Slowdown. Breathe... Let's change the path.
The mission of this website is simple – we want to help others create and walk in new pathways of sexual integrity. We know the pain of this struggle, and yet we also know and believe in the real freedom found in Jesus! There are lots of others great helps out there (See Resources). Consider this one hyper-focused tool in your kit. Here is our two-part strategy:
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- Arrest and redirect: We want to provide visitors to this site a way out and a way to stop negative behavior in the moment of temptation. We hope that when you are feeling tempted, that instead of typing that search, following that link, or staying on the website, you will have the courage to write “I Choose Jesus Instead” and find yourself here, slowing down, engaging your brain, starting to pray, and getting back on a healthy path.
- Provide Straightforward Resources: We are creating a growing library of straightforward, memorable resources, encouragement, and support that help keep you on a healthy path. Go there now.
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The next article on this page is called Reroute | Rewire | Renew. It forms the functional basis for our plan at I Choose Jesus instead. However, it must be clearly stated that we don’t place our hope in any program first, but in the transformation of our minds that comes through faith in Jesus, the work of the Holy Spirit, and the habit building ideas of this program.
You don’t have to be a Christian to use these ideas. At the purely psychological level of “principles of habit formation” we believe it can help anybody who is interested. But we are CONVINCED that peace with God, peace with self, and lasting transformation come from a relationship with Jesus. Throughout this page at I Choose Jesus instead, this invitation is offered over and over. If you would like to get started on a journey of discovery about what God has to say about himself, you, and the purpose of life, we invite you to the Discovery Trail. The Discovery Trail is a self-guided or partner adventure through Scripture toward finding your place in God’s story. It is available in the lobby at Hillcrest Church or online HERE.
Finally, these things must be said, (1) this in one way that is working. Each person needs to find the tools and method’s that work best. (2) This behavior may be a coping mechanism or result of serious trauma. If you think that may be you – please be thoughtful about getting help beyond these practices.
There is
another way
A new path: Reroute | Rewire | Renew
– DOWNLOAD this resource HERE–
Psalm 37:4: Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the truest desires of your heart.
There is a way of freedom from addiction that involves transformation by the Holy Spirit and change through the brain mechanics God designed into us. The following phrase summarizes this plan: re-route, rewire, and renew.
Here is how the re-route, rewire, and renew plan works:
First, decide that this is ultimately not who you are meant to be. It is okay to be tempted. We are 100% forgiven and pardoned for our human weakness. But God has designed us to learn how to walk in joyful alignment with him – enjoying creation at peace with yourself and others. He has not made us to be slaves to our appetites or to worship the human body.
Second, admit, that this is a strong and common addiction and that unwinding yourself from it will take time and God’s grace.
Third, accept God’s mercy for your sinfulness. If you are a Christian, you are beloved by God, forgiven and totally redeemed in Jesus right now. If you are not a Christian, you are invited to ask the God of all Creation to give you his grace through his son Jesus. God gives us his peace and Jesus’ own perfect blueprint for aligned living. His sexual purity is ours to live. Jesus’ character lives in us by the Holy Spirit and we can learn to walk in that truth. (See article on Imputed Righteousness and Jesus’ Perfect Blueprint)
Freedom from pornography is an indispensable, lifelong journey that you will never regret. I am 100% convinced that we will all look back on these days and thank our Father in heaven for the opportunity to learn about him, his world, and ourselves in this classroom-crucible called mortal life. Here is my recommended practices to bring habitual freedom:
1. RE-ROUTE. This is a key idea. Because the stimulus may never change. The urge to lust and to make the human body an outlet may remain as strong as it ever was this side of restored creation. The things that are broken about us and our urges are often very deep. There is likely repeated behavior. There may be trauma and other biological factors. But here is the key point I want you to get –
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– don’t get caught up in making the stimulus go away. It may wane over time. The constant nagging of mine certainly has, or it may not. The key is going to be about what you do with it next. I am inviting you to make a new path.
Let’s try a word picture: Imagine you are standing in front a huge green field. In front of you is the exact same stimulus-to-payoff pathway you have frequently taken. Consequently, the ground of this path is pounded hard into packed soil. Grass is non-existent on this path as you have walked it over and over. But, the grass around the path is tall and green. The brain is a like that – it likes familiar paths because they translate into quick thinking reactions that in some cases may save your life. In the case of pornography and masturbation release, there is very likely a well-worn neural pathway. We get excited by an idea or image that begins to build an adrenaline rush and the desire for the same dopamine payoff. One may, at first, fight back or decline, but the well-worn path keeps calling. Taking the known journey just further packs that stimulus-payoff pathway harder into the ground. But there is another way.
Instead of denying those feelings or thoughts – I suggest you look right at them with Jesus, identify them, talk to them, and in this way – bring them into your pre-frontal cortex. Here is what is going on in your brain during one of these temptation to pornography-use moments. Your brain is retreating into the middle brain where you mostly process feelings. This is sometimes called the limbic, old, or animal brain. It simply means this is where you make fast, fight or flight, emotion-based decisions. The front of your brain, called your pre-frontal cortex is where you make thoughtful, executive decisions. It’s the part of the brain where might see things from somebody else’s perspective or be able to consider the long range implication of decisions. The middle brain screams go, run, act! The pre-frontal brain says, slow down, consider, and make wise choices. On our pathway to freedom, we want to get our actions connected back into the front of the brain –asap.
It does not mean the temptation will go away once you are thinking rightly. It DOES mean if you can slow down and engage your front-brain, you can choose another path. You can choose in that hard moment to candidly consider your next steps. You can think about who you are and who God is. And you can take a new path to a new payoff – by not merely responding to stimuli as a needs based animal but as human learning to delight in the LORD. This is the beginning of a whole new path.
2. Your brain loves to REWIRE itself. At night while we are sleeping it sends out these fantastic little machines called microglial cells and they travel among your neurons and axons checking connections – think of them as custodians out maintaining pathways (see resources). When they perceive well-worn pathways – they make sure all those quick thinking connections are well-established and strong. When discover new pathways – they start to reinforce them. Now listen to this, when they start finding unused pathways – they start scrubbing away those connections. Just let that sink in. When your brain starts seeing you make new stimulus to payoff connections it starts prioritizing the new pathways and scrubbing the old. This literally means that by new habituation, rooted in new identity and by the power of the Holy Spirit, we can begin to rewire our brains. In this case, let me be very clear, I think anybody, non-Christian or Christian alike can take this course of action and begin to rewire the brain. But only the believer can lean into their known and unchangeable identity with Christ and the indwelling power of the Holy Spirit. Paul says in I Corinthian 10:13, “no temptation but that which is common to being a human being has come over you” – so when temptations come on strong, stop and turn to God in Jesus by the Holy Spirit. Truthfully, I can’t imagine this journey being successful or the same to for me without these fundamental truths at the center. When I fail in any way to live aligned– I recall, I am Jesus’ always and forever. I am safe and at peace with God (Rom. 5:1-11). I have in me the same power that raised Christ from dead (Rom. 8:11) and the Spirit never grows weary of me but delights in transforming me into his likeness (Rom 8:26-30)!
Let’s go back to our big green field. Hold this image in your mind especially when you are at the moment of making a decision about which path to walk. Walking the new path will reinforce that truth in your spirit and your brain! So it is both a spiritual and physical habit. Conversely, walking the old path will only reinforce a path you have been trying to scrub. Sometime people will tell me, “I just have to satisfy the need so I can think straight again.” This is not the helpful way to think right again. Because it only reinforces the stimulus to payoff connection again. It is a short sighted solution to right thinking. Here is what to do instead, in that moment, be still, talk to Jesus and the Holy Spirit about what you are feeling, explain how difficult this is, and pray for peace of mind and for help. Remember who you are. Ask the Spirit to take your hand and walk with you down the new path. The pay-off may not be glorious every time or as initially powerful as sexual gratification, but rest assured – as you tread the new path, you reinforce all its connections and the old path begins to fill in with green grass. This will lead to the most satisfactory payoffs you can imagine – the joy of freedom and healthy sexuality.
3. As I’ve said repeatedly, this does not mean the stimulus will go away. Many Christians have been disappointed to find that sin is still attractive to them (Rom. 7). But in this, do not be overly disappointed, for we may not be able to totally change the appeal of the stimulus but we CAN allow the Spirit to RENEW our minds (Rom 12:2).
In my years of counseling people about pornography addiction and in my own journey of finding habitual freedom, I have a lot of what I would just call “commiseration.” That is counselors, pastors, or mentors simply agreeing that it is hard and feeling the hardship alongside you. Now, don’t get me wrong, understanding and mutual confession is great! I have a dear friend with whom I have mutually confessed everything and keep short accounts. What I mean here is the tendency to only shake our heads together, extend forgiveness, be compassionate, and commiserate, but not offer a plan out of this addiction. The problem, I think, may be in part that too much of our education for helping people with pornography has been about raw resistance instead of replacement. Look to the Psalm at the heading of this article. Psalm 37 says “Delight yourself” with the following qualifier “in the LORD. First I want you to see “delight” and this really means delightful pleasure! And then the result, that the LORD will meet the truest desires of your heart! Elsewhere the Psalmist declares, “At your right hand are pleasure forever!” (Psalm 16:11). The ultimate renewing of the mind is when the payoff of walking the new path (which is intimacy and joy aligned with Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) way outshines the payoff of distorted sexual gratification. I think we all know from experience, the tactics of ‘look away resist, don’t touch, and deny” only work in fits and starts and longer seasons until something comes along and unsteadies our resolve. What we are talking about is not a just a stronger will but a renewed mind where the Joy of the Lord payoff truly replaces the satisfaction of appetite. This is not perfection, but it is meaningful change.
There it is a way that leads to a renewed mind in Jesus: set a new path, repent and restart when you fall down, keep flattening the grass as you rewire your brain. And fellow-traveler, I sincerely believe and have experienced myself, that over the days and years you will find you have found a true path of joyful freedom. My hope is that then you find freedom from this addiction, you too will commit to showing someone else the way…
To get started, let me recommend some healthy next steps:
- Pray. Talk to Jesus about it. This journey needs the bedrock of relationship with God. This all begins in the safety of Jesus’ total and constant forgiveness. Even if you are not a Christian yet, I invite you to a simple prayer. “Jesus, if you are Lord of the universe and care for me, then I am asking for your help. Help me reroute, rewire, and renew my mind with you, amen.”
- Find a friend and confess. Confession simply means bringing things out into the light. God already knows us entirely. Shame thrives in the dark. Find somebody you trust, and just start letting it out. I bet you will find it to be the second most powerful thing you can do after turning your life toward Jesus.
- Check out the resources below and get started on a new path.
I am with you and for you. I get it. And I can say with honesty and hope – there is a way out of this and into freedom.
Coram Deo,
Christian
Meet the guys.
Christian and Jeff explain the reason they made this page, offer resources, and invite content
New Path Resources
Our resources are laid out in order from a top priority down. Our top three are: (1) we want you to have the ideas of Reroute | Rewire | Renew at your long-term disposal. That is the first article on this page (above). Then, we want you to have (2) the 3 minute hack ready to get back on the right path, and finally a clear understanding of (3) Imputed Righteousness and Jesus’ gifted and Perfect Blueprint for Sexuality.
Under those top-three you will find an ever growing and vetted collection of resources collected to help us toward healthy sexuality. If you would like to recommend resources, please use the contact form to let us know.
The Team
Three regular guys on the journey with you and Jesus.
Christian Lindbeck
Pastor Hillcrest Church – Path guide
Jeff Jenkins
Campus Missionary – Path Guide
Zach Welsh
Campus Missionary – Internet strategy
Reach the Team
Resources
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3 minutes to get back on the right path!
These instructions will walk you through a 3 minute process that will guide you to walk on a new path that leads away from sin and towards Jesus. You will want to repeat this process habitually in order to blaze a new, healthy neural pathway. Habits are made up of a cue, a ritual and a reward.
DOWNLOAD/SHARE the 3-Minute Hack
Step one: Five Second Hack: When you feel a cue/ trigger to turn to porn or masturbation, immediately count down from 5 and start physically moving towards your new path – towards God, either by standing up to pray, kneeling down to pray, reaching for my bible, leaving your phone, etc.
Why it works: The counting and movement help interrupt the chain reaction early on in the process so that you can make a break from taking the old, deeply ingrained path.
Step two: Pray a verse: Here are some suggestions:
- Psalm 37: 4 “Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart”
- Psalm 16:11 “You make known to me the path of life; in your presence there is fullness of joy, at your right hand are pleasures forever more.”
- Prov 4:18 “The path of the righteous is like the first gleam of dawn, shining ever brighter till the full light of day.”
- Romans 8:1 “If you live according to the flesh you will die; but if by the Spirit you put to death the misdeeds of the body, you will live.”
- Prov 5:21 “For your ways are in full view of the Lord, and he examines all your paths”
- Psalm 89:15 ” Blessed are those who have learned to acclaim you, they walk in the light of your presence O Lord.”
Why it works: Praying a fitting verse moves your thinking away from the instinctual center of your brain and up into your prefrontal cortex where you can actually fight temptation. Also, GOD’S WORD has incredible power in it’s own right. All of these verses address the new path you are seeking to walk. You can choose any verse that you are very familiar with that is powerful to you.
Step 3: Ask questions:
- Will this move me closer to God or farther away from God?
- Is this who I want to become?
- How would my wife/future wife feel if she knew?
- I am a man who walks in the light without secrets. How can I walk in the Light now?
Why it works: Asking questions digs further into your prefrontal cortex with critical thinking and ties the path choice to your goals, character, and empathy which are powerful motivating forces.
Step 4: Thank God & Worship him!
- “I am on day number ____ of walking in the path of purity!”
- “Thank you Lord that you satisfy my desires with Good things.”
- “Thank you for delivering me from addiction and providing a way out! – I love the freedom that you give, Jesus!”
- “You are creating in me a clean heart! It is working!!”
Why it works: This is part of the reward that your brain needs at the end of your new neural pathway. You need to end with reward or your new habit will not stick effectively. The reward relies on worship and joy as well as celebrating the wins and the ways that he is transforming your heart and neural pathways.
You can tweak this process and personalize it in whatever way helps you the most as long as it still features the power of God’s word and a recognition of the cue, ritual, and reward. Reach out to us if you end up writing your own plan that works super well for you!!
– Jeff Jenkins
Imputed righteousness and Jesus' perfect blueprint
– DOWNLOAD this resource HERE–
The violent struggle against pornography, masturbation, autoeroticism is a brutal fact. To think we even CAN do it; to imagine that I can make a Decision, or begin a discipline strong enough to win, is usually a cruel joke. This sin can only be conquered by The One Who beat every temptation known to Man: Heb. 4:15 “ For we do not have a High Priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but was in all points tempted as we are, yet without sin.”
And here is a stunning fact. I, you, all of us have already won this fight! It is a finished reality. We already possess perfect sexual sanity/purity: LEGALLY, FORENSICALLY, DECRETALLY, AS OUR PERSONAL RIGHT, IN GOD’S JUDGMENT.
The Salvation work of Jesus is a “Finished Work!” The Church has a vast library of writing about this fact. Jesus produced what some have called “The Great Exchange:” He removes from me all my guilt, shame, responsibility and blame for all my sin(s): AND then freely gifts me with His own perfect Holiness—including His excellent sexuality. All I have to do is Believe. (Which is a Miracle worked in us by His Spirit.) So, “merely” by Believing, I am legally innocent of all sin. In God’s eyes I never did sin. Jesus removes all guilt from me: ALL. And immediately as takes my sin, He gives me His own perfect Righteousness, Purity.
Instantly, in God’s view of me I am sinless and perfect. I have a whole new identity: A Permanent Child of God; a Living Member of His eternal Family. This is the exceedingly powerful Good News. As far as God is concerned, it’s over: a done deal—a finished and great exchange. That is who you and I are, from now on, forever! Perfect and Eternal.
Scripture has many, many passages teaching this. The Bible warns us to think like this, and not in the old way: 24/7. It can take time to gain skill in this mindset, and establish both practical and neurological pathways. But 2,000 years of Faithful success for many sufferers is true.
I wish that adopting this new identity and implementing it were an overnight thing. Because if I fail and sin, what is my natural response…practiced for years before?
Isn’t it guilt, discouragement, shame?
So how does that stack up against the Bible saying I’m sinless and perfect? That my Real Self is a Child of God in all aspects?
Here is where Freedom and Faith really come in.
When I have a failure, I have a choice. I can believe my feelings…
Or I can believe what God has spoken clearly.
Which will I choose?
Is it up to me?
YES.
Though it isn’t easy (often), YOU AND I CAN tell ourselves, and also tell God and Christ, what They have said. And we can believe Them AND NOT OURSELVES. This is truly Self-Denial!
When we fight for our rights like this, against our habitual self-criticism, it strengthens Belief and Faith and Trust; AND it diminishes the grip our old practices have on us: it kills off a chunk of our Old Man and Old Ways. All my sin has been IMPUTED to Christ, and all His Holiness has been IMPUTED to me. The Bible and the Spirit say: “BELIEVE IT: SAY IT.” Many times, if need be….) Romans 10:9 is just one place that links believing with speaking it.
One last point, if this doesn’t get immediate results, just keep believing and waiting patiently, humbly, in Faith. This is true Spiritual Warfare, and He has Won The War FOR us, and we join Him in the skirmishes and battles, full of Final Victory Confidence. We didn’t get into this trap overnight, and it make take time to escape. But escape IS ours in Christ’s escape! In some rare occasions, people do win, literally overnight.
Thousands of us have been in this Pit, and we just are not in there today. It wasn’t easy. It was SO worth it!
-Ted Lindbeck
What to do when you fall down: Repent and Restart.
This is the least complicated advice we have to give. When you make a mistake and slip up, don’t get stuck there. As soon as you can, repeat the Gospel to yourself from Romans chapters 3-8. Perhaps go read them again, especially 2:21-26, 5:1-11, 6:5-14, 7:7-13, 21-25, 8:1-4, 11, 26-39. You are saved and at peace with God. Period. Complete. True, you made a mistake. Take it seriously, but from that place of safety let conviction do good work and recognize that the Spirit of God is teaching you to love the acts of the Spirit vs. the acts of the flesh (which means broken habits). In Jesus, you do have the Spirit and nothing, not even your dumb behavior, can separate you from the love of God that is found in Christ Jesus.
So, let’s add two more “R” words to our pathway journey – Repent and Restart.
When you make a mistake, go soft-hearted and honest to God and repent. That’s all. Talk about it. If you have a confession partner, contact them as soon as it is reasonable and talk it through with them. Be 100% honest about scope and behavior. Help identify triggers like alcohol, exhaustion, isolation or bad inputs like a particular TV show.
Then – immediately restart the new path. Walk back off the old path (way of the old person), put your feet on the new path, walk the new payoff (joy with Jesus) and keep going. Don’t spend a lot of time beating yourself up or trying to forget. It’s true. It happened. It’s not who you are. Get restarted – each step on the new path makes it clearer and each step away from the old path helps it grow back in.
Say aloud: “I belong to Jesus.” I will not fall for that same old lie.”
God bless and God speed,
Christian
Understanding and defeating your triggers
Triggers are those things that tend to start setting up a fall. We all have our own triggers, but many of them are familiar. Here are some examples:
- Exhaustion, tiredness, boredom. I put these all in the same category, because this is when some of our natural defenses are down. This isn’t morally wrong, we just have to be aware. When we are really worn out, we might need to make choices that help us from making mistakes. A walk is much better than TV. A nap is much better than scrolling on our phones. When we are really tired, we should be honest, talk to God and friends about it. Keep an eye out for old patterns.
- Alcohol. This is such a common trigger that we hardly need to spell it out. Alcohol reduces inhibitions and slows executive thinking. Be careful about combining triggers one and two. Coming home tired, grabbing a beer, and getting on your phone may setting yourself up. Find others ways to wind down. Don’t drink by yourself. Don’t combine alcohol and other influences that tend to lead to pornography. This brings me to point number 3…
- External influence. Quite simply, watch your intake. We live in a hyper-sexualized world. What are you watching or participating in? The Bible encourages us to mediate on what is healthy and good. In cases where thinking is going awry, we are encouraged to “take every thought captive,” and ask God’s Spirit for help. This is a really good place to ask yourself what you can handle. Some TV shows might not be a trigger for another but really send your mind into tailspin. Simply decide to not watch that show. Jesus used hyperbole once to make this point. He said, “And if your right hand causes you to stumble, cut it off and throw it away. It is better for you to lose one part of your body than for your whole body to go into hell.” This may mean some stuff is not healthy for you. Some people can watch rated R+ movies, others cant. Some can be on Instagram, some can’t. Some people can handle a massage, some people can’t. Find your healthy boundaries. It is better to not have these simple things than to keep damaging yourself and relationship with negative habits.
- Timing and isolation. Perhaps your simplest trigger is opportunity. You are home alone, or your significant other is asleep and you feel your pulse start to quicken. Seriously, stop the course early. Get off your device, change circumstances, talk to God. See our 3 minute practice to get back on the right path at the top of these resources.
There are many more possible triggers. The right step ahead, is to know yours. Perhaps write them down somewhere and while you are feeling good, come up with your own strategies for defeating your triggers. If you would like to share those ideas with us, please use the contact form on the page. We might share those ideas with other to help build up the whole community.
Comradery often means running to one another's aid
This video often evokes deep feelings from me because I know what it feels like to be failing. And I know what it feels like when a friend runs to my rescue. Watch this video and consider making a pact with somebody – we will keep an eye out and run to each other’s aid!
A cord of three strands is not easily broken! You, and friend, and Jesus by the Holy Spirit make a powerful bond!
-Christian
So you're down the road a bit and temptations are STILL there!
Yeah, well, this is part of the deal until Jesus returns and makes all things well. We are still in a battle with our old person (habits, ways). God makes it very clear that in this battle, we are already totally covered, safe and at peace because of Jesus. But, he also keeps calling us up and out of that life into His life. Go re-read the second foundational article in Resources, “Imputed Righteousness and the Perfect Blueprint of Jesus.”
So here is what we recommend – do not be afraid. You are not going to ruin your peace with God. But neither be complacent, for God means to use your whole life to make you look like his son Jesus.
So, how do we do this?
- Intimacy with God. We pursue knowing and being totally known by God.
- Care to the habits of our lives.
- Attention on the complete work of Jesus. His life (his model), his death, and his resurrection inform our whole experience.
- Responsiveness to conviction. Do not silence the voice of the Holy Spirit – cherish it; be glad when the Holy Spirit disciplines or convicts you.
- Strong assurance in our adoption as God’s kids.
Grace and peace,
-Christian
Unwanted by Jay Stringer
Unwanted: How Sexual Brokenness Reveals Our Way to Healing is a ground-breaking resource that explores the “why” behind self-destructive sexual choices. The book is based on research from over 3,800 men and women seeking freedom from unwanted sexual behavior, be that the use of pornography, an affair, or buying sex.
Jay Stringer’s (M.Div, MA, LMHC) original research found that unwanted sexual behavior can be both shaped by and predicted based on the parts of our story―past and present―that remain unaddressed. When we pay attention to our unwanted sexual desires and identify the unique reasons that drive them, the path of healing is revealed.
Although many of us feel ashamed and unwanted after years of sexual brokenness, the book invites the reader to see that behavior as the very location God can most powerfully work in their lives. Counselors, pastors, and accountability partners of those who experience sexual shame will also find in this book the deep spiritual and psychological guidance they need to effectively minister to the sexually broken around them.
Battle for the Heart by the Wellspring Group.
That’s why it’s critical to see and understand the battle raging for your heart and how the battle can be won. Entering the battle for your heart allows you to live authentically… to engage the world around you courageously… to lead with integrity.
But you don’t have to battle alone.
Set up Screen Accountability at Covenant Eyes
Quit Porn.
Live Your Best Life.
Covenant Eyes helps you live porn-free with confidence. Follow link: https://www.covenanteyes.com
Get into support community with Pure Desire Ministries
You are not alone.
Like you, we once felt powerless too.
But now we’re living in hope, healing, and freedom.
And we’ve shared this healing with hundreds of thousands of men and women around the world.
- IITAP Certified
- 30+ years developing resources that work
- A proven process of freedom
- Decades of pastoral training and leadership
Foundational Book: This is Your Brain on Joy
A break-through guide to help people experience lasting joy by restoring brain health.
What does the latest research in brain science and brain imaging say about our ability (or inability) to experience joy and happiness? Is our lack of joy a sin problem or a brain problem? In this life-altering book, Dr. Earl Henslin reveals that to enjoy our lives to the fullest, to become more loving, more Christ-like, we need to become more capable of healing and nourishing our brains. Many problems, long thought of as spiritual in nature–anger, depression, mood swings, anxiety, addictions–are often the result of a “sick” brain that cannot comprehend a good and loving God. “This Is Your Brain on Joy” shares exciting new findings in neuroscience that are spiritually sound, showing us how to care for our brains so we not only more effectively use them to glorify God but also experience His love.
Check it out on Amazon HERE
Microglial Cells - the Custodians of the Brain
Check out this article on the amazing glial cells and see section on microglial cells in particular.
Trauma and behavior: The Body Keeps the Score
Trauma is a fact of life. Veterans and their families deal with the painful aftermath of combat; one in five Americans has been molested; one in four grew up with alcoholics; one in three couples have engaged in physical violence. Dr. Bessel van der Kolk, one of the world’s foremost experts on trauma, has spent over three decades working with survivors. In The Body Keeps the Score, he uses recent scientific advances to show how trauma literally reshapes both body and brain, compromising sufferers’ capacities for pleasure, engagement, self-control, and trust. He explores innovative treatments—from neurofeedback and meditation to sports, drama, and yoga—that offer new paths to recovery by activating the brain’s natural neuroplasticity. Based on Dr. van der Kolk’s own research and that of other leading specialists, The Body Keeps the Score exposes the tremendous power of our relationships both to hurt and to heal—and offers new hope for reclaiming lives.
Check it out om Amazon HERE
