Darlene Cook, our US Women’s Director, and David Nithang, our Men’s Program Director, were interviewed on The Full Story Podcast, hosted by Ted, a Praise FM on-air personality. Darlene and David shared the heart of Door of Hope Ministries to be a safe place to find healing from trauma due to abuse and neglect. They also highlighted events happening in November and December for Door of Hope.

Thanks to Praise FM for providing this wonderful opportunity to reach more ears with the good news of God’s healing from trauma and abuse.

Click here and scroll to October 27, 2025, to the podcast titled “Healing from Trauma and Abuse.”

When I consider the depth and breadth of possibility in being joy-filled, my mind immediately connects to Family! (Note: The practices in this article can also be applied to any safe healthy relationship outside of family) It has been my experience that to find joy and joy in its true abundance, it is important to keep the following principles at the forefront: (1) Trust (2) Humility (3) PLAY.

To engage in any meaningful and growth-oriented relationships, it is decisive that trust is at the foundation. This cannot be overstated: Trust is the pen-ultimate, quintessential feature of any and all safety. Without safety, we cannot have emotional regulation and without emotional regulation, we cannot be in authentically loving relationships. This essence is found first and foremost in the family, by design. However, when it doesn’t happen in that setting, God provides other special people in our life to fill that need.

From this place, I believe the principle of humility is essential because it brings the spirit of learning! Through this lens of learning, we seek to listen and understand one another, and we create a place for connection and restorative growth.

Finally, and might I say most importantly, is the aspect of play. Play is essential because it is at the foundation of all our meaning. It’s our first language of connection ever since we could move. To even learn (in humility) we must have the ingredients that come from safety (trust) of knowing we can be playful and play. Play allows us to just BE who we are supposed to be in the world and grow in deeper Christ-like connections in all relationships.

In speaking in my roles as a father and husband, it is here where I have learned one of the most important lessons: ‘Haraka haraka haina baraka.’ This is a Swahili saying that roughly translates: ‘Don’t move too fast, otherwise you will miss the blessing.’ It has taught me the essence that comes back to the family unit and taking the beautiful responsibility as a father and husband to engage in meaningful family connection, regulate together, and play together. My wife has been the most influential person who has taught me this gift of slowing down. When we slow down, we get space to be able to play and connect. As a family we make it our priority to always include, especially with a toddler, an elementary school ager, and a middle schooler. We have created space to always be playful through singing karaoke, family dance sessions, and doing devotions with fun questions like: ‘what brought you joy this week’ or ‘what is one thing that made you smile or laugh unexpectedly today’ or ‘what is one way I can support you this week?’ — taking rotations with each individual in the family during our routine nighttime devotions with books like ‘Jesus Always’ or through Dinner-Topics and plenty of laughter at our family meals.

Moreover, we make it a point to include life-giving affirmations to one another with bedtime check-ins: ‘What’s one thing I can help improve in your world?’ followed up by an affirmation or encouragement of one thing we see in the other person that we appreciate or adore! We use transition times to engage these playful times in the car before school as well: silly dancing, loud singing together, and telling each other what we love about the other person’s character - speaking life over their day!

All that FUN stuff to say: It is important to remember that there is not one right way of doing family connection or regulation activities; rather it is key just to pause to listen both to Holy Spirit’s leading and attune to each individual child’s needs and experiences in the world. A friend of mine once called being a father/husband: the everchanging-NEW-as family norms grow. What a Joy! In other words, expect life and habits to change, but stay consistently connected to the true source of Joy—Jesus who always prioritizes space to connect relationally. Let the family be the space that anchors your kids and yourself back to one another and the joy of the Lord. And, overall, continue to hold strong to the hope, committing to our good Father‘s heart as we ride the waves of life. He is our source and anchor!

A final encouragement: hurry less, play more, and keep your ears and eyes fixed on the ever-expanding attachment-love that the Father is always calling us into through the heart of his Son!

In the busyness of life, we often do not make time for building joy. Darlene Cook, U.S. Women’s Director, takes a closer look at the meaning of ‘Joy’ and its impact on our lives.
What is joy?
Joy is the feeling you get when you know that “someone is glad to be with me.” This can be a friend or a family member. But we also know that when we turn our attention to the Lord, He always delights to be with us. Joy grows in connection and relationship. This is why it is so important that we have regular times of connection with God and with healthy, loving people.
How does joy compare with happiness?
Joy is an inner sense of well-being. Happiness is an outward expression based on circumstance. Joy endures hardships and connects to meaning, purpose, and identity. Happiness is fleeting.

Moments of Joy will increase your Joy Capacity. What are some ways to increase Joy?
• Spend time connecting with Jesus.
• Which activities help you to feel connected to Him the most? Make time for these things a priority. Think of things that refresh you and bring you new life and schedule these into your week.
• Get outside for a walk and notice the things around you. Try to focus on God as you enjoy His creation thank Him for this wonderful gift.
• It is also important to spend time in healthy, loving relationships where you feel safe to be yourself. Do fun things together, laugh, play games, and sometimes just enjoy being quiet.
What happens when your joy capacity increases?
Increasing your joy capacity will help you to walk through the hard things in life. When we experience joy, shalom increases. This is more than peace. Shalom is feeling contentment, completeness, wholeness, well-being, and harmony. Our ability to act like ourselves (our true identity) becomes our normal state of being, even in hard situations.

When we face challenges in life we often feel other emotions like; fear, anger, grief, disgust, shame, and hopeless despair. God designed our brains with these emotions in order to process what is going on in life. These emotions aren’t bad. The key is learning how to process them in a healthy way with help from Jesus, and to then return to JOY as quickly as possible.

What happens if we stay in these emotions too long? Fear can turn to chronic anxiety, anger can turn into rage or bitterness, grief can turn into serious depression, disgust can turn into judgment, healthy shame/ conviction can turn into feeling toxic shame, and hopeless despair becomes overwhelming rather than leading us to seek out some help. How do we turn to joy?

We look for bridges from the hard emotions back to joy. Notice what has helped you in the past. Some steps you could take:

1) Notice what you are feeling and try to determine why you are feeling that emotion.

2) Ask Jesus, “What do I need to return to joy?”
This might be seeking out relational connection with Jesus or healthy, safe people. Focusing on self-care and other fun activities that bring you joy like music, worship, getting outside, focusing on beauty, and more.

Maybe you can help be a bridge to help others return to joy? Try attuning to them: “I see you, I hear you, I care. I’m with you in this!” And remember;

The Joy of the Lord is your strength! Nehemiah 8:10

Our Living the Immanuel Lifestyle and Finding Rest support groups can help you on your journey to joy.

Recently, I was fortunate to engage in a Boundary Waters Canoe Area adventure with four other men, friends from college, who have stayed close throughout the years. The closeness in our relationship has been akin to that of brotherhood, a genuine familial connection. On trips like these, I’m always excited and encouraged by how the Spirit of Christ is moving and speaking, even amid little moments of laughter and playfulness. Oftentimes (as was the case this trip), wisdom and insights are shared and meditated on together as friends, husbands, fathers, leaders, and workers.

Here are a couple of bits of wisdom that stuck out to me during our excursions:

1. Hold a heavenly perspective. With this, two scriptures stick out: the Lord’s Prayer and Jesus’ time fasting in the wilderness. Both point to bringing heaven to earth and to the things God cares about. To truly know God and be known by God, without noise or frills, just knowing Him and being known by Him, is what it means to truly live! 

2. ‘Haraka haraka haina baraka’ (a Swahili saying) which roughly translates as: ‘Don’t move too fast, otherwise you will miss the blessing!’

It’s my personal goal to emphasize ‘flipping the script’ on ‘hurry,’ to stay with the moment and find God and His kingdom perspective in all things. For me, it is often nature (like the wild outdoors) that will elicit this for the body! I personally and professionally hold strongly to knowing that God gave us our amazingly complex bodies to be present in them through creativity and curiosity.

When working with trauma (or anything not going the way it was intended), it’s imperative that we each find those ways that help us (even for just a moment) to be present in our body while we connect to the joy, peace, and love of Jesus. Furthermore, when we discuss trauma, it’s important to know that trauma is the opposite of embodiment. When our bodies don’t feel safe, or our nervous systems are not organized, we are unable to be present and often either find ourselves in moments frozen in time (past) or running too far forward, anticipating the worst (in a state of hyper-vigilance). The ultimate goal, then, is to be present in each moment in the body while keeping our eyes fixed on heaven. This is where the healing happens: in the space of both the body and the cross of Christ, both the body and the bond of the Holy Spirit, both the body and God’s love. With all the chaos, confusion, pain, fear, and trauma that we are seeing, hearing, and experiencing around us, it is important to hold the reality that is held deeply within our God-given body.  Namely, that if we can only slow down and pause for just a moment, we may be able to listen to that still small voice inside that wants to create order out of chaos, love out of fear, reconciliation out of relational hurt, joy out of sorrow, and peace out of trauma.  

My hope and prayer is for you to dwell in the goodness that surrounds you, to embrace the presence of God while savoring the fragrant whispers of nature and the joy of shared meals. May you absorb the beauty of colors, textures, and landscapes, and cherish the smiles of loved ones. Let the harmonious melodies and soothing rhythms of sound fill your senses, connecting you to the growing goodness within. Together, let's fix our gaze on our Abba God, slowing down to receive His blessings and align our earthly actions with His Heavenly will.

To learn how to hear that still small voice inside and start your healing journey, schedule an appointment with one of our professional counselors or a trauma recovery prayer appointment.

Diane Stores, our founder and executive director, and Patrick Lambertz, a Door of Hope staff member, were interviewed on The Full Story Podcast, hosted by Praise FM. With the on-air personality, Chaz, Diane and Patrick shared the history and heart of Door of Hope Ministries.

Thanks to Praise FM for providing this wonderful opportunity to reach more ears with the good news of God’s healing from trauma and abuse.

Click here and scroll to March 2, 2023, to the podcast titled “Transformative Healing Through Jesus.”

THE LIFE-CHANGING POWER OF JOY

The life-changing power of Joy comes from the Life-Changer Himself, our Lord Jesus Christ, and is only complete with community and connection.

Perhaps this reality explains why so much scripture is focused on JOY: the Joy of the Lord is our strength; inner peace and Joy go hand-in-hand; Joy is a Fruit of the Spirit and a sign of those who live in God’s love; Jesus’s emphasis on what it means to approach God through childlike faith… that deep down in our beings, there is an openness or willingness to come back to Joy!

CONNECT TO JOY THROUGH RELATIONSHIP

Some might say it’s as if Yahweh designed humans to connect to their Joy center through their relationship with Him, self, and others. All of this is so evident to us in Christ, our Jesus.

From this Christ-centered perspective, we have the keys to the deepest spiritual wisdom we need. It is in God’s Joy that we can rest in peace, love, trust, and hope; in this Joy, we have the power to communicate effectively, experience strength in our bodies and renewed minds, give generously, and connect to others courageously.

And, in all of this, we join Jesus in childlike trust to draw closer to Him and His favor, where we hear His voice calling to us to look up and out into the world to shine God’s Light to the dark world around us because, in this Light, there is no darkness.

JOURNEY INTO JOY

Begin your journey into Joy by joining one of our support groups, or by scheduling a professional counseling session or trauma recovery prayer time. All services are available in person in the Minneapolis/St. Paul area or online via Zoom.

“And in all things, consider and choose pure joy” (reference James 1:2)

TRAUMA CAN IMPAIR DAILY LIVING

Highly stressful events like assault, abuse, life-threatening conditions, acts of terror, or natural disasters can lead to trauma that disrupts one’s ability to function normally.

Typical symptoms include feelings of helplessness, anger, fear, nightmares, confusion, memory loss, and compulsive behaviors.

When not addressed, trauma can affect one’s mental health with serious disorders like depression, post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), psychosis, and generalized anxiety disorder. The pain and suffering brought on by trauma can even lead to attempted suicide.

Seeking help is vital for those wanting to live free of the painful effects of trauma.

FREEDOM TO LIVE FULLY

Men, women, and teens who receive our Bible-based individual trauma recovery prayer ministry find freedom and transformation from the deep wounding caused by trauma.

Door of Hope’s Trauma Recovery Prayer Ministry is based on the Immanuel Approach, discovered and developed by Dr. E. James Wilder and Dr. Karl Lehman, a board-certified psychiatrist with more than 25 years of clinical experience working to integrate faith-based emotional healing with insights provided by psychological and neurological research.

Dr. Lehman and Dr. Wilder have discovered (and we’re witnessing) that healing during a prayer session is more likely to happen from a positive relational connection with Jesus than from a place of pain.

SEE FOR YOURSELF: BOOK A PRAYER APPOINTMENT

For more information and to register for an appointment (in-person or by Zoom), click here or feel free to contact our prayer director at prayer@doorofhopeministries.org with your questions.