Remembering

I can't believe it's been a month - and now that I've gotten over the initial shock of it all, I'm starting to remember things.  Quirky things, lovable thing, things that made you you.  This past week, I was talking to a friend of mine about drinking hot water and lemon, and I got a very vivid image in my head of how you used to always order hot water at restaurants.  No lemon, no tea, just hot water.  I'm sure the waiters thought you were crazy!  But you didn't want to drink the hot water, you wanted to warm your hands with it.
These memories hit me, and at times I think I'm going to completely lose it.  But these memories are precious - things to be treasured.  They are the stories that I will tell my children about you.
I can't believe it's been a month.

Smiles on a Beautiful Day

I have been so blessed by the community here at Covenant.  I have felt so loved and supported from the moment I arrived here, despite all of the curve balls I've seemed to encounter in the last month or so.  I am continually reminded that this is where I am supposed to be :)

"Bad" Emotions

"There is no such thing as a 'bad' emotion.  It's how we handle our emotions that matters."  -- John Gottman, PhD.

Have you ever had a recurring thought that others didn't necessarily agree with? Well, here's mine.
The quote above is in one of my textbooks for my Marriage & Family Counseling class, and I couldn't agree more.  Especially in the Christian community, certain emotions, such as anger, are seen as "bad" because of specific biblical passages (e.g., Matthew 5:22, 1 John 3:15).  And I understand that perspective.  However, we all are sinful people and we cannot will ourselves to not feel emotions such as anger.  Instead of addressing their feelings, people shame themselves for feeling angry, and keep their feelings hidden.  This only lets the emotion fester and twist our hearts.  What is so "wrong" about acknowledging our emotions for what they are and then doing something constructive about them?  Pretending that they don't exist leads only to feelings of guilt and shame when you do discover that they are present in your heart.  And shame is by far the most self-destructive feeling we possess.
What if we were truly honest with ourselves about how we feel?
Just a thought.