Soul Care Articles We have hundreds of articles to help you connect with Jesus Christ, the Soul Shepherd.
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 Bill & Kristi Gaultiere “You brought me out into a spacious place” the Psalmist marveled with thanks to the Lord (Psalm 18:19, 31:8). We want to help you step into the spaciousness that the Good Shepherd has for you and your ministry. We do that by facilitating your intimacy with Jesus.
Soul Shepherding from the Lord Jesus Christ is what enables you to enjoy lasting spiritual renewal and fruitful ministry to others.
But there are obstacles that get in the way. Hurts and worries may burden you. Conflicts can cripple. Ministry stress may overwhelm. More church attendance, Bible study, and hard work are not enough for you to experience the healing and growth you need to be joyful and effective in God’s kingdom. So we are trained to provide psychotherapy and spiritual direction, along with showing you how to use the particular spiritual disciplines you need to be free to be who God has designed you to be.
Contact us if we can help you or someone you’re concerned about.
Bill & Kristi
Bill Gaultiere, Ph.D. & Kristi Gaultiere, Psy.D.
Psychotherapists, Spiritual Directors, and Speakers
Soul Shepherding ~ Irvine, CA
Jesus' hand of mercy is open to you now!
A Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2012
I often talk with pastors and other servants of the Lord who judge themselves harshly. I tell them, “Don’t feel bad. Feel sad.”
God never wants you to linger with bad feelings about yourself — even if you sin. This may be a new thought for you. It may sound like I’m contradicting the teaching of the Bible. If so then you to take to heart the Apostle Paul’s teaching in 2 Corinthians 7:8-13 where he contrasts “worldly sorrow” and “godly sorrow.” The Apostle Paul was the greatest of all psychologists, second [...]
Continue reading Don’t Feel Bad
Jesus wants to embrace you!
A Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2012
This morning I opened up my Psalms prayerbook and read, “May the Lord answer you when you are in distress… May he send you help from the sanctuary” (Psalm 20:1-2).
3,000 years ago with the help of the Holy Spirit the Psalmist was interceding for our comfort. Believing that inspires me to pray. Instead of trying to make prayer happen with my words and energies I let the Scripture and the Spirit carry me to the throne of grace. “We don’t know what we ought to pray for but the Spirit himself intercedes for us…” (Romans [...]
Continue reading Comfort and Hope
 A Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2012
We all want 2012 to be better than 2011 — even if last year was a great year. How does that happen?
Not by having better circumstances. (They always go up and down.)
Not by keeping a typical New Years’ Resolution. (They don’t deal with personal character and besides they fizzle out by February.)
Not by making no resolutions. (It’s a good and necessary thing for all of us to resolve to be and do better, as long we’re inspired by God’s wisdom and relying on his strength.)
Not by following the typical Christian advice: “Three Steps to a Blessed Life” or [...]
Continue reading A Better Year Ahead?
 A Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
Mary offered a little prayer of faith to receive the birth of Christ and the world has never been the same! How might the world around you change if you offer her prayer from your heart?
These days in the Christmas season can be hectic. Many people find their calendars too full with holiday actives and they are hurried and stressed. For some there are family conflicts or financial problems to deal with. Others are lonely. These things — whether happy or unhappy — may distract us from appreciating the Christ of Christmas.
All of us, whether we realize it or not, [...]
Continue reading Participate in the Miracle of Christmas
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
This Christmas season maybe you need to appreciate that God bestows his favor on you personally? Maybe you’ve been feeling discouraged or insignificant and need to lift up your head to Christ? I did. So God led me to meditate on the shepherd’s place in the Christmas story as it’s recorded in the Bible (Luke 2:8-20).
In Jesus’ day shepherds were poor and disregarded. In public they hung their heads or stood off to the side. Isolated from the rest of society, they lived out in the fields caring for sheep day and night, rain or shine, heat or cold. They had to be constantly on [...]
Continue reading Lift Up Your Head!
 Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
Of all the virtues gratitude is queen. Giving thanks to God is the most lovely virtue and it’s the mother of all that is good. That’s because “Every good and perfect give is from above” (James 1:17) and appreciating this is the way we participate in God’s blessings for us and others.
Research shows that grateful people are healthier, happier, and have more friends. Most of us know this but are prone to allow our thankfulness to be overtaken by things like worry, boredom with the mundane, time pressure, negative people, or pain.
How to Grow in Gratitude
The great apostle urges us, [...]
Continue reading Thank you… Lord
 Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
“Days pass, years vanish, and we walk sightless among miracles.”
These words of warning from a Jewish sabbath prayer are true of most of us most of the time. How easily we become preoccupied with work or burdened with worry. We neglect to pay attention to the beauty and goodness of God all around us.
We miss out on God’s miracles.
Come to Jesus
But Jesus still opens the eyes of the blind. How? With his touch. With the most wonderful invitation, “Come to me… and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Rest for the soul. Peace. It’s in the [...]
Continue reading Sightless Among Miracles
 Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
Listen! God is speaking.
Sunshine after a rain. It reminds me that when we slow down and look up to God his bright thoughts can enter our minds to help us walk in his bright ways (Isaiah 55:9, paraphrase). Listening to God makes everything better—even if we at the time we don’t hear specific words—because the very act of listening opens our hearts to the delightful, shining reality that the Lord is truly with us.
“Shoot Up” an Arrow Prayer
But most us of struggle with listening to God and need help to direct our [...]
Continue reading An Arrow Prayer to Help you Listen
 Soul Shepherding Moment
By Bill Gaultiere © 2011
Conflict. It’s inevitable in our close relationships. When you love someone you’ll have misunderstandings, disagreements, and hurts with that person. This is true even for pastors and other Christian leaders and caregivers.
As it relates to conflict the mistake that we’re most prone to make is to avoid or deny it. We walk on egg shells not to upset others. We ignore the elephant in the room. We cover our hurt feelings with a smile or we distract ourselves with busyness. We stuff our anger, becoming depressed or resentful and eventually, perhaps, we lose our temper and speak harshly, causing more hurt to [...]
Continue reading Speak the Truth in Love
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