We all have to navigate change in our lives. Hurricanes and tornadoes affect millions of people in our country, and there are also the internal storms that ebb and flow in our thoughts and emotions like the waves of an ocean. The question when we face a challenge –– a storm –– is this: will we be broken down and defeated, or broken open and transformed? 

Kintsugi is the Japanese art of repairing broken pottery with gold. The mended piece is believed to be more beautiful, more valuable, and stronger, because it has been transformed through suffering. 

When life breaks you, every piece of you that feels shattered is a piece that will find a new place, a new purpose, a new meaning. Trust that the cracks are where the light gets in. And sometimes, in our brokenness, we find our greatest wholeness. We find the courage to rebuild, to reimagine, to redefine what it means to be strong. You are NOT broken; you are breaking through...

Here are a few coping strategies for times of struggle:

• Practice mindfulness. Learn to embrace the unknown.
• Find your support system: friends, family, a therapist
• Self care: healthy eating, getting adequate sleep, exercise, and drinking lots of water.
• Listen to your heart, pursue your dreams, overcome fear.
• Music can provide strength and resilience during difficult times.

As you navigate the storms of life, please know that God is always with you.

The Lord your God is in your midst...

he will rejoice over you with gladness...

he will quiet you with his love.

––Zephaniah 3:17