Serving the Church – The Ministry of Biblical Counseling
By Joe Leavell Given our name, “Biblical Counseling of Arizona” we often have pastors, ministry leaders, and church members who are ‘kicking the tires’ of our ministry. Many pastors especially [...]
How Many Cows Are You Worth?
by Joe Leavell How many cows is a person worth? An absurd question? Not for one man in the Polynesian Islands who went looking for a bride. Not long ago, [...]
Running on Empty
by Rebekah Leavell Fatigue. Physical. Emotional. Mental. Spiritual. After a year of a global pandemic filling the news headlines and constant turmoil and division, both in the media and personal [...]
When The Hurt Lingers
by Joe Leavell It was supposed to be a fun day at the lake with my family, yet when I think back on the memory, it is still haunting. Enjoying [...]
The Loneliness of the Holidays
by Joe Leavell While the holidays hold so much hope and promise for so many, for others it is a time of year that they have been dreading. It’s not [...]
What We Need Now Is More Fighting
By Joe Leavell Yes, I’m completely serious. We don’t have enough fighting today. We’re too passive and it needs to change. We need to roll up our sleeves and gear [...]
The Miraculous and the Mourning – Struggling with Survivors Guilt
A Miraculous Story Days after my birth, I lay in the hospital dying. After countless tests it was determined that my blood vessels had begun to turn on me and [...]
Why Am I Not Enough For You? Understanding the Addiction of Pornography
By Joe Leavell Nothing about indulging in pornography backs up the sentiments of a husband who tries to express to his wife that she is beautiful and that he is [...]
Choosing Option C in Marriage
by Joe Leavell Jenn left the house feeling completely distraught and helpless. Sitting in her car, she sat frozen to her seat, clueless with what she should do or where [...]
Defending the Temple of God
by Joe Leavell In AD 70, Commander Titus Flavius Vespasianus marched on the city of Jerusalem to complete the annihilation of the Jewish revolt against the authority of Rome, [...]
What’s the Big Deal? It was Just…
by Joe Leavell It was just a few inappropriate texts for fun. It didn’t mean anything. I just took a few dollars is all. They never even knew I took [...]
When Jesus Wept
“Jesus wept.” Two simple words in a story in the middle of the Gospel of John, but what led to those words and the weight that they carry is astounding! [...]
If Jesus Bears my Burdens, Why Do I Need Counseling?
by Joe And Rebekah Leavell Everywhere we turn these days there are people who are hurting. Even the people you look at and think couldn’t possibly be struggling at all [...]
Dear Alexa…Oops! I mean, Dear God!
By: Joe Leavell Our family was an early adopter of Amazon’s Echo. These smart devices are mind-blowing in all the things you can get them to do! If you want [...]
Bird Dash Delivery
By Rebekah Leavell “And the word of the Lord came to him: Depart from here and turn eastward and hide yourself by the brook Cherith, which is east of the [...]
The Closest of All Relationships
By Rebekah Leavell “A man of many companions may come to ruin, but there is a friend who sticks closer than a brother.” Proverbs 18:24 “For all who are led [...]
A Counselee’s Story
The following blog was posted by permission by one of our counselees. We pray that it will bless you in your own walk with Christ: Just under a year ago [...]
The Cure for the Most Serious Pandemic
By Rebekah Leavell And the scribes of the Pharisees, when they saw that he was eating with sinners and tax collectors, said to his disciples, “Why does he eat with [...]
Perfect Peace
By Rebekah Leavell “You keep him in perfect peace whose mind is stayed on you, because he trusts in you.” Isaiah 26:3 This has been a go-to verse for me [...]
When God Seems as Absent as…Toilet Paper?
by Joe Leavell A meditation on Psalm 42 for the socially distant: Several days ago, I did it. I ventured out of the house to the store to find some [...]
It’s the Little Things
by Rebekah Leavell Life sometimes has a way of hiding around the corners and then sucker punching you in the face when you least expect it. It can seem afterwards [...]
Are You Angry Enough?
by Joe Leavell I remember vividly the look of confusion I received. The man had struggled through a long story about his near absentee father whose approval he had diligently [...]
When Valentine’s Day Ends
By: Rebekah Leavell February is the season of being in love. Valentine’s Day was just this past weekend. Everywhere you turned in the stores there seemed to be items [...]
Does Anyone See Me?
By: Rebekah Leavell Susan vividly remembered the idealism of her youth, the eagerness of the adult life ahead of her, the tingling of hope as she anticipated achieving her dreams [...]
Is Marriage Still Relevant?
By Rebekah Leavell Marriage... This one word can conjure up various emotions and thoughts in different people…One word can have such a great impact for joy or for pain. Marriage… [...]
Too Tired to Care – Lessons in Compassion Fatigue
By Sandy Bacon I am a Biblical Counselor. That title is a huge part of my identity. Even my given name means “helper of mankind”. On the enneagram, I am [...]
Be Nice to Me My Friend Just Died- Part 4
by Kathi Bishop Parts 1, 2, and 3 “Are things getting normal for you?” she asked me. “Yes, I guess things are getting normal.” The new normal is life. Time [...]
Be Nice to Me My Friend Just Died-Part 3
Read part 1 and 2: here and here. “Feelings are followers. They don’t own you or rule you. Feelings are good indicators of what you are believing about circumstances but [...]
Be Nice to Me, My Friend Just Died – Part 2
“How are you doing?” asked my friend’s husband at the one month mark of her death. “I’m better each day. How about you?” He answered, “I get a little better [...]
Be Nice to Me My Friend Just Died -Part 1
December 6, 2018 my friend died. She wasn’t just an acquaintance, she was my dear friend for many years. Grief is fine and very appropriate but as the days [...]
After you die
Your favorite shows and movies won’t resurrect you! Your well-behaved children won’t resurrect you! Your posh salary and stellar career won’t resurrect you! Your increasing popularity won’t resurrect you! [...]
I Know the Right Answer, So Why Can’t I Change?
by Joe Leavell As noted in a previous blog post, I occasionally suffer from migraine headaches that are pretty brutal. Do I know where they come from? Yep. When I [...]
How Do I Know My Life Matters?
by Joe Leavell How Much is a Coke Worth? If you go down to your local gas station, I would guess that you can purchase a large quantity of soda [...]
Emotional Storms
This blog was written by Sandy Bacon. Monsoon season is here and the Arizona weather finally matches your mood. Though you think you’ve been able to hide it for the [...]
Reconciling the Irreconcilable
by Joe Leavell He thinks their teen daughter should be allowed to be out until 11, and she is completely against it. She would rather have quiet time together before [...]
What do you love?
by Kathi Bishop Overview In counseling matters we are always looking to see what you love. Not what you say you love or what you think you love but what [...]
Life Lessons from a Physical Therapy Office
by Joe Leavell Truth be told, I’ve been trying to get more in shape this year. Running has never been “my thing” but I’ve done it a bit, and it [...]
Groaning Versus Grumbling
by Joe Leavell In our last post, found here, we looked at the reality of living in a sin cursed world that rightfully causes believers to groan for their heavenly [...]
Groaning for Home – Part 1
by Joe Leavell The hours are dragging on, the work is hard, and you know that when you get home, the weekend will have begun. You will get to rest, [...]
God’s Steadfast Love Endures Forever – A Meditation on Psalm 136
by Joe Leavell Psalm 136 is one of my favorite Psalms in Scripture. In this beautiful poem, an unknown psalmist brilliantly writes his praises to God for both who God [...]
My Psalm
by Joe Leavell Do you ever wonder if King David had any idea when he wrote his works of poetry to God that they would be read by countless millions [...]
Faithfully Stewarding Death
by Joe Leavell “A man who lives fully is prepared to die at any time.” …. -C. S. Lewis O Lord, make me know my end and what is the measure of my days; let [...]
SECURE IN GOD’S LOVE
by Joe Leavell Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? Shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or danger, or sword…No, in all these things [...]
I WISH GOD WOULD JUST APPEAR TO ME
by Joe Leavell Many people that I’ve talked to and counseled with through the years have struggled with their faith in a God that they cannot see with their own [...]
Planting Seeds – Our Hope in the Resurrection
by Joe Leavell If you have ever done any planting or worked with seeds in the slightest, you know that the kernel that you sow in seed form looks [...]
How Much Money Could I Offer You to NOT Read your Bible Today?
by Joe Leavell If I could offer you $1,000 right now for you NOT to spend time reading your Bible today, would you take it? Would you take the cash [...]
When I Don’t Feel Like Serving
by Joe Leavell We’re all busy and practically everyone around us is demanding a piece of our time. I get it. Some seasons of life can be more difficult than [...]
Fixing a Broken Vacuum
by Joe Leavell I highly doubt that I am the only one who has had the frustrating experience of running the vacuum cleaner through the living room for several minutes, [...]
Flanked By the Enemy
by Joe Leavell It is yet another brutal winter night along the frontlines, and once again, you find yourself out on patrol. Thankfully, your position is not along the main [...]
Investing in Eternity
by Joe Leavell One of my favorite easy to read books of all time is called “The Treasure Principle” by author, Randy Alcorn. If you have not read it yet, [...]
Introduction to the One Another Commands
by Joe Leavell In Matthew 22, Jesus was asked by a religious expert which was the greatest of God’s commands. Jesus famously responded by stating that the greatest command is [...]
Hospital or Hospice: What Kind of Spiritual Care Do You Need?
by Joe Leavell Spiritually speaking, there are myriads of hurting people in need of care. There are people struggling to communicate and understand one another in their marriages. There are [...]
Solving the Stink
by Joe Leavell If you have ever been around an area that has skunks, then just the mention of the animal is usually enough to trigger a vivid memory of [...]
Gore and the Gospel
by Joe Leavell I admit it. I have cried on multiple occasions when engrossed in an epic war masterpiece like The Patriot, Glory, or even Saving Private Ryan. I love [...]
Biblical Counseling and the Medical Model
by Joe Leavell For many years I have suffered significantly from migraine headaches. These headaches often come on strong when I am very tired, overly stressed, slightly dehydrated, or even [...]
The Last One Picked…Or Not Being Picked At All!
by Vicki Diemert My son walked into the house with tears in his eyes. When I asked him what was wrong, he said, “Mom, you know how when kids are [...]
Lessons From Loss (Video)
by Joe Leavell This video covers some of the things that I have learned over losing my brother to cancer in October. […]
Did the Birth to the Savior Hurt?
by Joe Leavell If you have ever seen a movie where a woman gives birth, you would get the impression that delivering a baby requires maybe two minutes of painful [...]
Give the Gift of Biblical Counseling
by Joe Leavell For some people, finding the perfect gift for your loved one can be a difficult task. This Christmas, we at BCA would like to invite you to [...]
Does God Enjoy Our Christmas Celebration?
by Joe Leavell Have you ever had your coworkers throw you a birthday party at your job? Because they work with you, you know that, whether they care or [...]
Would you Take the Trials or the Cash?
by Joe Leavell Pretend with me for a moment that you are on a reality TV show. This is a game where you get to make a simple choice. In [...]
If I Am Getting Biblical Counseling, Why Do I Need the Church?
by Joe Leavell One of the first assignments that our counselees receive when they come to BCA for counseling is that they regularly attend a solid, Bible teaching church. Not [...]
Must I Thank God for my Heartache this Thanksgiving?
by Joe Leavell The Bible teaches us in 1 Thessalonians 5:18 to, “give thanks in all circumstances; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you.” Similarly, [...]
Gospel Lessons from Carryout Pizza
by Joe Leavell A few years back, on a much needed day off from work, my wife Rebekah and I decided to celebrate the day off by ordering carry out [...]
Living in a World Affected by Evil
by Joe Leavell The recent terrorist attacks in Paris, Beirut, Bagdad, and the countless other recent atrocities perpetrated by ISIS are tragic reminders to all of us how far reaching [...]
How to Finally Destroy Evil
by Joe Leavell Evil…Sheer evil. No other word adequately describes the terrorism in Paris and the brutality of the terrorist group ISIS. Evil. If you observe the terror laid plain [...]
What If…
by Joe Leavell What if… What if I am trusting in Christ and my circumstances never get better, but actually get worse as a result of living for Jesus? What [...]
Biblical Counseling Begins With God
by: Joe Leavell In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth.” (Genesis 1:1) Biblical counseling begins right here with this very first verse of the Bible. Not only [...]
A Formal Introduction
by: Joe Leavell It is a real joy to introduce ourselves to you as Biblical Counseling of Arizona and officially launch our blog! We are eager to see how God [...]