Routines

Written by Megan Farcas, LMHC CMHIMP (Clinical Supervisor, Senior Clinician)

During the past year and a half of pandemic life, we’ve all developed new routines—or a lack thereof. Recently a common topic coming up in many conversations (both with clients and in personal relationships) is how to adjust routines now that life is 'opening up' more. 

Some people are struggling with the reality of adjusting the routines they have grown used to over the past year and a half. Maybe it’s remembering how much time you need in the morning to get ready and commute to the office to resume working in person. Or perhaps it’s finding time to be able to go back to your favorite gym now that it is open again. For others it can be a new routine of leaving the house, after many months of cautiously staying home due to understandable concern of the virus. 

In all of these conversations I’m having there is another common thread—trying to identify "healthy routines." We are realizing as we are coming out of pandemic life that there may be new routines we need to create and some we need to leave behind.

For human beings, routines can be extremely beneficial. They allow us to take care of tasks and to do’s in a planned and thoughtful manner. They can create time for physical wellbeing such as exercise or preparing a meal. Even more than this, studies at the University of Pittsburgh School of Medicine have shown that individuals who have daily routines can help alleviate symptoms of bipolar disorder, especially when that routine includes consistent sleeping and eating patterns. 

Many of us know the benefit of routines, yet we can often feel stuck in identifying how to create new ones that will be helpful and healthy. Below are some ideas to help you think through ways you can begin to build routines:

Start Small: Pick a small routine that you can begin to change or create. Maybe you want to drink more water throughout the day to avoid the dreaded mid day headache, so your goal is to drink a glass of water with breakfast. Maybe you would like to read more so you begin by reading a couple pages while you wait for dinner to cook. Perhaps you’d like to go back to the instrument you used to play, so you build in a 10 minute jam session after you brush your teeth. Smaller changes to routines are easier to sustain and build on.

Stack Your Habits: As described above, you can begin to build routines by adding to what you already do every day (eating, drinking, brushing teeth, etc).

Try To Identify Enjoyable Routines: Certainly there are "adulting" routines that we all need to have, but it is also valuable to identify routines that bring you joy (music, hobbies, nature, reading, social time, etc). This can be a great boost to your mental health. 

Missing A Day Is Okay: Many of us get sucked into "all or nothing" thinking, so if we miss a day of our routine we can then perpetuate that experience and feel like it is pointless to try to resume what we were working on. Being aware of this tendency and showing grace to yourself when you don’t stick to your routine is important. Tell yourself it’s ok and then try to resume, starting small again if you have to.

When Sleep Won't Come

Written by Day Marshall, LMHC (Senior Clinician)

Have you had those nights when sleep is evasive? When you shift in bed and adjust your pillow, throwing off or adding on layers of cover? Apart from general, good sleep hygiene practices such as keeping a regular sleep schedule, setting the tone for sleep with lighting and calming activities, sometimes it can feel like there is little to be done when our minds keep wandering once the lights go out. Based on what clients often tell me, I think that often the anxiety of not falling asleep is the primary culprit keeping us awake.

While there are numerous ways to help increase the ability to sleep, I want to introduce you to one method that is a favorite of mine.

Our brains are remarkably made and incredibly adaptive. Every sensation we experience, be it sound, sight, taste, smell or touch, is communicated to us by our brains. Therefore, if my brain is thinking about stressors, my body will naturally tense up and likely go into problem-solving or worry mode.  However, if I focus my mind on the most serene and relaxing environment I can imagine, my whole body begins to relax. Using anti-anxiety grounding techniques when lying in bed can provide relaxing, sleep-inducing benefits.

I like to begin with deep breathing; long, slow, full breaths and exhales. While I deep breathe, I begin to visualize myself in a relaxing place. I’ll share mine with you, but you’ll need to get your own because my place is relaxing because no one else is around for miles!  My serene place is a warm beach with pristine sands devoid of all bugs and the only human is me.  I lie on my back facing up toward the perfectly warm sun. I feel the gentle give of the sun warmed sand beneath my body. I can drag my fingers over it and dig my fingers into it and feel the cool under the surface. The gentle ocean breeze dances over my skin and I can feel it on my face and on my arms and legs. The trees around the beach quietly rustle their leaves in response to that wind, and there are myriad birds singing in chorus high in the trees. I listen to the waves coming in and going out; a gentle, reliable rhythm. I can taste the mixed sweet and tang of watermelon and pineapple. There is a crackling campfire burning in the near distance. I smell the wood burning as it mixes with the salt air. I am still deep breathing and taking in all the sensory wonders of the beach serenity. If my mind begins to pull away to a worry or stressor, I gently but firmly draw it back to the sensory experience of the beach. The smells, the sounds, the sights, the feel and the tastes of my beach retreat become weightier than the worries and stress that it lulled away. In the midst of all of this, sleep generally comes quietly.

Sleep well!

The New Normal

Written by Dan Brown, MA (Director of Operations, Senior Clinician)

The pandemic has been difficult.  But one of the biggest things that the pandemic has taken from us all is a sense of normal. Normal birthday parties, normal dinners out with loved ones, normal soccer games.  Normal.  

But as we return to normal we have to realize that we will not be fully ourselves either.  Over the course of the last year, we have regressed or adapted to the restrictions or just flat out avoided people using the pandemic as a convenient excuse.  We have been socially conditioned.  We might find ourselves feeling awkward or have heightened anxiety anytime there is a group gathering on our calendars.

Or maybe you’re someone who has some codependent tendencies and are anxious to be around anxious people.  When I say codependent tendencies I mean you might be one that always wonders how you’re being perceived in a group and will ruminate for hours/days on how a social situation went.  So social situations seem like something you’d like to pass on for another year or ten.

Or maybe you’re someone who has used the pandemic to avoid people that seek to control you or overburden you.  And you can see these types of people from a mile away and when you are around them you start to get a knot in your stomach.  Potentially now after the pandemic those people became even more controlling and more overburdening.  I am sure this last year has been better for you getting a year long break from these types of interactions.  

The reality is that life is going to go back to what we remembered as normal. Schools, churches, work places and the like.  So what is next for you in these settings?  Do you just return to those old ways?  As a mental health provider I see this as a unique time in human history to make big strides in your ongoing social anxieties because you’ve had such a big pause in exposure to them.  You might be able to identify people that are just flat out unhealthy for you to be around and might consider not being around them as much.  Or you might be able to draw some boundaries with people that you weren’t able to draw boundaries with before because you’ve had a little distance with them and free from their manipulations.  And for those people that seek to control you or overburden you, you might now for the first time be able to say stop, no more.  

Our society needs friendship.  Our society needs grace in those friendships.  Our society needs positive social interactions that allow people to be “off” and not our best.  Our society needs normal again.  

Good thing Jesus continues to be seated and the right hand of God the Father living in perfect unity, in perfect friendship with the Father and the Holy Spirit.  There is no overburdening of the other going on there.  No guilt tripping going on in the Godhead.  They see the end of this and allowed the beginning of it to happen.  And I believe they want people to start being normal again too.

Mental health starts with realizing your own mental unhealth.  Then you can move to make a change with your therapist and then realize those changes with friends, family and those around you in your community. We all have our weaknesses.  But we don’t all admit those weaknesses.  I am proud you have admitted yours or are starting to admit yours and are ready to make changes.  Maybe you will not just return to normal but to a new normal.  

Too Many Bath Mats

Written by Megan Farcas, LMHC CMHIMP (Clinical Supervisor, Senior Clinician)

The other week I found myself in need of a new bath mat. I decided to search online for this purchase—as one does in pandemic times—and what should have been a 5 minute task turned into a 45 minute ordeal. I quickly found myself down a rabbit trail of questions I had never thought about in previous years of buying the occasional bath mat. Here’s how some of those thoughts went: 

"Well this bath mat is cheaper but this more expensive bath mat has more suction cups…how many suction cups are enough suction cups? Should I get the one with big suction cups or little suction cups?…This one has 1,000 4.5 star reviews but this one has 6,000 4 star reviews. Which is better? This review says the mat had a strong plasticky smell…what kind of plastic is this made out of anyways? *searches Google for different types of plastic and toxicity levels*…should I even have a bath mat? Is it dangerous? Do I need to ventilate it before I use it?…"

As I began to catch myself in this spiral of thoughts, I was reminded of the book The Paradox of Choice by Barry Schwartz. In his book Schwartz argues that, rather than being helpful, having too many of choices can lead to feeling overwhelmed and paralyzed in making a decision. This "analysis paralysis" results from spending too much time analyzing all of the possible choices we are faced with which then leads us to feeling stuck, often taking a longer time to make a decision than needed.

Not only that but once we do finally make a decision we frequently then experience regret with the decision we made. Because we are faced with so many choices we begin to think that there must be a "perfect" choice to make, and so when we experience disappointment with our decision we assume we chose incorrectly. Studies show us that when we have less choices to pick from we often feel more satisfied in the final choice we make.

So how can we apply some of this information to our day to day life? Well, as a starting point you could try to identify ways to reduce the number of choices you make. Maybe it’s deciding to shop at the same grocery store and buy the same brands each week regardless of what ads you see that might tell you otherwise. Perhaps it is deciding to go to the restaurant with the smaller menu to choose from. Maybe you minimize your wardrobe a la Mark Zuckerberg and Steve Jobs and wear the same type of clothing every day. In identifying small ways to reduce choice each day you might find an increase in your satisfaction of choice and a decrease in time spent making decisions.

Oh and yes, I did buy a bath mat :)

Our Identity and Calling (Part 2)

Written by Jane Song (Clinical Intern)

Who am I?

Who am I? What defines me? I pondered these questions over and over as I left my high paid job in the fashion industry, a job that took over my life and my identity. I lived with a constant need to respond to the beep of my phone.  Calls from suppliers, vendors, people I reported to, and those who reported to me. I recall those days starting with running around early morning trying to find a taxi, rushing to the train station from Hong Kong to China for an 8-hour meeting, and then rushing back home to get ready for a flight to Rome to meet with my team in Europe. My phone kept on beeping; my to-do list was never-ending. I was never fully present anywhere, as I was always running late somewhere.  I was swept into this lie that if I kept myself busy, I was desired and I was adding value. I lived under an illusion that I was busy fulfilling a purpose, but a purpose that I was never able to attain.

The Burst of my Bubble

As I rode back on the train from Guangzhou, China back to Hong Kong for the last time, leaving my stressful job behind, I felt empty.  All of a sudden, something died inside of me. The phone calls, to-do-lists, and demands all stopped. I had nowhere to be, no one to meet. I no longer had to put on a show to prove myself, to impress someone, to make a sale, or to make any decisions. For the first time in my life, I was confronted with a harsh reality. Who am I really?  What defines me? My career in the fashion industry had overtaken my identity. It suddenly dawned on me that when our vocation defines who we are, we need a correction in life.

The Birth of My Identity

We are never what we do. We are called to be God’s children. Our vocation is birthed from a passion that God deposited into our hearts. When that passion is sparked with the right job, a flame of fire is ignited. Four years after leaving the fashion industry and recently graduating from seminary, I am realizing that my identity is complex yet simple at the same time. I am foremost a child of God, His beloved daughter. I no longer need to prove my worth to the world by doing things. I know I am loved because God gave his one and only son so that I could be with him for eternity. I am also a daughter, a sister, a trusted friend to many who have seen the best and the worst of me. I am loved. Because I am loved, I can love others. The flame of fire ignited in my heart was when I first sat in front of clients, seeing how God moved and healed their lives through my presence. I know I have found my vocational calling - to be a healing agent for Jesus.

Who are you Today?

There might be more than one hat that you are wearing each day. Start your day asking God who He is calling you to be today, and make your best effort to step into the calling that God has for you. Psalm 139 tells us that all of our days were written in a book before we were born. Pray and ask God to help you to make the most of what God has prepared for you today. Our identity will be fortified by our daily choices. When we choose to be joyful, choose to love, choose to give, choose not to give up even though the very fiber of our being screams to give up. Each day, choose to be the best version of ourselves. It will all be worthwhile.

Spotting Trends through Journaling

Written by Dan Brown, MA (Director of Operations, Senior Clinician)

Living in Boston, you live with history all around you.  You get used to it and almost expect it. Our home is on the Paul Revere trail, and just down the road on Paul’s horse route is the Hancock-Clarke House in Lexington.  Paul actually lived there as a kid, and Rev. John Hancock owned and lived there in 1775.  On Paul’s famous ride, he stopped there around midnight to warn Hancock and Sam Adams that the British were in fact coming and then headed off to Concord to continue to alert the militia.  

There is a museum at the Hancock-Clarke House that has on display a journal belonging to someone who lived there during that time.  The Hancock House is just steps away from Lexington Green where the first shots were fired of the American Revolution.  This journal often chronicled the weather, the people visiting the home, the meals served and events of the day.  

April 18, 1775 the day was evidently a lovely spring day, according to the journal, with sun and good meals planned.  Then one would think April 19, 1775, the day the first shots were fired, there would be a long entry with drama about the events and its significance to the cause.  There was no such entry.  That morning was overcast, the flowers were starting to pop up, and there was some kind of dust up at Lexington’s green near Buckman Tavern.  But instead of a long winded entry, the writer talked about how lunch was going to be a nice stew later that day.   I do love a good stew and spring flowers.   

The reason I share this is that sometimes we “overcook” events that happen in our day, giving it too much significance or taking it as a general theme of how bad things seem to happen to us and only us.  In the Hancock House journal, the writer could have made all sorts of comments about what he or she was seeing and what was going on in the world at that time.  Sure there wasn’t Twitter or Facebook to connect people and events, but this journalist would have known what was going on but he or she chose not to report that.  Seemingly the meal was as important as the shots fired that were supposedly heard around the world.  It was almost as if the writer, being only a short walk away, barely heard the shots and went about their day.  

When it comes to those “overcooked” events, we must work to challenge those automatic thoughts and test them to see if they are actually true.  A good way to do this is (funny enough) through journaling.  Now you might “overcook” the events from time to time in your journal and that’s okay.  Or you might only allow for good things into your journal and that’s okay too.  The key is to start to see the trends in journaling.  

From our side of the office we would call that catastrophizing and black and white thinking.  If you are prone to making every event a catastrophe challenge that thought and don’t let it go to its negative conclusion.  Or you might look at X or Y event as simply being great or terrible.  If you failed at something reframe it into a learning experience instead of a failure.  

Wisdom is the skill to interpret God’s hand in the midst of life’s struggle and mundane moments.  And the ability to truly understand why things happen and what they mean can be hidden. We can sit in that struggle and be curious about our feelings and what God might be doing without “overcooking” things.  And I promise if you do you’ll watch how God will show you Himself in those experiences.

Redemption

Written by Christina Feng, LMHC (Senior Clinician)

It’s my mid-afternoon break and the sun is streaming through the window, casting a warm golden hue on the half-decorated walls of my home office. I hear cars and trucks passing by, an occasional bird’s chirp, and the faint chatter of people enjoying a walk together. I see no more traces of snow; just the last bit of damp pavement that should dry up in another day’s time. Eastertide was just upon us, and it seems that the earth was aware of this fact and began its own preparations in advance of it. I’ve experienced many a New England March, and this last one was unusually mild, with several days in the 60s, even 70s. As I reflect on March, other things come to mind--most notably, the increased rate and availability of vaccinations that is quickly becoming a favorite subject among clients. I can’t think of many--if any--sessions that don’t touch upon it, even if just briefly. A client this morning beamed as she shared that she recently received a first dose. She’s not the first to celebrate this precious milestone with me, but I never tire of these updates. I hear excitement and joy in their voices. Even those who have yet to receive a first dose have spoken with more confidence, and I notice that their voices carry hope. 

For the first time in more than a year, hope is becoming palpable again. It is at once familiar and foreign, tempered by a muted sense of anticipation. We have learned to live in quarantine and isolation. We have practiced caution and distance-keeping. We have known fear and uncertainty as a part of our everyday existence. We have lost, we have grieved, we have mourned, we have worried, we have striven, we have resigned, we have fought, we have grown weary. Many have learned to expect little and suffer much. Suffer much. Suffering is a hard subject as it is uncomfortable to confront, and we are prone to run from it, recover from it as quickly as we can, or risk breaking under the weight of it. In my experience, whether professional or personal, there is no level of skill, wisdom, or empathy that truly comforts the one who suffers. But this is where the beautiful truth of redemption steps in and begins to undo the work of suffering and loss.

Redemption is the recovery, the regaining of something that has been lost. We see traces of this each spring when the loss of daylight returns, the loss of warmth returns, the loss of greenery returns. It implies loss. Yet history and life itself tells us that, the greater the loss, the greater the redemption. And nowhere is this truth seen more clearly than in the loss and redemption of life at Calvary. There has been, is, and will never be a greater suffering than Christ enduring the full weight of humanity’s judgment unto death, but there has been, is, and will never be a greater redemption than the life that is offered to all of humanity in the resurrection of Christ that first Easter morn. For all who believe and call upon his name. Let us not believe for one second that every bit of death and dying that we experience in this world is the end of the story. Let us look to the empty cross and remember what sweet redemption is ours on a later day. And let us fuel the hope that is timidly returning to us by seeking out glimpses of redemption in the everyday. Lately is has been especially noticeable in the return of traffic on the roads, kids at the playground, jobs to families, and small gatherings in person. But let us not be satisfied so quickly; not merely with the prospect of vaccinations and a new normal. Instead, let us train our eyes to await and behold the final redemption when everything will be restored and made new again.

Eyes on the Prize

Written by Megan Farcas, LMHC CMHIMP (Clinical Supervisor, Senior Clinician)

Have you ever set a goal and then struggled to remain focused? Or felt like the goal was so far away it was unattainable and so you were less motivated? I was recently listening to an interview with psychologist Emily Balcetis who studied how our brains can use our visual system to shape our behavior. In other words, what we visualize can help change our behaviors and motivation. 

Balcetis discussed a study where they had participants go on a walk. Some were told to focus on a stop sign up ahead, while others were not. Those who focused on the stop sign felt that the finish line of the walk was closer than those who did not. More than that, those keeping their focus on the stop sign finished the walk faster than the other group and also exerted less energy doing so. The conclusion was that the illusion of proximity motivated the participants to walk faster without realizing it. This is a common practice among elite athletes, who often train to break things down into smaller chunks, like Michael Phelps counting breaststrokes or marathon runners identifying visual cues for their runs. 

But what happens if your goal is something you can’t tangibly visualize? Balcetis highlighted another study in which they talked to young people about retirement. Most young people had not yet considered retirement since it seemed so far off, but when the conductors of the study presented them with pictures of themselves photoshopped to look older, the young people began to engage and express interest in talking about options for retirement plans. This 'materializing' of something abstract can help make things more tangible to 'visualize' and focus on.

When applied to our day-to-day life, this research can be game changing. Maybe there are tangible goals you can 'see' like the example of walking while keeping your eyes fixed on a goal up ahead. But maybe there are things you are working towards that are more abstract. Are there ways you can be creative about 'materializing' a visual component? Making it more concrete? Maybe it is putting a sticky note with your goal or area of change written out on it and placing it somewhere you will see regularly. Or perhaps it is setting reminders to pop up in your calendar and keep you oriented towards your goal. Another idea is to engage your creative side and draw a picture of what you visualize the end result will be.

All of this also reminds me of the Christian life, of pressing forward to Jesus. The Bible speaks in a similar way about keeping our eyes on the the end goal:

“I press on toward the goal for the prize of the upward call of God in Christ Jesus.”  (Philippians 3:14 ESV)

“Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth.”  (Colossians 3:2 ESV)

Benefits of Expressive Writing (Part 2)

Written by Day Marshall, LMHC (Senior Clinician)

When I wrote Part 1 of this post, I had no idea the turns that life would present in the space between writing Part 2. However, as God’s will so consistently demonstrates, it is perfect and provides opportunities for growth and strengthening of faith if we have the willingness to embrace it.

In recent months, one of my most beloved friends was diagnosed with cancer, and his prognosis continues to worsen as treatments are applied and tests are run. In the midst of this, my Dad died quite suddenly. As my emotions and mind play leapfrog, trying to find reason while being overcome with floods of feelings, I have used journaling to express the inexpressible. Writing out my incomplete and complex fears, anger, questions, regrets, and sorrow has been powerful. It is, at its core, lament; a way of expressing our hearts and innermost self to God himself. Though it is entirely possible to lament verbally, the benefit of lamenting in writing is profound. It forces me to slow down just a bit; to allow each thought and feeling to linger a bit longer and to be examined a bit more closely. The few seconds it takes to print a word give the brain an extraordinary amount of neurological time to process the thought. The nanosecond required to realize that a thought exists is slowed down and the thought is held under a magnifying glass while the thought goes through the neurological process of moving to the writing part of the brain and transmitting the impulses to the fingers to form the letters or push the keys. This produces a visual representation of the thought before the eyes, which is then uploaded into the visual part of the brain for further processing.

The lament I experience, once expressed in journaling, allows for the powerful part of the exercise to take place — the peace. In taking the time to lay those emotions and thoughts out on the table, so to speak, I am able to move to a place of rest. In a sense, I’ve spoken my truth; I’ve expressed my pain, anger, grief, fear, loss. This clears the way for my heart to find some peace. It is here that entering into a place of expressing gratitude and hopefulness becomes more meaningful, or perhaps at some points, it is what allows it to be possible.

God is Here

Written by Heather Thornburg, MA (Clinician)

“The Lord is at hand; do not be anxious about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God.” Philippians 4:5b-6 ESV (italics added)

I could tell you that I love this verse, but I would be lying.  Mostly, I find this verse confusing – how in the world do I “not be anxious about anything?” Especially right now?  In 2021…that followed 2020?

Life in a fallen, broken world can easily produce anxiety, and this past year has really hit many of us hard.  Almost every single client that I see is experiencing anxiety symptoms to one degree or another.  And in truth, it impacts me as well.  Anxiety symptoms appear in different ways.  Physically, we can have muscle tension, nausea, hot or cold sweats, headaches, shortness of breath or tightness in our chest.  Emotionally, we can become easily irritated, easily startled, tearful, impatient.  Mentally, we can have difficulty focusing, become spacey, or have intrusive or racing thoughts.  This is not an exhaustive list, but whatever symptoms we experience can be difficult to live with.  So, what can we do?

Believe or not, managing anxiety can begin with some relatively simple steps.

1.      Breathe – Seems too simple, right?  But anxiety can cause us to hold our breath or breathe shallowly and rapidly, and this can make our symptoms worse.  Instead, take five minutes to do some deep breathing.  Breathe slowly in through your nose for a count of 4-6, hold your breath for a count of 4-6, then breathe slowly out through your mouth for a count of 6-8.  Repeat.  Deep breathing reverses the anxiety response and signals your brain to begin calming the body (from TherapistAid.com).

2.      Ground – Do you find yourself worrying about things that haven’t happened yet?  If your thoughts have a repeated refrain of “what if…” then you are.  The future hasn’t happened yet; it doesn’t exist.  The present moment is real, and grounding yourself in it will help you step back from the tyranny of your thoughts.  Look around you - what do you see?  What do you hear?  What do you smell, taste, feel?  Take it in slowly and deeply.  Describe your surroundings to yourself; notice your feelings.  Pause, and let yourself be present in the moment.  Breathe a thank you to God for something in your surroundings.  By the time you’ve done all this, the “what ifs” shouting in your brain will have quieted down and given you the space and the strength to choose your next thoughts, to speak the truth about who holds your future.

3.      Prayer – Do you ever get caught in a thought loop about things that worry you?  Racing thoughts or thinking about the same things over and over are frequent responses to anxiety.  These thoughts can also be some of the most difficult anxiety symptoms to address.  When you experience this, immediately turn your thoughts to prayer. Don’t necessarily try to change the content, just begin directing your thoughts to Jesus.  It looks something like this.  I think, “I have this blog to write, and it’s my first one.  What if people don’t like it and think it sounds dumb?  What if my colleagues don’t like it?  Will it be professional enough?  Is my writing up to par?” …and we’re off to the races.  Now switch to prayer.  “Jesus, I have this blog to write and it’s my first one.  God, what if people don’t like it and think it sounds dumb?”  …etc., etc.  In the first example, my thoughts are spinning inside of myself with nowhere to go, and I don’t have the power to do anything about them.  In the second example, I have directed my thoughts up and outside of myself to one who loves me and created me.  To one who has the power to encourage and direct me, and provide some objectivity. 

To return to our verse, yes, Paul tells us “do not be anxious about anything”, but before he does so, he reminds us that “the Lord is at hand.” God, himself, is the reason we have hope to overcome our anxiety. When you feel a tension headache coming on, rest your hand on your chest and remind yourself, “God is here.” When you’re lying in bed and can’t stop thinking, rest your hand on your chest and remind yourself “God is here.” When your irritated and don’t know why, rest your hand on your chest and remind yourself, “God is here.” Whether you feel him or not, God is here!