Some people are gifted with knowing themselves thoroughly and confidently. I, on the other hand, love the color gray for a reason. I often don’t know what I want to do or eat, and I look to others to help me decide. Over the years I have struggled with understanding who I am, why I...
By Yannan Shi, pencil and paper In my small group, we have been talking about what it means to be God's beloved and what it would look like for us to believe, accept, and live out that truth. For me, it has been a slow process of navigating the tension of feeling...
As a therapist in training, I recently took a class on psychopathology and the variety of ways that the human mind can become disordered. It has been a very interesting experience, as I have always been fascinated by psychopathology. I have had personal run-ins with...
I’m a pretty joyful worshiper. Whether on stage or from my seat, I can usually be seen and heard bursting with praise for our Savior. There’s something about worship music that has always stirred my soul. As if words set to music are the language of my...
Fitting in. Belonging. Acceptance. God placed those desires in our hearts. He created us to live in community. And yet, when you throw a bunch of broken people together, God’s ideal plans often don’t play out the way he intended. Announcements about my upcoming high...
Five years ago, I took a college course on love. Among the list of texts for the class, along with the likes of Gabriel Garcia Marquez and Plato, was a reference to the song "The Greatest Love Of All" by Whitney Houston. If you're not familiar with the song, Houston sings that...
“God, grant me the serenityTo accept the things I cannot change,Courage to change the things that I can,And the wisdom to know the difference.” Image credit: Dawn Ellner During these past few months, I have been learning the art of surrendering. What...
Have you ever had thoughts like these? If I get a raise, I’ll be happy. If I find a girlfriend, my life will be complete. If my kids do what I ask the first time, I’ll be content. If my parents buy me the new iPhone 6, I’ll never ask for anything else...