The Question. Often while sitting in the psychological counselor’s chair a very common question emerges:

 

 

There are many similar takes on this question such as:

 

 “Why does this happen to such an innocent child?”

Make your bedroom a comfortable place.  Blankets, bed covers, and mattress should be cozy and inviting. Get extra pillows. Keep it clean and tidy and introduce pleasant smells such as a drop of lavender oil on the sheets and bring in pleasant sounds from nature or white noise.

           

Do not bring electronics to bed.  Turn off the phone, IPad, computer, and even the TV.  A modern problem that interferes with a good night’s sleep is binge watching videos and programs in bed.

My husband, my daughter, and I embarked upon the journey of a lifetime early this summer from June 13 through June 23, 2015. In celebration of our 30th wedding anniversary, we set out to walk the last leg of the Portuguese Way of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela. The route began in Tui, Spain with its destination ending in Santiago de Compostela, traditionally the location of the crypt and remains of St. James, the Apostle.  This segment of the Camino is approximately 100 kilometers.

The history of the Camino de Santiago de Compostela dates back well over 1000 years with Christians making this pilgrimage since the Middle Ages.

We’ve all experienced it.  We make plans and nothing seems to go the way that we anticipated. “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry,” is an often repeated quote from the Scottish poet Robert Burns.  Wiktionary states that it is an “expression used to signify the futility of making detailed plans when the outcome is uncertain.”  The truth of the matter is that nothing is certain.   Sacred Scripture states that the“The wind blows wherever it pleases.

 

This phrase frequently comes up during in the course of counseling.  Many have injuries from past and even current relationships that continue to cause pain thus hindering advancement to fuller productive lives.  The desire to move on is present but former feelings of being hurt, mistreated, ignored, and/or neglected keep cropping up causing re-injury.  The desire to eliminate these sensations and memories is strong but for some reason there is an inability to move on.

What does a Carmelite nun who lived during the late 1800s in France have to do with overcoming the obsession thoughts and/or compulsions that are symptomatic of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?  St. Therese (1873-1897), whose writings composed the beautiful autobiography “The Story of a Soul”, died of tuberculosis as a young adult, yet her message endures to this day.  She was declared a Doctor of the Catholic Church in 1997 because of her simple yet profound approach to the spiritual life.

Do you face an impossible situation that appears to be hopeless?  

Do you have feelings of desperation, depression, and even thoughts of giving up?  

Situations crop up in many people's lives that appear to have no relief in sight.  However you are not alone, there is a saint in the Catholic Church that endured multiple lost causes.  Although her experiences occurred hundreds of years ago, her methods of overcoming are still applicable for us today.  And they are quite simple with help from God.

Another date crossed out on the calendar as I approach another year of my journey. Over a half of a century is definitely in my rear view mirror. I do know that in many ways my “inside self” still feels like that young somewhat carefree girl that once played on the fields of Western New York. It is only when I look in the mirror that I am reminded by my “outside self” that I have been travelling for quite a while.

When my spouse was a young boy his mother would always have devotions before school with her children.

Encountering a decision whether big or small can often bring about a great amount of anxiety.  At times indecision can destroy inner peace and can even have a major crippling effect on one’s spiritual welfare as well as psychological progress.  Procrastination is often caused by inability to make a decision for fear of failure.  Perfectionists are known to be diagnostically the worst procrastinators simply because of the fear of making a mistake.   These persons are experts at

This time of year always makes me think about the season.  How can I ignore it?  In Chicago the air is usually bitter cold.  I’m not talking about it being a little bit chilly.  It’s downright frigid with temperatures preferring to hover in the subzero range.  At times it is difficult to appreciate the present moment, when I find myself counting the number of months left until spring.  Navigating the highways can be quite a challenge.  Every trip out whether on foot or in a vehicle means risk to one’s body and property.