I am overwhelmed with a sense of gratitude for these last few months and these last few nights in my yard. I think to myself how God is good in both large and small things.

One morning, when I returned to my car after my workout, the parking attendant told me he was taking a walk in his neighborhood and saw a building with James’s name on it. “Is it our James?” he asked. Yes, it is. I told him a story James told me long ago. He was an alcoholic, made a mess out of everything, and found himself in prison, at rock bottom. It was there in prison, as he got clean, that he could hear God’s voice more clearly. He knew he was loved by God, and he wanted others to know that love.

I cringe now even thinking of it. Even the seconds after I asked, I cringed inside. Because how could I have cheapened the moment like that?

I was really excited to meet him. I wanted to share the moment online and with a friend who respects him too.

And snap.

I ruined it all.

As my sister Sara Jaimes says, Go Spread your Seeds of Discontent somewhere else!

My latest for Ignatian Spirituality on having a cheerful heart.

Christmas is an easy time to show how God is present in our past and present. We tell the stories of God’s presence in the history of the earth. We also tell the stories of God’s presence in our own lives.

"Depression and anxiety started to fade away. I could see God at work in the world around me more clearly. I started to realize so clearly that physical, mental, and spiritual health were all related. And I was happier."

The future is not promised: That is a big lesson for 13-year-olds, who think they are indestructible.

“Serenity now.” Instead of saying this as intended—in a calm, tranquil, meditative manner—Frank screams it, very likely skyrocketing his blood pressure even further. The effect is hysterical, and I realize, I am laughing, too, at myself.

When I am anxious or frightened, I call out to God, and much like Frank Costanza.

"When a person is at rock bottom, one is humbled. He or she finds him- or herself in a place where all one can do is depend on the grace of God."

I know a woman who used to watch the news religiously. She would get caught up in the latest mandate, scandal, or expose until it took over all her waking hours. She obsessed over these stories until she was so incredibly anxious, she forgot how to live.