Conversations with Cinthia

Today Cinthia continues a conversation she began a few weeks ago with the episode “Why Don’t You Believe Me?”  Trust is impacted by many factors on both sides of a relationship, and it is difficult to sort out when our fears indicate legitimate warning signs about another person and when they signal our own trust issues or immaturity.  (And sometimes both can be involved!)

Believing anything is always a risk.  The only thing that i...

Today Cinthia discussed what it means that we as human beings are made in the image of God.  We say all kinds of things about ourselves, and not all of the things we say are true.  We work hard to define ourselves, to figure out who we are and grasp some kind of identity for ourselves.  But these attempts will never make us free until they line up with the truth about ourselves, which is rooted in Who God is and who He says we are....

Today’s title is one that requires some definitions.  First of all, what is an addict?  What is addiction?  Addiction has more than one definition but usually involves becoming physically or psychologically dependent on a substance; it can sometimes apply to compulsive involvement in behavior, such as gambling or sexual compulsions.  Not all habits necessarily qualify as addictions. 

At some level, we are all prone to addictions, b...

Twilight seems like a wisp of time; it comes and goes and is gone.  It occurs twice a day, bookending the days and nights.  Is this simply an accident of the Earth’s rotation and revolutions around the sun?  Nothing God creates is without meaning and purpose, and twilight, Cinthia explains, is a beautiful gift to us. 

Cinthia explored dictionary definitions of twilight as (for example) “the diffused light from the sky during early ...

Have you ever told the truth and yet not been believed?  Have you ever struggled to know whether to believe someone else?  Distrust can be painful on both sides, but knowing what to believe can be difficult.  Today Cinthia tackles the dual topic of trusting and being trusted, starting with the statement that everything is a risk. 

Trust is necessary for life, and trust is always a risk.  Belief in anything is a risk, but no one can...

Practice makes perfect, right?  Well, that depends on what we are practicing.  Habits are powerful, and repetition makes them stronger.  This can be a huge advantage when we form and reinforce positive habits; it means we automatically do positive things without the decision fatigue that can come with making so many conscious decisions.  Habits are useful and efficient because they allow us to engage in our day-to-day lives without...

The past is hard for everyone.  Some long for the past, while others want to erase or avoid it.  Many of us want to erase parts of our pasts while holding onto others.  But the key to dealing with the past is not romanticizing it or avoiding it; it is learning from it.  Cinthia states today that “time is either a guide into your future or a tormentor that can’t be changed.”  Which will you allow your past to be for you?

One of the ...

Today’s topic is the neuroplasticity of the brain and how we can use it to take charge of our own thought processes.  Cinthia opened today with a quote usually attributed to Albert Einstein: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, expecting different results.”  We see the problems that occur with repeating behaviors that are not working, but what about our thoughts?  Our brains create what are called “neural nets,” o...

Human beings are locked in time while we live on the earth, and we used to know it.  The sun went down, and people could no longer see to continue working, which meant they had to end the day’s work and rest.  Time used to pace us, just as our bodies used to do.  Now, however, we seem to be in a game against time.  Our technology allows us to multitask at unprecedented levels.  We move faster and are not even aware of the moments i...

When we do not take responsibility for being the best versions of ourselves, we often move toward pleasure to mitigate the pain.  Now, pleasure is not bad -- it’s great, actually.  But pleasure always has a price.  Sometimes the price is worth paying, but, when we are using pleasure to mitigate pain, we often pay more than we acknowledge ourselves to be losing for our pleasure.  Not only that, but we inflict a cost on others, somet...

Do you reject compliments, explaining why you don’t really deserve them?  Do you get nervous when someone does something nice for you, turn down offers of help even when you could really use them, or hate the feeling you get when someone forgives you or extends grace and kindness your way?  Today’s show is on letting other people love you.

It can be scary and humbling to let someone love you and give you grace.  The enemy (i.e., Sa...

Today's topic is devotion, devotions, and the interaction between the two.  Devotion has to do with love, loyalty, enthusiasm for someone or something, faithfulness, fidelity, and even strong emotional attachment.  It can also have to do with religious worship or observance.  A devotion can be a quiet time spent praying, reading the Bible, reflecting, singing, journaling, or making time for something or someone to which or to whom ...

Like it or not, humans need to attach to other humans.  We may not want to need that; we may associate it with pain and fear, or may simply not have developed the skills to attach well.  We may actually push away the very thing we need.  But it doesn’t stop us from needing to be loved, seen, understood by someone.  Today Cinthia challenged us to let “them” (i.e., other human beings who are willing to extend grace and give kindness)...

What does it take to be attractive?  Often we think of characteristics that are beyond our control or measures that require lots of time and money.  Some changes would even require compromises to a person’s value system.  Is attractiveness something that most of us are doomed to miss, or that we can have only briefly before age takes it away from us?  Today Cinthia explains that attractiveness can be defined as “pleasing or appeali...

We all have problems with trust.  We want to trust.  We get scared to trust.  Some of us resist trusting, as if we could get through a single day without trusting anyone or anything.  We have all found ourselves to be untrustworthy at times.  Some of us trust too easily, layering our hopes on things that have not proven themselves worthy of it.  Most of us trust the wrong things at some point.  “Trust is a word I understand,” says ...

Anger is a gift that helps us survive and protect, but it can also be used to destroy or to protect the wrong things in the wrong ways.  Especially when paired with fear, anger can enable us to do things we would not or could not otherwise do.  The adrenaline it triggers to flow through our bodies can energize us, helping us to confront wrongs and face fears that need to be faced -- look at all the improvements that have been made ...

Today Cinthia welcomes Peter Rosenberger to talk about his newest book, A Minute For Caregivers: When Every Day Feels Like Monday.  As his website www.hopeforthecaregiver.com explains, Peter has been a caregiver to his wife Gracie for about four decades now since a tragic car accident at age 17 changed the direction of her life.  Gracie has had more than 85 surgeries at this point, including the amputation of both legs below the kn...

Garrison Keillor once said, “The lovely thing about Christmas is that it’s compulsory, like a thunderstorm, and we all go through it together.”  Whether you are working Christmas, spending it alone, hosting a gathering you hope will be beautiful, or gearing up to attend the usual round of work and family activities, you are in this with all the rest of us – and we all need to survive it!

Holidays are a time when we tend to think we...

Today Cinthia talks with Michael Johnson, president of the Slavic Gospel Association.  Michael discusses his own story including his conversion, journey from corporate to non-profit work, and time in ministry.  He notes that we tend to want to know God’s plan for our lives, but that God wants our obedience step-by-step.  Mr. Johnson discusses some of the dynamics at work in these countries (e.g., emphasis on repentance/changing the...