Blog - Jen Zamzow, PhD

What Happens When We Focus on What We Have in Common? (at THRED)

February 5, 2018 by Jen Zamzow Leave a Comment

[click_to_tweet tweet=”How can we get ourselves to step outside our comfort zone and engage with people who are different from us? We can start by working on changing our expectations of such interactions.” quote=”How can we get ourselves to step outside our comfort zone and engage with people who are different from us? We can start by working on changing our expectations of such interactions.” theme=”style1″]

Have you ever avoided talking to someone who was different from you because you thought it would be awkward or uncomfortable?

If so, you’re not alone. People often expect such interactions to go poorly. Thinking about interacting with someone who is different from us can make us feel anxious and stressed, so we often do what we can to avoid it.

The same differences between people that can lead to anxiety and avoidance were what initially drew me to the field Continue Reading

Should Churches Handle Sexual Abuse Allegations Internally? (in Christianity Today)

February 2, 2018 by Jen Zamzow 6 Comments

[click_to_tweet tweet=”What if intentionally covering up the truth is not the only thing churches need to worry about? When investigations of sexual abuse by church leaders are handled internally, we risk missing the truth in the first place.” quote=”What if intentionally covering up the truth is not the only thing churches need to worry about? When investigations of sexual abuse by church leaders are handled internally, we risk missing the truth in the first place.” theme=”style1″]

Many observers were troubled when Andy Savage, a pastor at Highpoint Church in Memphis, received a standing ovation from his congregation for his admission of a “sexual incident” with a 17-year-old high-school student when he was a youth leader at Woodlands Parkway Baptist Church in Texas. They have reason to be troubled.

Why Our Parenting Plans Fail (at The Glorious Table)

December 28, 2017 by Jen Zamzow Leave a Comment

[click_to_tweet tweet=”My future self is like a superhero with no limits, but my present self is a little less Superman, a little more Clark Kent. When we make plans that only a superhero can implement, we set ourselves up for failure. #parenting #intentionalliving” quote=”My future self is like a superhero with no limits, but my present self is a little less Superman, a little more Clark Kent. When we make plans that only a superhero can implement, we set ourselves up for failure.” theme=”style1″]

Have you ever come up with a good parenting strategy only to have it fail miserably when you tried to implement it?

Why does this happen?

Do We Need to Do More Than Count Our Blessings?

December 18, 2017 by Jen Zamzow 5 Comments

We often think that the key to gratitude is counting our blessings. When we’re feeling down, we’re told to focus on the good things in our life—our family and friends, the roof over our heads, the food in our bellies. Counting our blessings is supposed to help us feel more grateful for them.

But research suggests that it’s not just thinking about the good things in our lives that matters; how we think about our blessings can make a big difference.

We need to do more than just count our blessings; we also need to be surprised by them.

Why is this?

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