“You need to eat something.” I remember feeling very nauseated after an eight-hour bus trip and the last thing I wanted to do was to put food on my stomach. However, one of the trip chaperones felt it necessary that I have a meal. It took a matter of minutes before I, the chaperone, and everyone near me discovered that I was, indeed, quite sick. She apologized for “making” me eat; yet, I wish I had stood up for myself in the first place. I knew what I could handle, and though I was not yet an adult, I did not have to heed her advice. We have all encountered our share of unsolicited … [Read more...]

For as long as I can remember, I have carried the weight of constant procrastination around on my shoulders and have paid the price for it. To this day, I wonder why something as simple as doing the dishes or taking out the trash seems so daunting. What about you? Do you also shuffle through life under the weight of perpetual procrastination? We Understand Procrastination Though Eric and I are different in so many ways, we share an ongoing struggle (enjoyment?) with procrastination. In graduate school, many Sundays were spent with him at one computer and me at the other computer scrambling … [Read more...]

“We need to talk,” I said tentatively on my new friend’s answering machine. After a few days of interacting with a new love interest, I felt strongly in my spirit that I was not to get into a relationship with this person. When the weekend came, he and I went out to a quiet area to talk. I was going to make it clear that I did not think we should pursue a romantic connection, but the day did not end as I planned. He whined a little. He worked his charms. He was clearly practiced in the art of persuasion. Before the day was over, I was completely intertwined in his life like a juicy fly in a … [Read more...]

If you are reading this, you made it through the many challenges of 2020 – the initial terror of COVID-19, rioting in the streets, toilet paper and cleaning product shortages, and quarantines. Many of us dealt with sickness, lost jobs, bid farewell to loved ones, and lost friends in politically charged conversations. There is no doubt that 2020 was the most challenging year many of us have ever faced. Perhaps in some ways it was also one of the best years – filled with growth, maturity, spiritual blessings, and stronger bonds with loved ones. Today, I was thinking back to previous years … [Read more...]