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Four Uncomfortable Truths about Peace
Peace is an essential component of a fulfilling life. Constant conflict spends our energies, wastes our strength, and distracts us from the really good things in life. But we often settle for an imitation of peace rather than the real thing. I often settled for a harmony that was not real because instinctively I knew that real peace would require me to make some real sacrifices. In fact, I have faced quite a few situations in which a genuine accord seemed impossible so I accepted something far less in order to avoid a reality that I did not want to admit to. The real deception, of course, was that I…
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Displacement and Disgrace: The Christmas Story
December has typically represented displacement for me in the last few years. This Christmas will mark the first Christmas that I have not moved in four years. It will mark the first Christmas without any of my kids. I am not complaining, mind you. I do not wish to be the poster woman for the First World Problems meme. But for someone who just learned how to do Christmas well, to enjoy the holiday with family, it feels like a loss. The reasons are somewhat complicated, involving jobs and relocations and sometimes impossible working situations. But the fact remains that I will not be pulling out much, if any, décor…
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Eight Signs You are a Trustworthy Person
Finding trustworthy people these days can be difficult. I believe this is not because fewer trustworthy people exist than in previous generations, but because many of our relationships are transitory. People move around, switch jobs, and live at a furious pace. Trust takes time to incubate. Trust requires a certain amount of intimacy and transparency. To make matters more difficult, nearly everyone has made the mistake of judging the wrong person trustworthy. Betrayal can hinder our ability or willingness to make the leap. But the fruits of being a person worthy of trust far outweigh the difficulties. If we ourselves can be trusted, then we will draw others whose characters…
Healing Through Art & Words
