After I rsquo d gotten settled into the chamber my body floating comfortably above the water the room went dark and the gentle music that had been playing in the background went silent I rsquo d read that isolation tanks were therapeutic offering relief for stress and anxiety But this was like nothing I rsquo d ever encountered It felt like the chaos of the world had stopped and I could clearly hear my innermost thoughts I left the experience balanced and rejuvenated reminded that there is power in stillness We can rest most comfortably in the stillness of the [... more]

As I prepared to ride a zip-line from the highest point of a rainforest on the Caribbean Island of St Lucia fear welled up inside me Seconds before I jumped from the platform thoughts of everything that could go wrong filled my mind But with all the courage I could muster and few options for turning back I released Dropping from the pinnacle of the forest I whizzed through the lush green trees wind flowing through my hair and my worries slowly fading As I moved through the air allowing gravity to carry me my view of the next platform [... more]

In a recent post blogger Bonnie Gray recounted the moment when overwhelming sadness began to creep into her heart ldquo Out of the blue rdquo she stated ldquo during the happiest chapter in my life I suddenly started experiencing panic attacks and depression rdquo Gray tried to find different ways to address her pain but she soon realized that she wasn rsquo t strong enough to handle it alone ldquo I hadn rsquo t wanted anyone to question my faith so I kept quiet and prayed that my depression would go away But God wants to heal us not shame [... more]

It seems my mother can sense trouble from a mile away Once after a rough day at school I tried to mask my frustration hoping that no one would notice ldquo What rsquo s the matter rdquo she asked Then she added ldquo Before you tell me it rsquo s nothing remember I rsquo m your mother I gave birth to you and I know you better than you know yourself rdquo My mom has consistently reminded me that her deep awareness of who I am helps her be there for me in the moments I need her most As [... more]

A study of adults in the United Kingdom found that on average ldquo they checked their smartphones every twelve minutes of the waking day rdquo But let rsquo s be honest this statistic seems extremely generous when I consider how frequently I search Google to find the answer to a question or respond to endless alerts from the texts calls and emails that come to my phone throughout the day We consistently look to our devices confident they rsquo ll provide what we need to keep us organized informed and connected As believers in Christ we have a resource infinitely [... more]

At the beginning of my gardening journey I rsquo d wake up early and run to my vegetable garden to see if anything had sprouted Nothing After an internet search for ldquo fast garden growth rdquo I learned that the seedling stage is the most important phase of a plant rsquo s lifespan Knowing now that this process couldn rsquo t be rushed I came to appreciate the strength of small sprouts fighting their way through the soil toward the sun and their resilience to temperamental weather After waiting patiently for a few weeks I was finally greeted by bursts [... more]

We live in a world that offers a wide range of choices mdash from paper towels to life insurance In Psychologist Barry Schwartz wrote a book titled The Paradox of Choice in which he argued that while freedom of choice is important to our well-being too many choices can lead to overload and indecision While the stakes are certainly lower when deciding on which paper towel to buy indecision can become debilitating when making major decisions that impact the course of our lives So how can we overcome indecision and move forward confidently in living for Jesus As believers in [... more]

A pirouette is a graceful spin that rsquo s executed by ballerinas and contemporary dancers alike As a child I loved to do pirouettes in my modern dance class whirling round and round until I was dizzy in the head and fell to the ground As I got older a trick I learned to help me maintain my balance and control was ldquo spotting rdquo mdash identifying a single point for my eyes to return to each time I made a full circle spin Having a single focal point was all I needed to master my pirouette with a graceful [... more]