‘Power over’ was normal, but ‘power with’ was what they needed. When we listen deeply, we move forward. Mental health flourishes when power is shared. She was small in stature, and I think she also saw herself as being a little person, insignificant. She was also quiet and never really […]
grace
81 posts
The verbal abuse kept raining down until the thought ‘I am a problem’ got nailed into the brain. But then they discovered that a problem is a problem, not a person, and they began to separate their identity from the issues. It was abuse. Verbal abuse. Dished out every day […]
Agoraphobia had gripped Patsy Clairmont to the point where all she could manage was to make it to her neighborhood grocery store and safely home again. With grunt work and grace, Patsy discovered recovery. She shares with us some of her story. I was a mopey child, a sad teenager, […]
A feeling of being sad is something that everyone experiences. Sadness needs to be validated as being real and OK. Life hurts at times, and if we don’t embrace the pain, then we can miss a grace offered. Permission to be sad ‘I give you permission to feel sad.’ It […]
People will always keep crossing your boundaries when your heart is bent and buckled out of shape. But that heart can recover and be filled with courage. It takes time and catching some breath. Crossing boundaries ‘You need to set some boundaries’. As they said this my heart sank. I […]
When we have realistic expectations, we can build resilience and an internal wisdom that is gentle with our humanity. We can grace ourselves and others when there is a failure to meet expectations. What caused the breakdown? Was it a genetic weakness? The piling up of expectations? Lack of sleep, […]
There is a time for everything, but wallowing in your past will create an endless rut of misery. Isn’t it time to allow God, who knows all, to take the unknowns and allow you to walk in today? I always like a good wallow, don’t you? It’s like a warm, […]
Developing a relationship with God where we feel loved and graced upon is the most precious gift you can give your mental health. Rules and regulations without relationship will only lead to rebellion and resentment. Grace and forgiveness bring healing. Isn’t it interesting how early experiences shape your view of […]
‘If you really knew me, would you still love me?’ A grounded reality of knowing God speaks ‘You are loved no matter what’.
For some reason we prefer fabricated realities to the
strong and sensitizing face of what is.
The spiritual life begins with accepting and
living our reality. Richard Rohr
I know someone who lies and embellishes the truth. They want to be known and loved but the facade of lies they have built up around themselves has become their truth.
Sometimes, when they feel safe, they let their guard down and the honesty flows. It’s beautiful to watch.
‘What are you doing here’? Is Gods invite for us to explore our lives. To discover the reasons for what we do. It’s an empowering question to ask yourself and others. I knew where he would be. In that dark, dingy cave of a place, hunched over a machine and […]