Fear and anxiety. A deadly combination that sweeps our modern world these days. My teenage daughter shared her heart in a recent conversation, where she talked about some of the fears that often cross her mind. Some of them invade her thoughts in the middle of the night, keeping her awake for hours on end. I remember having the same crippling, often irrational fears for many years: fear of dying. Fear of robbers entering my house. Fear that my parents would die. The list went on and on. As Continue Reading
Marriage, Divorce… and the Fruit of the Spirit {The Atlanta Journal Constitution}
In 1994, Howard Markman, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the University of Denver and director of the Center for Marital and Family Studies, and Clifford Notarius, Ph.D., professor of psychology at the Catholic University in Washington, D.C., and director of the Center for Family Psychology, published a book titled “We Can Work it Out: Making Sense of Marital Conflict.” The book was written based on 20 years of scientific investigations of several married couples. Later, in 2016, a Continue Reading
Anxiety & Depression In the Church {Atlanta Journal Constitution}
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
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
