“Do you trust yourself?” Debbie asks. “No way!” I say. “I know Proverbs 3:5-6 by heart, and it clearly says, ‘Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding….“ I pause for breath, then continue as if on auto-pilot: “… In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths’.” I stop, surprised by how quickly the verses came pouring out in response to my counselor’s seemingly-innocuous question: “Do you trust yourself?” Noticing my defensiveness, Debbie re-frames her question. “Cheri, when I ask if you trust yourself, I’m not talking about Trust … I ..read more

For the first 45 years of my life, I ignored my body’s signals and stuffed my emotions. Because all that stimuli felt waaaaaay too overwhelming. Then I discovered that being a Highly Sensitive Person is “a thing.” That I’m actually supposed to listen to my body and learn from my emotions. Discerning what my HSP body and brain need in the moment has been one of the hardest skills for me to learn as an HSP. It’s taken lots of intentional practice … and a growing collection of super-practical tools. One of my all-time favorite tools is this seemingly-simple question: “What do I need most right n ..read more

Back in the 90’s, I wasn’t just in the target market for every company that sold craft project “how-to” card subscriptions. I was their bullseye customer. As in, they put a sheep emoji next to my name in their databases — I was that easy to fleece. But I didn’t know it at the time. All I knew was that no matter how long I stayed a subscriber, or how faithfully I paid, I could never seem to get the whole set. Now I’ve forgotten most of the the details about the various craft card companies I faithfully sent checks to, month in and month out. But I do have two distinct memories. Memory #1: The ..read more

My email inbox has been Out of ControlTM for as long as I can remember. (And I was an early adopter of email. As in, my first-ever email address ends in “@aol.com”!) My intentions have always been stellar. I truly do want to respond to everyone clearly … graciously … and above all, promptly. But for decades, there’s been a vast difference between my ideal email response vs. my real email response. My knee-jerk reaction to most emails is to assure myself:   I’ll just deal with it later. In that moment, “later” simply means: when I’m thinking more clearly when I’m feeling more confident ..read more

My app says, “Your order is ready for pick-up!” But there is no tall extra-whip mocha for Cheri on the bar. I glance from my cell phone to the Starbucks counter and back again, as if looking back and forth will cause my drink to magically appear. And then I see it. I’m standing in the Starbucks on the corner of Main Street and Colorado Avenue. My order is ready for pick-up at the Starbucks on the corner of Main Street and Coronado Avenue. It’s only ten minutes away, but I’m already running late for one last visit with my father before making the 8-hour drive from my hometown in southern Calif ..read more

The Accident happened on a Sunday 7 years and 51 weeks ago. It began when the vehicle I was driving — my husband’s SUV — was at a full and complete stop.  And I was 100% at fault.  Here’s the story in a nutshell: It was a typical spring evening, with the sky painting the clouds every possible shade of pink and purple. I’d paused at an intersection five minutes away from home, waiting for the light to turn green, when rapid motion outside the passenger window startled me. Now it was just a car using the shoulder to pass me and make a perfectly legal right turn on a red light. B ..read more

“Be still, and know that I am God…” Psalm 46:10a (NIV)  Standing in front of the pastry display, I feel confident. When the barista asks, “Would you like something to eat with your drink?” I will respond politely, yet firmly: “Why yes, thank you. I’d like a Michigan Cherry Oat Bar, warmed up please. And if possible, I’d just love the one on the bottom left corner. In the front.” I am even ready to help with … “No, not that one”  “Not quite…almost”  “Yes, that’s the one!” … in an encouraging yet no-nonsense tone of voice. But when my big moment arrives, I feel convicted ..read more

This morning’s Lectio Divina session over Christ’s words in John 14:15-27 was so powerful, I just had to share it with you. CLICK HERE to download the 3-page PDF that includes: the scripture passage the reflection questions for each reading ample space for journaling All ready for you to print and use. Feel free to follow along with the video … pray-cess the reflection questions on your own … whatever feels like the best fit for you! The post God’s Truth for Tender Hearts: Immersing in John 14:15-27 appeared first on Sensitive and Strong ..read more

Every week, I engage in Lectio Divina — re-reading the same passage of scripture three separate times, journaling my responses to specific reflection questions after each reading. I love immersing in scripture in this way. It taps into our HSP need for deep processing … or “pray-cessing” as I’ve come to call it. Frequently, after the 2nd or 3rd reading of a passage, I draw a quick T-chart with the left side labeled “God” and the right side labeled “We.” Then, in the left column, I jot down the key words/phrases from the passage that tell what God does. And in the right column, I write the key ..read more

I spent the first week of January gutting my home office. Again. I wish I could say it’s only the 2nd or 3rd time I’ve ever needed to do so. But no. The attempt to get myself organized once-and-for-all has been a life-long struggle for me. It dates all the way back to childhood, when my mother — who was Born Organized — would glance into my bedroom and declare, “Cheri, just looking at your room, I feel messy!” Over the years, I’ve lost count of … … the number of times I’ve tried to get my act together — and remember where I put it. … how many organizational systems I’ve purchased, set up ..read more