Someone reminded me recently that I included the word should a few times in a recent book. The person thought this was a bad thing, but I don’t agree. Should is a perfectly fine word.

On that same day I was listening to a married couple when I heard the husband say it.

“I should . . . .”

“Stop, stop, stop,” I blurted out before he could say anything else. Should, I thought, was a dirty word in this case.

Well, which is it? Good or bad? Useful or oppressive?

I submitted a chapter for a book. The editor suggested that I should aim for 8-10,000 words. After I submitted it, the publisher pulled rank and mandated that all chapters be 5,000 words or less.

I labored to cut it back but it was still over the word count. I told the editor I was at bare bones—there was nothing else I could cut. I assumed (hoped?) that he would say something like, “Oh, don’t worry about that silly word count from the publisher. Your chapter is so good they will make an exception,” or something like that.

This week on Help and Hope we continue our special series "In the Counselor's Room" with guest host Alasdair Groves and Dr. David Powlison, who are discussing the importance of helping people find the watershed moments.

This week is a special edition of Help and Hope entitled In the Counselor's Room and is hosted by Alasdair Groves who is joined by Mike Emlet to discuss note taking in counseling.

Take a peek into CCEF's Helping Relationships class with Dr. Ed Welch to hear how vital it is to make wisdom attractive to our children.

This week on Help and Hope our host Winston Smith visits with CCEF President Dr. Tim Lane and Myriam Hertzog to discuss the pastor's role as counselor.

A man becomes convicted of his unethical business activity from two years earlier. At the time his sole ethic was profit, now it is to follow Jesus, so he reports himself to the relevant authorities and the cost to him and his family could be devastating.

That is so encouraging, so inspiring.

Another man is nursing an unquiet conscience because of some past business practices, which he stopped for fear of being caught. Recently, he was found out, and the cost to him and his family could be devastating.

That is embarrassing and shameful.