Last month I was involved in an email chain amongst some friends and I was led to respond. Alice has been having extra-ordinary bad luck; out of work, chronic pain, car troubles, kid troubles, lots of pain in her past. Bob thought his troubles were worse and was wondering how to be happy. Email is probably not the best way to answer you Bob, but I'm going to take a shot anyway. Alice has more faith in God than anyone I have ever known. I look up to her as a model for the kind I faith I w...

[Origianlly posted April 4th, 2005] I was talking last week with some friends about intimacy; how we as a group get together weekly and have been for years and there is still a hesitation to open up and be intimate with the group. I think that the biggest deterrent that came up was a fear of being judged. As usual, I have mixed feelings about this. I think that as responsible people we have an obligation to judge. I think that a fear of being judged poorly is a control in our society...