Chen Chronicles

My mother-in-law's favorite saying which is plastered all over her walls is: Live, Laugh, Love. A friend of mine (who I will not name) struggles with some health issues seemingly similar to my own, but she prefers not to "give them power by speaking about them." That is a hard practice to implement. Think--I can't be anxious as I wait to find out WHAT is plaguing my 33-year-old body. I have signs of an autoimmune disease and this takes a LONG time to figure out--sometimes years. I have a sarcastic humor and it feels like I am living out an episode of Mystery Diagnosis. For the last 10 years, I have struggled with times when I feel worried about how I feel, but I do not want to become SO focused over the next few months and forget others and my family until they figure out this enigmatic event. Things that don't seemingly fit together completely are related. My brain tells me to breathe, sleep, eat, etc. so it's all concomitant. I write for therapeuti...

As many already know, I am a Southerner at heart, born and raised in Alabama and married to a man from Louisiana. We met on e-Harmony. Yes, online dating works and we are a testament to the value of this as we have been married seven years and together for eight. As I pondered how to address this particular topic today, on the "love" holiday of the year, I thought it best to approach this from a Christian viewpoint as it best aligns with my beliefs.  In our monthly MOPs meeting this month, they assembled a panel of men and these men answered pre-selected questions meant to "tame the mystery of man." It was nice to hear one of them say that his wife was NOT submissive and it was possible to have a good marriage and good life with someone who wasn't. I agree with that statement somewhat, and I even mentioned it the other night to my husband after I came home. He reminded me gently that this isn't the way God intended our marriages to be and that bei...

I have wanted to write this entry for a few days, but it has truly bothered me how much money President Putin spent on the Winter Olympics in Sochi. Just the cost of the opening ceremony alone was $750,000 .  Yes, 3/4 of a million dollars.  But yet, he cannot address the orphan problem in his own country and take care of his own people . The Olympics are known for showcasing extreme talent in young athletes, some even as young at 15 years old.  But it makes me SICK to think of all the suffering that is going on over there to these innocent babies in "baby homes," which they so-named them.  Why not call them what they are? They are mini-prisons where, even when an orphan ages out of them, they are destined to a life of crime, prostitution and replicating the current trend of orphans.   My life was forever changed the day I set foot inside the orphanage in Vladivostok, Russia, in 2010 when we adopted our daughter in 2011.  Tomorrow will be the three-...

As I sit down to write this, I think back about how many times Aaron has told me....."Don't say I love you ....show me."  I have to say, yes, honey you are 100 percent correct in this point-of-view.  I am sorry I have never gotten it, until TODAY! Sometimes, for me to understand a concept, I require a practical, life example where I am forced to apply the principle.   I am helping our church with something called Winter Haven, where basically it is as it sounds. Our church is providing a respite for homeless men in this program from the cold and with that, providing meals for them for a week. It is a wonderful program, and for many, the ONLY way they will be exposed to the Gospel.  We have ONE chance to reach many of these men before sending them out on the street again. My job (besides cooking part of the meal one night) is to call and remind everyone who has volunteered to help with lunches for the men. The lunches will have personal notes inside them and si...