Tag: Christianity
Lost Innocence
Although I love the person that I've become, I can't deny that there are certain aspects of myself that I wish I could revert back to, particularly in relation to my spiritual life. Sometimes I wish I could go back to the former version of myself for whom faith in God's goodness, let alone existence, ...
Healing the Fear of Making the Wrong Decision
Growing up in a religious environment, there had always been an emphasis on discerning and following "God's will" for one's life. There was this notion that God had a plan for every single one of us and that our job was to do our best to yield to that plan—ranging from following whatever vocation we ...
Coming Home for Christmas
This morning I engaged in a gentle exchange in the "comments" section of a popular Catholic Instagram account called @LitCatholicMemes (which I typically enjoy, by the way). I rarely ever comment on stuff, but this time I felt like I had to speak up, because this topic has been weighing on my mind for some time ...
We Can’t Always Protect Other People’s Feelings & That’s OK
Yesterday I accidentally upset a woman by texting very briefly in the movie theatre (mind you, I was texting underneath my jacket with my screen dimmed to maximum, but I guess she still caught a glimpse of the glare). It was the kind of text that needed an urgent reply, but I get it: people go to ...
Say “Yes” to Life — It Might Surprise You
As sobering as it is to admit, I allowed many years of my life to be governed by fear. Almost every move I made was done out of self-protection or self-preservation. I'd approach most situations with caution, paranoid that a good moment would go sour or that a bad one would go from 'worse' to ...
Free to Love: Reflections on Fulfillment & Validation
I am no stranger to the aches and pains of yearning to be loved. Even though we're often told to be fully satisfied in God's love, many of us still yearn for that human kind of love, the genuine connection between two people to walk together as companions in life. But it is a danger ...
This New Year, Dare to Dream Big
"Dreaming" hasn't always come easily for me. I've always admired my brother's naturally confident disposition, his believing mindset, and his ability to dream with ease. I don't know if it's a mixture of my temperament and life experiences, but I've always approached life with significantly more caution, somewhat afraid to dream big out of fear ...
Life Lessons from Latin Dancing
It's only been one month since I started taking Latin partner dance classes (like salsa, bachata, and Brazilian zouk), and I'm surprised by how restorative it's been for me. At first I thought I was simply learning something new—taking up a hobby to sneak in some physical activity after work—but it ended up being so ...
More than My Mental Illness
If you have known me personally (or have been reading my blog), you'd probably know that I live with mental health challenges. Since I was very young, I've always been a neurotic and anxious child. It hasn't left me in adulthood. I suppose I am what most people would call "high-functioning": I experience seasons of depression and ...
Celine Diaz: Real Talk 