Meditations
Loss and Grief
April 17, 2024
An Assembling God’s Puzzle video
By Fr. Garry Richmeier
I like to compare grieving to composting. A person piles up stuff that is useless for growing things, like leaves and table scraps, “works” them, and eventually they turn into rich soil from which new life can sprout. Grieving follows a similar process.
Dealing with Authority
April 4, 2024
By Fr. Garry Richmeier
Each of us have a “default setting” when it comes to dealing with authority, whether it is the legal system, our church, our boss or our parents. Better understanding our “default setting” helps us adjust our response to authority for better outcomes.
Catastrophizing: When the worst scenario is the only scenario
March 21, 2024
By Fr. Garry Richmeier
When we allow worry to overtake us and an the only future we can imagine for ourselves is the worst case scenario, we’ve fallen into the trap known as “catastrophizing.” Catastrophizing comes with a high price for our mental and physical health.
How to Avoid Black or White Thinking
March 6, 2024
An Assembling God’s Puzzle video
By Fr. Garry Richmeier
We like black and white explanations of reality because they make things simple. That kind of thinking, though, causes problems, because the world has a lot more gray in it than black or white.
Git ’er Done!
February 21, 2024
An Assembling God’s Puzzle video
By Fr. Garry Richmeier, C.PP.S.
Goals help us to organize our lives in a coherent way. I can’t imagine not having goals. But one of the pieces to life’s puzzle that we have to figure out is how to balance focusing on our goals and living life in the present.
Making New Year’s Resolutions Work
January 3, 2024
By Fr. Garry Richmeier, C.PP.S.
How can you prevent resolutions made on January 1 from going by the wayside before February 1? Design a process that keeps alive the good intentions and positive motivation inherent in resolutions as one moves through the slow and challenging process of real change. Here are some ideas.
Christmas and Depression, an Assembling God’s Puzzle video
December 13, 2023
By Fr. Garry Richmeier, CPPS.
Christmas — the most wonderful time of the year? Our culture tells us it is. But according to mental health agencies and therapists, more people report feeling depressed at Christmas time than almost any other time of the year. Why is that?
How to cope with crazy holiday gatherings
November 21, 2023
By Fr. Garry Richmeier, CPPS.
Holiday family gatherings can sometimes be challenging to navigate. Here are a few strategies to help you cope with family situations you might find yourself in this holiday season.
Boy Was My Face Red: Handling Embarrassment
October 13, 2023
By Fr. Garry Richmeier, C.PP.S.
One of the puzzle pieces of life that we experience much more often than we’d like is embarrassment. It’s unavoidable, and usually crops up when we least expect it. Here are strategies to minimize embarrassment.
Spirituality or Psychology?
August 29, 2023
By Fr. Garry Richmeier, C.PP.S.
Whether a person comes to me for spiritual direction or counseling, I will be helping them deal with their perception of their world, possibly adjusting it to be more accurate and helpful, which, I hope, will result in behavior that makes life better for them and those around them.