Most people would say they want to be happy and healthy. But they usually don’t think too much about being holy. In fact, they might even think happy and holy and not compatible goals. The truth is that happy and holy are not only compatible, they are actually interrelated. They are also related to being healthy. Healthy people are more likely to be happy and vise versa. So how does this all work together, you might be wondering. The starting point is holiness.

It has been said that if you pursue happiness, you will get neither happiness nor holiness. But if you pursue holiness, you will get both. Emotional, mental, and sometimes even physical health can be linked to a person’s level of happiness and over-all satisfaction with ...

We are Hopewell Counseling and one of the key words in our name is Hope. We provide hope-filled counseling to many who have lost hope that things will change in their lives. What do we mean by hope and why is it so essential for Christians? Hope is defined by Merriam-Webster’s Dictionary as “to desire with expectation of obtainment” and “to expect with confidence.”  Hope is having the assurance that, even though you cannot see or experience something, you have confidence that it will happen. An example might be, “I hope I passed my finals.” Hope looks to the future and believes that the promises made will be kept. Hope is the “kissing cousin” of faith (1 Corinthians 13:13).

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How important is it to have your father’s blessing? Very! It was so important that Esau wept over being cheated out of it by his brother Jacob. It was so important that it was the last thing Jacob gave to each of his 12 sons on his deathbed. It was so important that, prior to doing any ministry, God blessed His Son, Jesus, at His baptism. So, if the blessing of the father is that important, why don’t we do it for our sons and daughters? What does it mean to bless your child and what are the benefits to that child in receiving it? Finally, how do we do it? What are the practicalities of blessing your child?

Why don’t we fathers bless our children with a verbal pronouncement of blessing upon them? My guess is that we have ...