Living Proof

Have you ever felt like giving up? Maybe you lost hope for a dream you once had, or perhaps someone broke your heart and you feel like you'll never meet another person like them again. The pain is especially significant when we lose a loved one who was really close to us. We can never talk to that person ever again. The panic sets in, the sadness seeps through our veins and most of us become hopeless. We narrow in on that one issue--that one BIG issue of course, but we can't see the full scope of God's plans right in front of us. Did you ever ask God, "Why did you let this happen?" Me too.  In that very moment, the pain is so deep, that it radiates throughout both of your arms, throughout your entire being. Sometimes, people will even get chest pains, and confuse it with something of a larger concern. But there is something called, "broken heart syndrome."  Broken Heart Syndrome  Broken heart syndrome, also called stress-induced cardiomyopathy or takotsu...

The perfect imperfection is simply by being human. Sometimes people place standards on us that exceeds what we can ever achieve---and that's okay. When you expect perfection from anyone, you're going to end up disappointed, which is why I believe forgiveness is so important----forgiveness not only for someone who has hurt you, but forgiveness for yourself. If God can meet us where we're at---then don't you think He'll accept us, while we're dusting ourselves off, doing the best we can? He wants us to do the same for others though. He wants us to be Christ-like, even if we are imperfect, yet perfect in His eyes.  There are going to be times when your cup is full and when your cup is empty. When your cup is full, you're able to give more freely, love more freely, accept more freely. But when your cup is empty from giving so much of yourself, it's time to turn around and go rest. Even Jesus became overwhelmed and had to leave his disciples so He could rest....

Sometimes I have friends or acquaintances ask me how I recovered from substance abuse and alcohol (although alcohol was more of an adverse reaction, it was also an addiction.) My answer usually makes them pretty uncomfortable. But I have nothing else to tell them. If I don't tell them the truth, then why even bother?  It started with Jesus. That answer alone had eyes rolling. But it's true. The chains of addiction were broken once I finally got uncomfortable. I remember praying one morning, asking God to make my wine taste like sour vinegar, to where I could no longer ingest it. I didn't get my prayer answered---(at least the way I wanted.) God answered me in the form of a life-threatening reaction. He needed to wake me up.  "'Lord, help!' they cried in their trouble, and he saved them from their distress. He led them from darkness and deepest gloom; He snapped their chains."---Psalm 106:13-14 It was when I opened my Bible, that my answers started coming a...

Removing the Bandaid For the longest time, I've covered a bullet hole with a bandaid. Any quick fix would do. I was never taught to ride out the storm, but to only shelter from it. If I cried, I was begged not to cry. I was only encouraged to laugh, and to also make other people laugh. As I got older, it was encouraged to numb the emotional pain or trauma by self-medicating. Of course, no one threw a cold one at me and screamed out, "Here---this'll help get the 'feel bads' outta ya!" Everyone around me drank to ease the pain. I thought that this was the norm---this was what you were supposed to do. Trust me, I didn't mind the liquid courage, but after some time, it affected my health, mentally and physically. The closer I drew to God, the less I needed the 'fruit of the vine' or the 'potato juice.' But once I put the drink down, that's when the soul wounds needed tending to.  For years, the only way to mask the anxiety was either to dr...

Do you find yourself easily triggered and angered by what someone said? Usually, the word "triggered" is used in a derogatory way for conservatives to insult liberals--yet I find many conservatives are also triggered. But I'm not talking about politics right now. I'm speaking on a human level---a level where we all can relate in some way. When someone triggers you, they've succeeded to anger you. And this "someone" probably didn't even mean to make you angry. It was their point of view that stirred up the fear that was already inside of you. Fear is what eggs on trigger-like responses. It's a defensive response to a vulnerability someone may have. I'm guilty of it. But I know that if I dig deep enough, it's from my own anxiety-driven mind, to which I'm desperately trying heal. Some people will take advantage of your fear, using triggering words to stir the pot. They know what they're doing, and they just want to grab the popcorn a...

Have you been feeling on edge, more so than usual lately? Have you been tempted to just tell someone off, or argue with someone just for the sake of arguing? You may even believe that what you are experiencing is completely just "you"---or that it's a normal process of anxiety and anger. But what you may not know is that something else is behind the scenes. This is the part where I tell you, 'believe it or not,' and if you don't believe it, then witness all that's happening around you, especially when it comes closer to July 5th.  What's July 5th?  Here's a fun conspiracy theory: CERN located on the Franco-Swiss border near Geneva. At CERN, the European Organization for Nuclear Research, physicists and engineers are probing the fundamental structure of the universe. They use the world's largest and most complex scientific instruments to study the basic constituents of matter – the fundamental particles. They use the Haydron Collider. The LHC is...

We all try to be healthy as we possibly can, whether it be physically, emotionally, spiritually or mentally. For the past three years, I've been learning about the eight elements of wellness. The eight elements include: Emotional/mental, environmental, financial, intellectual, occupational, physical, social, and spiritual.  In some elements, I thrive, while other areas I am still working on. In our meetings, we touch upon all of these topics, and which ones we are currently working on, if one is lesser than the other. For myself, the first area I cling onto the most is the spiritual one. For me, once I seek God, everything else seems to fall into place---but I also have to put in the effort. My occupational part is very important to me, because it involves helping others go through the struggles I have also been through. When we go through a painful season in our lives, I truly believe that is God's way of strengthening our spiritual and emotional muscles to help those who are ...