Living Proof

Life has this weird way of showing you what you are capable of, and of course what you still need to work on. I always say, "God's testing me today!" But in reality, we also need the good, bad and the ugly, along with the happy and the sad. We should be able to find a piece of joy in the midst of life's chaos. But I admit, sometimes it's so difficult to find a crumb of joy when you are in that miserable state of depression. I used to stay way too comfortable there, until it was agonizing to find my way back out of that pit. And of course---it's OK not to be OK. Feel the feels, but please don't stay there too long.  Happiness Is Not The Absence of Problems - It's the Ability to Deal With Them Easier said than done, right? Even if you are unable to "deal with them" --- doing nothing at all is still a decision, (I think that was quoted in a Rush song.) When in doubt---do nothing. Then there are times when you need to let yourself go with the flo...

Don't you find this world to be a little more abrasive, maybe even more aggressive? Some people have become so self-absorbed in their own little circle of 'self' that they fail to see the bigger picture. It's the pandemic of the  'me, me, me'  syndrome. People have become lovers of self and haters of humanity. Too deep? Probably. I guess it's not that bad if you don't surround yourself with negative Nellies, however when you do, it makes you think---who else is like this?  "My problems trump your problems"  type of mindsets are so incredibly toxic---to even minimize someone else's pain is admitting that their suffering doesn't matter at all. In other words: that "friend" isn't a friend at all. Even biblically, it says you can detect a 'bad egg' by their character and what kind of fruit they produce (or don't produce.)  Remember, these are all parables and symbolic examples. "Beware of false prophets who co...

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...