Affective Health Archive

  • transit mall 4

    Here: Just passing through

    Nearly every weekday morning, I wait in a transit mall in LA County. The wait lasts about 20 minutes, offering time to finish my morning coffee and, beginning today, write for this blog. Buses come and go. Cars mostly come, stay a while, and go....

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  • bus

    To Wait is not the same as To Tarry

    Waiting—Synonyms Wait, tarry imply pausing to linger and thereby putting off further activity until later. Wait usually implies staying for a limited time and for a definite purpose, that is, for something expected: to wait for a train. Tarry is a somewhat archaic word for...

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  • question mark

    Question Everything

    I base most of my decisions on assumptions. So do you. If this were not the case we would be stymied every time we had to buy groceries. Assumptions are good when based on a correct view of reality; they cause problems when based on...

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  • valentine flowers

    Going Deeper than Cards and Candy

    When I was in elementary school, every February 14 (or on the nearest school day), I and my classmates would bring valentines for everyone as a sign of friendship, or at least of acquaintance. To this day, I'm not sure of the purpose, except maybe...

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  • amp

    Don’t Be an Emotional Cop-out

    “It's just how I feel.” We've all heard it; we've probably said it. But what if the “just” is out of place? What if we are held responsible for our emotions? This is a frightening thought. I know too often I react with irritation at...

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  • breakfast

    How Do You Hear the Heart of Your Community?

    Getting a handle on what's going on in a community requires knowledge of heart tendencies, variability among persons, and how elements change together. Continual conversation, intentionality about relational webs and listening to the Spirit and one another about influences are three responses. How do you...

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  • portrait granulated 10

    Real Life Via Virtual?

    Most work days, I sit in my cubicle, crunching numbers of some sort.  I do venture out, but only for short stints.  Today was like most days: not much person to person interaction.  This does not mean community did not happen, however, for wherever the...

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  • Responding to Joy Stealers

    Responding to Joy Stealers

    Sometimes in the worship gathering, everything clicks.  The truth of lyric and sermon combine with emotion and folks realize why they are there: to proclaim God's worth.  Unfortunately, I've noticed another feature of such occurrences: joy stealers. Joy stealers can be people, memories, or events. ...

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  • Neighborhood Happens

    Neighborhood Happens

    Wednesday morning, the bus to campus had a detour. In itself, this is rare, but not notable. In fact, the detour was rather routine, except for one thing: this was the driver’s first time going off route and the dispatcher’s instructions were unclear. The driver...

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  • The Place of Emotions in Communal Spiritual Formation

    The Place of Emotions in Communal Spiritual Formation

    As interpretive perceptions, emotions can be right or wrong about the situation, true or false of it. And they are motivational. As concern-based, the are affected by what the subject cares about, what is important to him or her; and many emotions tend to move...

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