August 11, 2009
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Counseling by presence, example, and interaction
Stephanie has begun counseling a teenager in the 5th ward as part of Jim and Janie Allen's "Up" ministry and as part of completing her counseling studies at college of biblical studies. The stories of how this "counseling" relationship is unfolding are amazing and very encouraging to me -- they remind me of Jackie Pullinger's "Chasing the Dragon." It is anything but the normal sitting in a room talking scenario - it has become counseling by presence, example, and interaction in this teenager's unusual and often harsh, theatrical, and stark daily life. She still counsels verbally, but with a lot more impact because of how God is orchestrating the circumstance.
