Conversations with Cinthia

How Do You Know You Are Loved?, Part 2

Remember the old-fashioned daisy petal game?  "He loves me, he loves me not..."  Figuring out whether someone loves us is a much bigger task than just listening for the sentence, "I love you."  We know we aren't perfect and can't expect perfection from our relationship partners, but we do need to be trustworthy and to discern whether we are in relationship with a trustworthy person. Cinthia continues exploring how to know whether someone loves you, giving specific behaviors and qualities to observe.

How Do You Know You Are Loved?, Part 1

Fans of 80's songs will especially love this episode, though the topic applies to everyone, regardless of generation or musical tastes.  We desperately need to be loved, but how do we know if the "love" we are receiving is really love?  The words "I love you" can be spoken in so many contexts, including those that involve abuse, apathy, and other profound dysfunction.  Cinthia explores the quest to know love and discusses how to know when we are really being loved.

You Are the God Who Sees Me: Why We Need to Be Seen

Humans have an innate, primal need to be seen and understood -- even humans who are desperately wanting to hide.  Remember Hagar?  Used and discarded, waiting for her son to die in the desert, she encountered God in the wilderness and called Him "the God Who sees me."  She was then able to go back with her son and face the situation she could not previously handle.  Cinthia discusses Hagar, John Newton (the former slave trader who eventually wrote "Amazing Grace"), and the rest of us.  When we see the God Who sees us, it changes everything. 

Interview with Roland Warren AND Ettiquette, Part 2

What do you experience when you hear news or discussion of the recent court decisions regarding abortion laws?  This issue is tender for so many people and demands that we love well on many levels.  Cinthia's guest today, Roland Warren, is  the president of Care Net, a movement of more than 1,000 life-affirming pregnancy centers that also runs a real-time call center providing pregnancy-decision coaching.  Along with his now-wife, Mr. Warren chose life for their own unplanned child, despite being strongly encouraged by a nurse to choose abortion.  Today, he emphasizes that we must support those facing difficult pregnancy circumstances in ways that help them not only choose life but find abundant life for themselves and their families.  After the interview, Cinthia continues the discussion introduced last week regarding etiquette and its role in helping us treat one another with respect.

 

Foundations for the Present AND The Value of Etiquette

What do you think of when you hear the word "manners?" Do you associate it with outdated stuffiness or see it as sadly lacking in the modern era? Today's episode is a two-for-one. Cinthia starts by building on last week's "Undoing Your Past" theme, this time exploring how to build a strong foundation in the present. She then discusses the value of showing respect for ourselves and others and ways old-fashioned etiquette can bring a little class to our lives.

Your Best Year Ever: Undoing Your Past

Do you ever cringe when you remember things you've done? Do you know that feeling when waves of regret and shame sweep over you? We can't redo the past, but we can create new history that changes the present effects of our past decisions. 

Forgiving Yourself (first aired 9-17-16)

Do you ever find yourself lamenting how things might have been if only you had made different choices?  Sometimes we apply forgiveness to everyone else.  Cinthia reminds us that God takes seriously His role as the only Judge; sometimes this means we have to stop trying to punish ourselves.

The Burden of Unforgiveness (first aired 5-28-17)

We all know forgiveness is important, but how does it really impact us when we carry grudges against others, ourselves, even God?  Cinthia explores physical, emotional, and spiritual implications of withholding forgiveness.

Irritating and Annoying Habits People May Not Know They Have, Part 3

When is it appropriate to confront someone else's annoying habit?  Is it healthy to self-censor regarding our own habits?  Cinthia continues her discussion of irritating and annoying habits we and others may display that inadvertently get in the way of social enjoyment, relationship intimacy, or business success.

Irritating and Annoying Habits People May Not Know They Have, Part 2

Too many selfies?  Offering help when the other person doesn't want it?  Chronically late to arrive? Whether we're networking for business, talking to someone we love, or trying to enjoy a social life, some habits are just socially irritating, whether they are in our behavior or that of another person.  How do we become more aware of our own habits, and how do we deal with them in other people?  Cinthia continues the series she started last week.