Or else they will rot and you will throw it away. I have recently been on a journey of seeking enjoyment. Ironically, my mantra is enjoy the process. However, I’m not sure if I had fully understood how to enjoy the process. In the beginning, enjoyment was a mentality, which is certainly a big factor.… Continue reading Life is like a box of fruits. Enjoy them promptly in each season.
Enjoyed
The Letter of Robert to the New Jerseyians
I wrote this letter because I wanted to encourage and inspire a handful of people I knew. I wanted to succinctly document my theological learning and experiences over the past five years. I wanted to express the content in a familiar format so people can approach biblical letters with a renewed perspective.
You search for connection
True belonging doesn’t require us to change who we are; it requires us to be who we are. Belonging Verse Fitting In Belonging Fitting In Authentic Other pleasing Being accepted for you Being accepted for being like everyone else Being somewhere you want to be and they want you Being somewhere you want to be,… Continue reading You search for connection
You’re with others
Compassion Empathy The most effective approach to meaningful connection combines compassion with cognitive empathy. Sympathy Comparative suffering
You’re hurting
Anguish Hope Prepare the child for the path, not the path for the child. Hopelessness Despair Sadness Grief
Your heart is open
Love Lovelessness Heartbroken Flooding Hurt Trust Betrayal Self-trust Self-betrayal Defensiveness
You fall short
Shame How to build shame resilience Recognize shame and understand its triggers Recognize when you’re in the grip of shame, name it, feel your way through it, and figure out what messages and expectations triggered the shame. Don’t pretend it’s not happening and get swept away. Practice critical awareness Reality-check the messages and expectations that… Continue reading You fall short
You compare
Comparison Admiration Reverence Envy Resentment Jealousy Shadenfreude Freudenfreude
Things aren’t what they seem
When two feelings are in tension with one another, admitting to the uncertainty leads to greater credibility and grounded confidence. Cognitive Dissonance Amusement Bittersweet Nostalgia Nostalgia is a yearning for the way things used to be in our often idealized and self-protective version of the past. Paradox Irony Are you doing something up in humor… Continue reading Things aren’t what they seem
Things are uncertain or too much
Stressed Dread Anxiety Fear Vulnerability
Things don’t go as planned
Boredom Disappointment Regret The idea of ‘no regrets’ doesn’t mean living with courage, it means living without reflection. To live without regret is to believe we have nothing to learn, no amends to make, and no opportunity to be braver with our lives. Discouraged There are too many people in the world today who decide… Continue reading Things don’t go as planned