that God is the source of all healing, growth, and transformation, and that he invites us to participate in his work of restoring and renewing all things. But what does this mean in practice? How do we approach counseling from a God-oriented perspective? What… Continue reading building on a solid foundation: the barnabas center model paper

dear barnabas

Dear Barnabas, I have done the unthinkable and betrayed the people I love the most. My secret life was discovered recently. My wife, family, and church group all know. As I write to you today, I am feeling more alone than I can ever remember. I ponder the agonizing results of my actions, knowing that I am responsible for where I am and that I don’t deserve anything. Now, a few weeks out of the house and away from all that is familiar, I am not ready for the deafening… Continue reading dear barnabas

Not Me…

I have always been an appreciator of art and artists – because I believe we are “creators”…meant to be creative.  Rarely, though, until recently, have I given much thought to the artist that I am.  I’ve thought of myself as, helpful, encouraging, useful, but rarely artful… why not?  I fear the answer has more to do with my sin and weakness than humility.  I have spent most of my life, encouraging and seeing the dignity in others but at some level diminishing my own.  That diminishment reflects a lot of… Continue reading Not Me…