Page 1 of James P Krehbiel's writing

1. What Do I Know For Sure Anyway? The older I get, the less I seem to know for sure. It's not that I lack wisdom, but life is not a clear-cut, fixed matter, but an ever-changing, fluid experience. Each moment is new and is filled with the wonder and mystery of the unknown. As a... (posted by James P Krehbiel 3 years 167 days ago.)

2. The Wages of War Monday night, February 4 th , President George W. Bush delivered his State of the Union message. In his address, he urged Congress to "improve the system of care for our wounded warriors and help them build their lives of hope and promise and... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 103 days ago.)

3. The Myth of Moral Superiority Psychotherapist, Sheldon B. Kopp very astutely stated, "No one is any stronger or any weaker than anyone else; everyone is in his own way, vulnerable." M. Scott Peck, renowned author, expressed it another way. In his concluding remarks during a... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 116 days ago.)

4. How to Respond to Tragedy Rabbi Harold Kushner, the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People , wrote about his response to personal tragedy. His son Aaron had premature aging, and eventually died from this disease. The pain from the Rabbi's loss provoked a crisis of... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 149 days ago.)

5. How To Handle the Holiday Blues My wife and I were standing outside a jewelry store the day after Halloween when we began to hear the "sounds of Christmas." We looked at each other with amazement as Christmas began to permeate the air of the mall parking lot. Each year it... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 160 days ago.)

6. Leaving Behind the Magical Illusions of Childhood As children, we believe that we have the magical powers to change all that is wrong with our world. We need to believe that we can control our destiny in order to emotionally survive. For example, we may have been raised by parents who were... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 170 days ago.)

7. Do You Feel Guilty For Feeling Guilty? The experience of guilt is an enormous burden. People actually feel guilty for feeling guilty. Often, those in the religious community are prone to complain about guilt. They perceive God as the "cop in the sky" who is looking to apply... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 177 days ago.)

8. How Your Kids Can Help You Handle Holiday Stress My wife and I were standing outside of a shopping center the week before Thanksgiving when we began to hear the sounds of Christmas. We looked at each other with amazement as the holidays began to permeate the air of the mall parking lot. Each... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 183 days ago.)

9. "All I Had Left Was My Attitude" Several decades ago, I was privileged to attend a presentation held by psychiatrist, Victor Frankl, author of Man’s Search for Meaning. Frankl’s family was the unfortunate victim of the Holocaust during Nazi Germany’s rein in Europe . His family... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 254 days ago.)

10. 9/11 - God Forgive Us For Forgetting My daughter’s call came in 6 years ago to the day. She was working across the street from the Pentagon when our world came crashing down. I could hear it in her voice – something serious was up. This was the only time I could ever remember my... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 258 days ago.)

11. Life Through the Eyes of the Abuser I define an abuser as one who uses the power of words or physical prowess as a means of manipulating and controlling others. Generally, the perpetrator chooses to forego any interventions such as counseling or psychiatric assistance. However... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 310 days ago.)

12. Now That I'm Pregnant, What Next...? Although I have never been pregnant, my wife was, and I remember much of the anxiety she experienced. I tried to be involved in every aspect of the pregnancy, including Lamaze training, doctor visits and reading about the best kinds of child care.... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 319 days ago.)

13. When Will the Marriage End After the Divorce? When a chapter closes in our lives, we must grieve the loss and let it go. This is true with divorce. It’s the finality of mourning “what could have been" that is painful. Nevertheless, the work of processing the reality of divorce, with all of... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 323 days ago.)

14. Writing As An Act of Catharsis Writing nonfiction material provides an excellent vehicle for learning. Since one of the purposes on this planet is to learn new information and apply it appropriately, writing is a useful resource. However, lately I have been wondering about the... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 343 days ago.)

15. Abuse: Through the Eyes of the Abused Abusers typically dismiss the idea of seeking help as they project their anger and rage onto those closest to them. They see no wrongdoing on their part. They are either unable or unwilling to comprehend the psychological wreckage that they foist... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 348 days ago.)

16. Maintaining a Sense of Self While Being a Stay-At-Home Mom Many mothers who are stay-at-home parents lose their sense of self in the process of caretaking for their children. A woman’s natural instinct to “protect her flock" may come into direct conflict with developing a strong self-identity. Often... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 352 days ago.)

17. When Your Kids Grant You Your Dismissal Papers I believe that the primary goal of parenting must be to teach our children a sense of self-direction. We should teach them to gradually rely on their own resources rather than ours. We should want our children to develop into independent adults.... (posted by James P Krehbiel 4 years 360 days ago.)

18. Positive Role Models or Unworthy Heroes? I think that it is important to make a distinction between some heroic figures that we value and the role models that have impacted our lives. What are the characteristics that differentiate those heroes from people who have acted as role models... (posted by James P Krehbiel 5 years ago.)

19. The Terrors of Life With An OCD Wife What in the heck happened? Why didn’t I see it coming? I guess I should give myself a break. I suppose you have to live with a partner before fully understanding the differences in the way people live. It didn’t take me long to find out that we... (posted by James P Krehbiel 5 years 4 days ago.)

20. So What's Sex Have To Do With It? I recall a couple who came to see me for marital counseling. The wife appeared more committed to the relationship than the husband. The husband was dissatisfied with the relationship due to his wife’s physical appearance and had been pressuring... (posted by James P Krehbiel 5 years 11 days ago.)

21. "Saving Face" ... My Wife's Surprise My wife decided to plan a brief weekend get-away for our anniversary. We decided to stay in a beautiful resort which was nestled in the foothills of West Tucson . It was the kind of resort where every time you turned around someone from the hotel... (posted by James P Krehbiel 5 years 22 days ago.)

22. Teaching Kids Civility In An Unkind World Without a doubt, we live in a crazy world. Have you observed a driver holding a cigarette in one hand and using a cell phone while weaving down the highway? Have you ever had someone cut in front of you while waiting in line? How about letting the... (posted by James P Krehbiel 5 years 25 days ago.)

23. How To Feel Good Without Trying So Hard Most people want to feel good, but they may hinder their efforts in creating a sense of well-being. In their desire to feel better, individuals assume that they must try harder to create happiness. “Avis, we try harder" characterizes their mantra.... (posted by James P Krehbiel 5 years 30 days ago.)

24. Just Where Is the Axis of Evil? The most significant concept that has shaped our President’s foreign policy has been his pronouncements of an “axis of evil." As psychotherapist Sheldon B. Kopp once said, “Evil can be displaced, but never eradicated as all solutions breed new... (posted by James P Krehbiel 5 years 38 days ago.)

25. Forgive Me God - There Will Be Potholes In My Legacy As we unravel the fabric of our personal story, we are left with a mixed bag. This is the time for a spiritual guy like me to come clean – to make amends for unruly behavior. The urgency to make things right stems from an aging process that leaves... (posted by James P Krehbiel 5 years 42 days ago.)