Hi. My name is Patricia and I am a recovering anxious Christian. I hid behind the smile and said everything was great, even though my world was falling apart. I lied to myself that I could handle one more item on my to-do list, even though I knew I was about to hit a wall and crash. And I believed that my anxious days were behind me, only to find out that anxiety may be my thorn in the flesh. 'Til Kingdom come. I was sitting in my church’s choir rehearsal this week, skimming through Continue Reading
What Will They Say… When You Leave? {Atlanta Journal Constitution}
He didn’t see me coming from behind. Intently staring at his cell phone, I could see by his broad smile that whatever was on the screen was either funny or brought him much joy. As I kissed his cheek, he woke from the trance and hugged me. “Let me show you something,” my stepdad said. He pulled the message from his cell phone, and read his daughter-in-law’s text out loud. She spoke of his influence in her life, and the admiration she holds. He grinned from ear to ear, the words filling Continue Reading
She Is Safe – Rescuing Young Girls Around the World (Atlanta Journal Constitution}
“I have walked the brothel hallways with our partners in West Bengal and seen little children living under the beds of their young mothers, who are sex slaves. Without intervention, children of sex slaves are put to work in the brothel at an even younger age than their mothers.” I sat across from Michele Rickett, founder and president of She is Safe – an international organization with a mission to “prevent, rescue and restore women and girls from abuse and slavery in high-risk places around Continue Reading
Dr. King’s Fight for Justice Sought Unification, Not Division
This week marked the 88th birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. I was reminded during the weekend of celebrations of a book by King in which he wrote about the “gulf between practice and profession.” In this particular passage, he concludes that the principles we say we espouse don’t always align with what we say or how we live. “On the one hand, we proudly profess certain sublime and noble principles, but on the other hand, we sadly practice the very antithesis of these principles. How Continue Reading
Take Inventory Before Planning the New Year {Atlanta Journal Constitution Column}
My first New Year’s Eve in America was frustrating, at best. As a newlywed, I was excited to spend New Year’s Eve with my new husband, celebrating in style. Originally from Brazil, I was used to the “Réveillon” celebrations, widely famous for parties that last through the morning hours, while beautiful people glamorously dressed in white crowd the beaches to watch magnificent fireworks. As it happened, my husband announced that he had to be in bed by 10 p.m. on New Year’s Eve. As an Continue Reading
Word-Only Religion = Useless, Ineffective, Hypocritical {Atlanta Journal Constitution}
I read a story during my morning devotional this week that brought conviction to my heart. The anecdote touched me even more because it spoke of a subject that I had just been tested on the day before: steadfast kindness. It’s the story of an old man who always carried a small can of oil wherever he went. If he came across a door that squeaked, he would squirt a little oil on the hinges. If he tried to enter a gate that was rusty and hard to open, he would promptly oil the latch. Everywhere Continue Reading
