Great Life Gifts

My spiritual director/psychotherapist always thought it was a moment for celebration when someone appeared at his doorway in their lowest moment. “When you hit bottom,” he would say, “then you can break open.” As difficult and harrowing the journey to the bottom can be, hitting an emotional bottom is a moment of celebration. When a series of unhealthy choices finally shove your ego off the cliff of a fantasy life, then you have a chance to break free and fully assess where you might go next. And at your most emotionally and mentally battered, you are more open to the belief that choices you can finally make on your own behalf will lead you to a pathway of peace and security. And once you hit the valley and the shell of a fantasy existence has cracked open, you will be able to soak in the oxygen of a world who wants you as you are.

One of the most gratifying aspects of serving as a counselor is the breakthrough moment clients experience in finding the source of dissonance within their lives. Whether it’s the honest acknowledgement of a feeling towards another or the awareness of their own behavior, the breakthrough moment is an earth shaking moment which is felt by both of us.  How does the process unfold to arrive at a particular apex in time? Like a person who is frantically swimming to the water’s surface, a counseling client is sifting through a tidal wave of emotions and thoughts which is drowning her authenticity. A word at a time, a client wrings out the excesses of her relationships to get to the simplicity of one relationship—the relationship with herself. When the breakthrough occurs, it’s like the near drowning swimmer who has reached through the water’s surface. He is freed to let out the carbon dioxide suffocating him and inhale the oxygen of a life that has been missing. It’s a release of a

What are you looking forward to this week? Anticipation of happy experiences is a good stress buster–especially if you are in a work setting that isn't to your preference. While you are waiting for change to occur, what can you enjoy right now, right here? Here are some things I will enjoy this week: The smiles of my children, husband, and mother. Taking our dog for long walks. The humor of my co-workers. The beautiful New Mexico sky. The fascination of the wind in April. What are the experiences you will enjoy this week?

Then the LORD God formed a man from the dust of the ground and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living being. (Genesis 2:7 NIV) Remember to breathe. Biblically, the first burst of energy Human Kind experienced from God was the breath.  Focus on your breath today and know it is in tune with the Breath of God. As you walk on your path today every breath in and every breath out is God’s infinite, soothing peace. Remember to breathe.

Blood dripped from "Dracula's" nose just as the Jehovah’s Witness handed him a Bible. It wasn't planned; it was a spontaneous reaction to dry air, but the timing couldn't have had more meaning. A crew-cut clean shaven Ambassador for God knocked randomly on the door of a brick ranch-style house. Standing at the open door was a black eye-lined, black dyed haired 15-year-old boy wearing a silk screened Slip Knot t-shirt. By appearances, it would seem obvious who came to teach whom on the proper way to be. But underneath the façade of EMO (the teenaged boy) and wholesomeness (the J ehovah’s Witness ) lies the common desire to connect with others in meaningful ways. The tool each of them uses differs only in superficialities. The message each of them is trying to convey is the same. Many misconceptions have arisen among proper adults about the psychopathy behind teens who flock to EMO choices like black birds on an electric wire. As a subcultur

With early intervention, children diagnosed with an Autism Spectrum Disorder have an opportunity to receive interventions such as speech and occupational therapy, allowing them to participate in activities most kids enjoy. Autism is not a curable condition but it is treatable. And with new numbers released just last week by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention indicating one in 68 people are affected by the disorder, it's more important than ever that we advocate for research to help us discover the cause and the best approaches to treat it. If your community is hosting an Autism Awareness Event, I encourage you to participate.