During the Christmas season, we are surrounded by all the loveliness and sparkle we can imagine. Everything seems to shimmer and sparkle with the twinkle of lights and colorful decoration.

But what happens when we ourselves do not feel merry and bright? What happens when we can't seem to get in the Christmas spirit? We can feel like Christmas isn't even meant for me this year.

We may decorate like Christmas is for the holly and jolly, but in truth, Christmas came for those in the dark, for those surrounded by darkness hoping for the Light of hope and freedom of deliverance.

Wherever your spirit is this Christmas season, we hope this reflection encourages and comforts you as you remember Christmas isn't just for those who are merry and bright. Christmas is meant for us all who are finding our way in the darkness believing in the hope and the fulfillment of the Light of the World.

If you are interested in learning more about Cultivate Counseling and our additional emotional health resources, go to www.cultivateatlanta.com .

We need friendship in our lives.  In fact, studies show we are mentally and physically healthier when we have belonging and connection.  
So how do we create this needed and desired connection in adulthood?  How do we make and sustain friendships amidst all of our responsibilities, schedules, and demands for our time and attention?

In this episode, Mazi interviews therapist Sarah Collins and Corrie Inman as they discuss how to cultivate belonging and connection in adult friendship. They cover such topics as:

*The challenges of making and sustaining friends in adulthood
*The different types of loneliness we experience
*The characteristics of a good friend and how to become and make that type of friend
*The feelings that come with growing apart from friends and why we never talk about how much that can hurt

We hope this episode encourages, validates, and equips you to cultivate more meaningful connection.

If you are interested in learning more about Cultivate Counseling and our additional emotional health resources, go to www.cultivateatlanta.com.

We all know that perfectionism is not possible, yet so many of us keep striving and reaching for that brass ring.  We mask our attempts at perfection with secret codes like "I know I can't be perfect, I just want to do my best" or "I know perfection isn't possible, I just like to be really productive."  These secret codes lead us to attach our worth to our production and performance and we end up ever striving rather than living from the truth that we are loved and worthy.  In today's episode, Mazi shares how 40 ounces of water and her own journey through IVF led her face to face with the damaging impact of her secret code perfectionism and how we all can find peace and freedom.

As we continue to live through a global pandemic, many of us are experiencing a lot of feelings, maybe even more than we normally do.  And probably these feelings are intense and quickly changing.  Why are we feeling so much and so intensely right now?  What purpose do feelings serve in our lives?  Are some feelings unhealthy or unchristian?  How do we learn to acknowledge our feelings and respond productively to stressful situations.  Join in this episode as Mazi answers these questions, as well as looks at why emotion, and letting ourselves experience all our emotions, leads to a fuller, richer life.

As we move into Easter weekend, we wanted to give you a special episode to help prepare your heart for the hope of Easter.  The three days of Easter weekend represent the cycle we live in throughout our lives- there is the unthinkable loss/tragedy of Friday, followed by the questions, grief, despair of Saturday, and then the redemption/healing of Sunday. It seems like we spend a lot of our time in Saturday, in The Middle. The Middle is the in between.  It is after the crisis but before the new chapter. The Middle comes after the tragedy but before the triumph. In today's episode, Mazi talks about how to live in The Middle, the spiritual wrestling that often comes with this season, and how to find comfort and hope in the assurance of a redemptive Sunday. 

Hope is a sustaining force in our lives, a light to illuminate the darkness. How do we access hope when it feels far away or elusive? How can we respond to cynicism and despair when they arise? In this podcast episode, Cultivate staff therapist Sarah Collins, MS, MDiv, APC, NCC explores some of the challenging aspects of holding onto hope in times of difficulty and offer guidance for the practice of cultivating hope.

We believe stories are important.  We especially believe YOUR stories are important.  Your story does not need to be complete, you don’t have to know the ending or have it all wrapped up in a pretty bow, but we believe chapters of our story are worth sharing because we learn and grow from one another's stories.

We hope you enjoy today's storyteller, Mary Beth Walker, as she shares how she navigated a year of significant change in her life.You will love hearing Mary Beth’s wisdom and humor as she shares what she learned about herself, her faith, and how to face uncertainty with courage.

Change is a certainty in our life, but change brings anything but certainty to our lives. Whether we choose the change or it is thrust upon us, change brings forth a host of thoughts and feelings. How can we learn to handle change so that we can move forward with confidence rather than stay gripped by anxiety? In today's episode, Mazi Robinson shares how we can learn to handle change despite the unknowns and uncertainty and cultivate confidence and clarity for our future.

Do you ever feel lonely or disconnected? Not invited? Not included? We are “connected” to more people than ever before, yet many report feelings of disconnection from quality, meaningful friendships. Loneliness is a growing epidemic in our culture. When we feel lonely, we try to distract ourselves and fill the empty spaces in our lives to avoid it, but loneliness ends up taking a toll on our emotional well-being. On today's episode Miriam Ryan discusses why we struggle with loneliness and how to cultivate meaningful connections in our hyper-connected world.

What do stubbed toes and a broken heart have in common?  A lot!  When we are injured, our natural inclination is to hide, to protect the wound.  But it is only when we let light, love, and air reach a wounded place that it can begin to heal.  In today's episode, we talk about how to break free of the silence and isolation that can keep our stories and our heart wounds hidden.