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GIFT EXCHANGE

December 3, 2019

It is a beautiful and awesome thing to look into the eyes of a child at Christmas when they receive a gift and find, to their delight, something that they have desired.  Christmas morning is a time of great joy in the hearts of families.  One tradition we have in our family is the opening of our stockings on Christmas Eve.  Laughter, smiles, anticipation, and excitement shines in the eyes and conversation of my children as we see what unique trinkets, candy, and thoughtfulness went into each stocking.  Then, on Christmas morning, we wake up early to exchange gifts with each other always finding that what we receive is such a great blessing, but the real joy is in watching other’s get excited about what we have given.

It is more blessed to give than to receive

“The greatest gift you will ever receive will never be found under a Christmas tree.  It is far too valuable to be stored in any other place than in the depths of your heart” (Anonymous).  This Christmas, remember the real gift exchange that has occurred.  God has exchanged our brokenness for His healing in our lives.  God gave his only begotten Son to come into this world where we are held captive to sin, hurt, and bondage.  He overcame the world by giving himself as the perfect sacrifice.  In Christ, and Christ alone, we find healing and deliverance, we receive salvation and eternal life.

Many enter into this season of celebrating the birth of Jesus with grief, anxiety, depression, or loneliness yet with a desire for the gift of peace and joy.  This season, let’s celebrate the real gift exchange that impacts our lives.  We exchange our brokenness for the Fruit of God’s spirit.  Consider these gifts from God:

Exchange your …            

Loneliness                     for the gift of God’s Love
Hopelessness               for the gift of God’s Joy
Anxiety and Fears        for the gift of God’s Peace
Frustrations                   for the gift of God’s Long-Suffering
Past Abuse                    for the gift of God’s Gentleness
Selfishness                    for the gift of God’s Goodness
Doubt and Unbelief      for the gift of God’s Faithfulness
Aggression                    for the gift of God’s Meekness
Impulsivity                     for the gift of God’s Temperance

The focus here is not on our failures, hurts, or brokenness, but on God’s healing.  God’s will toward His children is that we would walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4), coming together in the unity of the Spirit in the bond of peace (Ephesians 4:3).

Here at Cord of 3, we thank God for the blessing of being a part of His work of reconciliation in the lives of His children as we give counsel to the emotional and spiritual pains of life and remind families of how they can exchange their brokenness for the gift of God’s healing. 

Merry Christmas
​to you and your family and thanks be to God for his gift to us:  Jesus Christ.

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Training and Discipleship

The Cord of 3 training and discipleship program serves the community by offering educational seminars on various mental health and related topics (parenting subjects, coping with loss, warning signs of addiction) as well as conferences, retreats, and seminars for area churches on matters that pertain to God’s design for the family.

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Cord of 3’s Counselor education and supervision program is deigned to support interns who are completing their master’s degree, counselors who are working toward licensure, and professionals who are working to integrate their Chritian faith into their clinical practice.

Equine Therapy

Cord of 3’s equine therapy program is designed for individuals ages 7 and up as well as women ages 13+ and families. Equine therapy can help individuals and families overcome challenges, cuiltivate healthy relational skills, build trust, improve interpersonal and behavioral functioning, and create positive self-concept and identity in Christ.

Play God’s Way

A Christ-centered play therapy model to meet teh spiritual, emotional, and mental health needs of children. Through play therapy, children learn to accept responsibility for behavior, engage in healthy coping strategies, acquire problem-solving skills, develop empathy for others, and gain an understanding of identity in mChrist.

ADDICTION RECOVERY

Addictions always originate in pain… The question is never ‘why the addiction?,’ but rather ‘why the pain?’” (Dr. Gabor Maté). Counselors can help those struggling with addictions address underlying painful issues and then break the addictive patterns.

Child & Adolescent

Behavioral issues at home or in school often have an underlying cause, such as trauma, depression, anxiety, or other mental health conditions. The experienced staff at Cord of 3 meets each child with love, builds trust, and applies effective treatment that approaches the root cause of the behavior.

Marriage & Family

As in couple’s counseling, family counseling focuses on the relationship and dynamics within the family unit and between the individual members of it. Counselors will help clients identify unhealthy or unhelpful patterns, and to address them by developing healthier communication and conflict resolutions skills, create realistic expectations, and restructure familial roles to benefit everyone. The ultimate goal is to help the family be better able to thrive as a team.

STRESS & TRAUMA

Every person will at some point have at least one potentially traumatic experience, but this doesn’t impact everyone in the same ways. When struggling to process and move on from negative life experiences, therapy offers a powerful method of finding support and healing.

EMOTIONAL WHOLENESS

Individual counseling can help overcome the sometimes overwhelming fear and hopelessness by helping you better understand the conditions that led to the emotional brokenness you are experiencing, and applying healthy coping skills against them.