By John James

Christian counselors are there to help you through struggles and difficult situations in your life, but if you have not seen one in the past you may not know where to look to find one. Many people are intimidated at the thought of finding a counselor to see.

Even if you are ready to get some help from a counselor, you may not know where to find one. Finding the right counselor doesn't have to be a long and drawn out process, but knowing some good resources to use at the start of your search will be a huge help.

In effort to make this an easier process for you, we will look at some tips for finding a counselor and making your search more effective.

1. Ask Your Pastor for a Referral

If you are a church attender, one of the first things you should do is seek the advice of your pastor. Many pastors offer some type of counseling for church members, but frequently they will not be experienced or equipped to help with the specific area in which you are struggling. While most pastors do have some education in counseling, that's not what they spend the majority of their time doing, so don't be surprised if your pastor says that he is not the best person to help you in this situation.

You church may or may not be able to provide services that will meet your needs, but if not, you may be able to get a referral to a good Christian counselor in the area. Turning to your church first is usually a good idea since it can save you a lot of time and help you to find someone who is reputable.

You can start at your church and you may be able to get help directly from a pastor or someone on staff, but you should at least get some help that will point you in the right direction of a qualified counselor.

2. Pray

One thing you should always be doing when you are seeking a counselor is to ask for God's help. Take the time each day to pray for God's leading and that He would help you to find a good counselor in your area.

3. Consult with Family and Friends

If you're ok with others knowing a little bit about your situation, get with your friends and family and ask them if they have any experience with counselors in your area or if they know of someone that might be able to help you. Many people have seen counselors in the past, and you may get a good referral from this method.

4. Turn to Google

If you're unable to find the right counselor through these other methods, fortunately the internet makes it possible to search on your own. You can go to Google and do a search for counselors in your area, or you could visit a resource like the directory from the American Association of Christian Counselors will allow you to search based on your local area - http://www.aacc.net/resources/find-a-counselor/

By Matthew Arnold

Relief and help on avoiding panic episodes are sometimes investigated by those that suffer from them. And they will find lots of cures, but knowing which one to pick isn't that simple.

Ever since Louis Pasteur there was a large amount of talks about medications

That treat panic fits and natural cures that do the same. Some folk mix the 2 and others use medicine only or natural cures for panic episodes only.

To make you understand my point, you should know that lots of folk that suffer at the hands of this condition either use one strategy of treatment or another. My opinion is that natural cures work better for panic fits. Medication usually only prevents some symptoms, it doesn't cure it, and here is where natural panic attack cures come in.

Here are the best 3 suggestions that I have for you to address agitation naturally.

one. Medicines don't quite do it.

When the symptoms appear at a less frequent pace, most of the people are in heaven. And who would not need to suffer less from woozy spells, tremors, trembling, shortness of breath, detachment fro reality, fear of going crazy or of dying. Using medication will relax the patient a little .

This is why medication can make people get a false sense of being cured, only because they have less panic episodes. They suspect they're cured, but the attacks just occur less frequently. If you use good medication you will feel better and you'll see the attacks happen less frequently, but they treat the symptoms and they do not cure.

two. You have the power within you.

Medicine can make you suspect you are close to being saved, when you are not. By having less panic episodes, those that be afflicted by it are stunned when they show up again. When you're taking medication and the assault comes anyway, the one that suffers from it remains only with prayer to cope with it.

However if you use natural systems, you can ease the panic episodes with them. Yes, the panic and tension medicine will make the attacks occur less, but you do not have something to fight them when they occur. You can do that with natural cures though.

3. Longer lasting treatment. The difficulty is that medicine works only if you continue to take it, so there is no end in sight to dispose of it. You must eliminate it with natural cures instead and stop taking panic episode medication that incorporates side effects.

Instant relief can be good often, but it's's not the solution. . Instead, you should hope for a good future and treat it as soon as possible.

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By Edie Mindell

Merry Christmas and happy first Christmas with a baby or toddler! Children add their own magic to the already intoxicating feelings of the holiday season. As new parents you are trying to create your own family traditions and spoil your toddler just a little bit.

Yet you are not the only persons concerned with your child's Christmas celebrations. Aunts, uncles, friends, cousins and especially Grandparents will all feel a special desire to be close to your baby at this time of the year. Each person will likely have their own ideas of how the children should be incorporated into the celebration and will want to give your baby holiday blessings and toys!

Holiday and Flu season

Perhaps it is not the first thing that comes to mind when celebrating Christmas with your baby and extended family, but flu season does need to be accounted for. To this end before carting your child to endless dinners and parties it is a good idea to plan a flu avoidance strategy.

Call the host and ask about the health of their family. This is a very understandable question and will not offend. When taking your baby to parties have a supply of hand sanitizer at the ready so that would be admirers don't have to be sent to the bathroom to wash their hands. Wearing your baby in a sling will reduce the requests to hold your child. This keeps baby close and keeps exposure to germs to a minimum.

Holiday Shopping with baby

The crowds, lines and stiff competition involved in holiday shopping is enough to daunt even the most stout hearted, but is especially tricky with your new precious cargo in tow. To this end a little preparation goes a long way. Feed your baby immediately before leaving the house, or even in the car in the parking lot. This reduces the need to feed in public, and may even put your child into a milk coma, meaning she will sleep blissfully for the duration of the shopping trip.

The diaper bag is an invaluable tool. Stock the diaper bag with several diapers, wipes, a bottle, two or three burp clothes, an extra binky, an extra blanket and an extra outfit for the baby as well as a shirt for you. Many a mom has learned the hard way that any of these items might become necessary during an outing.

Remember babies draw a crowd; even strangers will want a peep. Be gracious, but firm. This is your child and you don't have to allow any stranger to look at or touch or kiss your baby. Keep the hand sanitizer at the ready. Put your baby in a sling that hides his or her face or in a stroller with the shades drawn. This sends the signal that baby is not to be disturbed without you having to play the bad guy.

By Patti Lauwers

The G-Force is a band of guinea pigs who defend the world against evildoers. You could probably use them at your next celebration. You never know when some villain will try to break up the party. Take a look at all these cool G-Force birthday party goods and find out how you can be covered.

Start your mission planning by sending out some G-Force Invitations. Your operation starts out top secret, but you still have to let the right agents know. Mail one of these to each one so they'll know a huge celebration is about to happen. Like any protective agency, it's important to be prepared.

You'll be prepared if you order a G-Force Deluxe Party Pack. It's a complete package of plates, cups, activity placemats, and more so you can serve refreshments and know your tasty offerings are safe. Then, inflate the balloons (with a Helium Tank accessory) and unroll the crepe paper rolls. Spread the tablecover. Get set for a meeting like no other when the agents arrive!

To keep all your secret agents at your table peaceful while you set up, be sure to stock up on G-Force Tattoos. The kids will be so busy putting on these easy-to-wash off designs, they won't have time to start a riot.

Remember those G-Force Cone Hats, too, while you're at it. What's a party without hats? The set includes 8 cardboard hats with elastic chin straps that feature the characters from the terrific new film. Each one shows a team member dressed in all the high-tech gear every good agent needs.

While you're laying out all the gear your team members need, don't forget to distribute a G-Force Party Favor Kit for each one. Each green-and-white striped box contains a G-Force mystery pad and decoder, a sticker sheet, a Snap-n-Glow pop, a telescope, and some black slime. They'll need some time to investigate their kit bag, so greet every arrival at the door with their own box.

Those sticker sheets (like the tattoos) also are available separately, along with Green Telescopes. The 7" long plastic looking glass is perfect for scouting out the enemy. Kids can use the tattoos to identify who is on the good guys team and who is with the bad guys.

Hand out G-Force Mystery Water Paint Boards to keep all the secret agents sharp about how to solve a puzzle. This set of 4 paint boards make it easy to exercise those mental muscles. Just wet a finger and rub to reveal a secret message. Then everyone can huddle and decide how best to invade the bad guys headquarters.

Your mission is now well on its way to a successful ending thanks to the oh so cool G Force party supplies. You've sent the message about where to meet. You've got all the food and decorations you need. You've got tons of gear to prepare all the agents to meet their objectives. Now, go save the world!

By John James

Finding the right Christian counselor for your situation can be a challenging and intimidating process. While there are Christian counselors located in most areas, most of us don't usually know much about them or even pay attention to them until it is time to start looking for one.

Because for most of us scheduling an appointment with a counselor is not as easy as scheduling a checkup with the family doctor, knowing some effective ways of locating the right counselor can be extremely useful.

Today we will cover some of the best methods for finding the right counselor for you.

1. Consult with Your Pastor

For those who attend church, the pastor can be a great resource. Many pastors offer counseling services to people of the congregation who may be in need. However, most pastors will not have the experience to deal with all situations. In these cases, the pastor may do what they are capable of, and refer other people to counselors in the area.

Your pastor may or may not be able to help you himself. If he is not able to help, chances are that he will have a local counselor in mind that would be a good fit for your situation. This is one of the best ways to find a counselor that you can trust and feel comfortable with.

Starting with your church is a great decision because you may find out that the church has resources you were not aware of. Even if this is not the case, someone will likely be able to refer you to a good counselor.

2. Ask God for His Assistance with Finding a Counselor

Don't forget to pray for God's help in finding a great Christian counselor! Take a few minutes every day to ask God to lead you to the right person that can help you with the issues that you are facing.

3. Ask Your Friends and Family if They Know a Good Counselor

You may not even be aware that some of your friends or family have seen counselors, but many people have. If you feel comfortable approaching your friends and family for advice about finding a counselor, you may be able to get a good referral from someone you trust.

4. Look Online

If you're unable to find the right counselor through these other methods, fortunately the internet makes it possible to search on your own. You can go to Google and do a search for counselors in your area, or you could visit a resource like the directory from the American Association of Christian Counselors will allow you to search based on your local area.