Reflections

Processing Through Regrets

/ Mzchele / Leave a comment

What I find challenging about the feeling of regret is that I can’t change the past. What is done is done. I don’t know about you, but I have a bad habit of repeating these memories in my mind. Every time I remembered the situation, it stirred up the feelings of shame and disappointment. Recently, I’ve been learning a new way to respond to these feelings of regret. And it’s very simple – let go of the past and move forward. 🙂 Yep. It’s that simple… but simple doesn’t mean it’s easy. When a friend first said that to me, it was really hard for me to receive. The feeling of regret is usually accompanied by guilt, and I could not let go of the guilt for some reason.

alone man person sadness

Photo by Pixabay on Pexels.com

Continue reading →

My Anniversary Reflection

/ Mzchele / Leave a comment

This year will be my fifteenth wedding anniversary.  Yep. That’s right. Fifteen years. It is hard for me to fathom the fact that I’ve been in a relationship or even a friendship with someone for this long. Unlike most couples, I was the one who had an issue with commitment when we got engaged.  It’s not that I didn’t love my husband, but the sheer enormity of a lifetime commitment simply blew my mind. My husband, Mr. J, had no such concerns. Even though we’ve only known each other for a short time, as an intuitive visionary, he can already see us together for the long haul. Our differences were quite obvious even back then.

hands with rings processed Continue reading →

My Creative Beginning

/ Mzchele / Leave a comment

I didn’t discover my gift of painting until my early 40’s. As a child, I didn’t enjoy drawing. Reading was my choice of pass time. Art classes at school always stressed me out because I was pretty bad at it compared to my classmates. I didn’t have an aesthetic sense about color either. Let’s just say that my high school friends often commented on my interesting choice of wardrobe. Yet, in spite of these negative experiences, I’ve developed into a painter in the last few years. This past Christmas season, I finally felt confident enough to give away a few paintings as Christmas gifts. My families were pleasantly surprised when they received these presents. However, no one was more surprised than me about my hidden artistic gift.

and the day came quote centered

Continue reading →

Pruning – A Spiritual Perspective

/ Mzchele / 4 Comments

I don’t have a green thumb. When I first met my husband, he gave me a cute potted miniature rose. One morning, I put it on the patio for some sun, and promptly forgot about it… until a week later. Alas, the tiny rose was no match for the fierce California sun. Needless to say, my husband never gave me plants again. My dad, however, grew up on a farm, and plants thrive under his care. Recently, I wanted to plant a rose in the backyard of our new home. With my dad’s help, we planted a healthy and robust rose bush. The first bloom was glorious! The beautiful blossoms were as big as a grapefruit, and bloomed for days. After the flowers wilted, I continued to water and care for the plant. However, when some of the leaves started to shrivel and yellow. I knew something was wrong.

pink petaled flowers

Photo by Asad Nazir on Pexels.com

Continue reading →

Podcast #101 – What I Learned From My Burnout

/ Mzchele / Leave a comment

Pod-logo-aqua-square-3000x3000-medium-qtyI burned out at the tender age of 27. Check out some of the invaluable life lessons I learned from that experience.

The 15 Minutes Secret of My Success

/ Mzchele / Leave a comment

It’s one of those evenings again. I have some free time, and was excited about catching up with chores around the house. As I glanced around at my surroundings, that familiar sinking feeling came back. Just looking at the piles of dirty dishes in the sink had sucked all of the energy out of me. “What’s the use? The clutter is never going away.” I felt defeated even before I began.

kitchen-322719_1280-pixabay

Continue reading →

Thoughts about 2017

/ Mzchele / Leave a comment

The clock just struck midnight, and it is now officially the last day of 2017.  In the past, I took the last days of the year to meditate and think about the future directions.  This year, however, I’m doing something different.  I’ve been thinking about what I’ve learned and how I’ve changed in the last twelve months.

2017B

Continue reading →

Agreeing with God

/ Mzchele / Leave a comment

Do you struggle with knowing what and how to pray in the midst of differing cultural values and world views? Sometimes, the shortest prayer is the most effective prayer.

I admit, I have a love / hate relationship with social media.  I refresh my FB feeds constantly. I’m drawn to the latest top search items, the latest “trending” topics.  Boy, it is not good for my emotional well being.

This morning, I found myself at that place again – feeling emotionally overwhelmed, and confused with so many conflicting thoughts shouting through my head.  I wanted to… needed to pray and release some of that inner tension.  In the midst of the chaos, all I could say was “Yes, Lord.”

Yes, Lord. We say yes.

Yes, Lord. We agree with You.

Yes, Lord. You alone are good and just.

Yes, Lord. You alone are righteous and kind.

We agree with You.

I agree with You.

Yes, Lord.

Amen.

The Changing of Seasons

/ Mzchele / Leave a comment

Last week was the fall equinox, which marked the beginning of the fall season. The afternoon sun already started to take on an orange glow. I lived in the Pacific Northwest for a few years, and the seasonal changes there are especially prominent. As soon as October hits, all of the leaves turned into shades of red and started to fall.  There and then I understood why the fall season was aptly named “fall.” The aroma of apple cider and cinnamon filled the air. Pumpkins appeared on every porch. I loved how the seasons were so clearly defined. It gave me a clear message that summer was over. It’s time to enjoy the apple harvest and get ready for winter.

Similarly, we also have seasons in our spiritual lives. There are “spring” seasons where new relationships and opportunities blossom.  There are “winter” seasons where all outward growths seem to stop. However, even though we are very familiar with seasonal changes in the natural, most of us are not aware of how to adapt to the seasonal changes in the spiritual.

Leaves.Victor.Hanacek

Photo by picjumbo.com

Continue reading →

Thoughts on Grief & Loss

/ Mzchele / Leave a comment

Recently, a relative passed away. He lived a long life, over 100 years old. Yet, when I went to his service, it still felt bittersweet. He wasn’t a close relative. Nevertheless, there’s something about a person’s passing that is sobering since it heightens one’s sense of mortality. Perhaps I knew the family too well, I ended up paying very close attention to my grieving friends more than the service itself.  The dead was at peace, but the living was not.

flower-1792576_1920

Continue reading →