Life change is transformational
Sometimes self-care looks like unplugging from the virtual world a bit and being fully present in what is going on around you. Last weekend was a bit crazy for me in more ways than one and it was a weekend with many emotions at the same times for different reasons. Typically MLK weekend is when
Happy Sunday! I don’t know about you but Sunday is the day I typically use to prepare myself for the next week. I try and meal prep, plan my workouts and any other things that may occur in the week ahead. In the midst of that, I try and also make time for self-care. Some
One thing I have learned over the years working in mental health and in social work is that self-care is hard. It is hard to be kind to yourself, and yet so easy to tell others that they need to do this. Maybe it’s just me. I typically start the new year with this intention
Growing up I remember always going to Christmas Eve service. It was one of our traditions. At Christmas Eve service the final candle was lit in the wreath. The final candle is the Christ candle. This candle was lit in celebration that Christ has come. The final candle was the white candle in the middle.
“Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends.” John 15:13 NIV Today is the fourth Sunday of Advent. The focus of week 4 is love. Love. Love is a word thrown around for all sorts of things. We use it to mean all sorts of levels of things.
Well if your year has been even remotely close to mine, thinking about having joy may seem like an impossibility. With COVID restrictions the things that typically bring joy this time of year are on hold. We are social distancing, wearing masks, events are cancelled. This season is typically when families gather together. Where we
I don’t know about you but right now some peace would be nice. All around we hear people arguing and fighting. We have constant changes in what we can or cannot do based on decisions of others and it may seem like a whirlwind of chaos all around us. Yet, in the midst of this,
Tradition. Traditions at times hold us hostage to the things we have always known and keep us from experiencing new things. However traditions are also something that can ground us to our roots and what matters most, especially in difficult times. For me growing up there was something special about Advent, we would light the
“Make new friends but keep the old, one is silver and the other is gold. A circle is round it has no end that’s how long I want to be your friend.” Growing up I was a Girl Scout and the above song was sang for all sorts of reasons… typically when we were ending
Almost everyday I hear someone talking about how they don’t feel _____ enough. They may say they don’t feel smart enough, pretty enough, qualified enough, good enough…the list can go on and on and on. In the end we are trained to always think we are not enough. I wonder what would happen if began
What do you feel is your worth? Do you feel you are worthy of love and compassion? Do you feel you are worthy of your love and compassion? The struggle is real. Living in our current society we hear mixed messages regarding what makes us worthwhile or worthy. We hear the messages that we need
The struggle has been real the last few months. We have seen our lives thrown upside down and possibly feel as though we are on one of the rollercoasters that throws us upside down and turns topsy-turvy. In the midst of this rollercoaster we can’t quite seem to find the end of the ride, because
This past few months have been difficult for everyone and the next few months will also be difficult for many. It will be difficult not for the obvious reasons but for the underlying ones. As a society we have all dealt with the difficulty surrounding COVID-19 and the stay at home orders. We have watched
In the midst of the COVID crisis people are finding themselves more and more disconnected to one another. The struggle of connecting online has become increasingly difficulty and draining. We long for community, and yet the one we find in the virtual world is not filling the need. How do we find a way to
Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it? I am making a way in the wilderness and streams in the wasteland.” Isaiah 43:18-19 Recently I heard this verse while I was listening to Beth Moore’s book Chasing
Recently I started reading Draw The Circle by Mark Batterson and today I read something that struck me. You see this book is a 40-day prayer journey, so each day has a different title. Today the topic was “Crazy Faith.” Today as I read this chapter on Crazy Faith I began to think about the
At Christmas time one of the most familiar songs is “Joy to the World.” Week 3 of advent, the third candle is lit to symbolize the joy that comes with this season. We as a society love the concept of joy at Christmas, however we quickly forget this and lose our joy in the midst
Today in churches all over the world, the second advent candle is lit. the candle will be lit and there will a call and response read. For me, there is something special about remembering the faith of those waiting for the coming Messiah. Growing up I did not understand or appreciate the significance of Advent.
I don’t know about you, but often I find myself telling God “here I am, send someone else.” I tell Him that He must be mistaken in asking me to do things, or putting a passion on my heart. I might say something are you sure you don’t want to choose someone that actually enjoys
This morning in my reading I was struck by this section of Romans. I was reminded that the gifts we have come from God and we are given them for a purpose. While I was in Congo I served in whatever way I was asked. Even though in my mind I thought that it was
In a couple of hours we will be getting on our flights heading back to California. It seems almost surreal that our time here is ending and we are entering back into our normal lives. When we crossed from Congo into Rwanda we saw such a stark difference. In Rwanda the power was consistent and
“Then the LORD answered me and said: “Write the vision And make it plain on tablets, That he may run who reads it.” Habakkuk 2:2 This week as I have been training teachers in trauma, and how to identify it and some skills to help themselves and their students I have learned a valuable lesson
“If Jesus could speak and raise the dead, calm the storm, cast out demons and heal the incurable, then what effect might a word from Him have on your life.” I read this quote again this week, I am struck by the simplicity that is seen here. How often have I said something similar for
Waking up this morning in Congo, I woke up with a sense of wonder. We are really here in Congo! And I know that God has many things in store. As I pondered the day and began to be filled with anticipation, the power in the hotel room went out and I was reminded of
Often times I want God to call me to do things my way. I want Him to direct me to do the things I like to do. Often times I secretly hope that He does not call me to do other things because they scare me. I won’t voice those things because time has taught
In my job as a therapist, I regularly teach the skill of opposite action. Opposite action is a DBT Emotion Regulation skill, it is used when acting on your emotions do not fit the facts or when acting on your emotions is not effective. Recently as I was leading group and we were having this
Sometimes I wonder, about how God moves, and then He shows up in a way that only He could. Back in August, I applied for a number of jobs in the prison system. You know seeing who had opening and what would shake loose from there. I have 3 interviews within the first 2 weeks
