A relentless, restless pursuit of God in the midst of the world, with Thomas Aquinas
What does it mean to be happy? Ecclesiastes talks about the “chasing after the wind”, a lack of satisfaction with the worldly pursuits of money, pleasure, success, and material goods. How can you be happy in a world that is designed to make you exist in a constant state of want? We yearn for something more. But what is that thing we seek in the night?
Beyond Resolutions — Building Systems for the New Year That Actually Work
Tomorrow’s the start of the New Year. Today I grabbed a sheet of paper and listed down my top 10 goals for the new year. I don’t know about you, but the chances of my losing this piece of paper and forgetting all about my goals next week are pretty high. The problem with this method is that my goals seem so abstract, so intangible, and so unreachable without steps and systems in place to reach them. Writing “I want to lose 20 pounds by December 2026” solidifies your intention, but how do you exactly go from point A to point B? You need a system, a protocol of steps and solutions you put in place to actually reach your goal.
Practical Techniques to Manage Anxiety
Modern life is growing in complexity, and with it are our stress levels. With the constant attack of stimuli and tasks on our todo lists, as well as relationships and career goals and financial issues to juggle, we can quickly feel overwhelmed by the daily life.
Building HIPAA-Compliant Healthcare Applications with Next.js
Healthcare technology is experiencing unprecedented growth, with digital health funding reaching record highs and hospitals rapidly adopting modern web applications. As a developer looking to break into this space, understanding how to build secure, compliant, and performant healthcare applications is essential.
In this post, I'll explore why Next.js has emerged as a compelling choice for healthcare applications and walk through key considerations when building for this highly regulated industry.
freedom with fear of the Lord
The fear of the Lord begins with wisdom. - Proverbs 1:7
Someone once important to me talked to me about the importance of truth. He was a truth-seeker, and I saw a kindred spirit in him. Our mutual thirst for truth and knowledge connected us, grounding us in each other’s and God’s presence. He was my brother in Christ, but our paths diverged and we walked separate ways. We connected again, but sin separated us.
Christian Journaling — A Sacred Practice for Spiritual Growth, Healing, and Hearing God
I’ve been journaling since I was a kid, loving the practice of writing thoughts and revelations, whimsies and feelings down on paper. It helped me to regulate my emotions better, calming me in the midst of a storm and revealing to me my inner demons and insecurities. Slowing down and spending time by myself to process life and my days allowed me space between the world and me.
7 Cozy Games For Fall Therapy
I recently got Steam again, which is a game store filled with interesting, inexpensive games to play on PC or MacBook. I’m not a heavy gamer, but I’ve been wanting to find new ways to destress and alleviate negative feelings. I was browsing on Youtube and found some videos on top “cozy” games that help you unwind and destress, so I decided to give it a try.
The Journey of the Soul: Stages of Salvation
Being a Christian does not mean to live in a static state of belief but to journey continually on a path of transformation — a pilgrimage from sin to sanctity, from brokenness to divine union with God. Along the path of growing closer to God and reforming the self, the soul undergoes several profound stages: justification, affliction, mortification, vivification, glorification, and for some — the purifying fire of purgatory.
More Room for Hygge — Finding Joy in Simplicity and Comfort
Hygge, pronounce “hoo-gah”, is a Danish concept that describes a feeling of coziness, comfort, and contentment that comes from enjoying life’s simple pleasures. It’s less about materialism and more about creating an atmosphere of warmth and cherishing meaningful moments with loved ones, or alone. Think of curling on the couch with a blanket and a book on a rainy day, sipping tea after lighting up a scented candle, having a slow dinner with close friends, or feeling safe and at peace in your bed as you are watching Netflix. Hygge is the art of slowing down, being present, and finding joy in simplicity.
10 Ways to Pray
There are many ways to pray. Whether it’s talking to God conversationally to praying the Holy Rosary, there are both spontaneous and structural ways to incorporate prayer into your daily life. Here are 10 ways you can incorporate prayer into your daily life.
17 Rituals in Christianity - The Sacred Rhythms of Daily LIfe
In a world that never stops moving, the rhythm of daily rituals and routines in Christianity can anchor you in your faith. Rituals are not simply repetitions of habits you’ve acquired since childhood; they are sacred rhythms that help shape your soul and draw you closer to God through the ordinary patterns of life. In between the tasks of your todo list and assignments and errands, the Christian habits you perform will help you maintain your faith.
The Liturgy of the Hours
Something that I remembered recently from my childhood and that I have returned to is praying the Liturgy of the Hour. Most Catholics are familiar with Mass, Rosary, and Eucharistic Adoration. But there is also prayer called Liturgy of the Hour that is ancient, rhythmic and deeply transformative.
10 Study Techniques That Work
We all know about active recall. One does not just passively read a textbook and magically retain information. Even those special geniuses with photographic memories don’t just skim through a page and naturally absorb it and retain it. Nothing in life is THAT easy.
But it doesn’t have to be hard. Knowing the right methods to learn is the key to succeeding in school, life, and more.
Breaking Old Habits, Making New Ones
Habits aren’t just behaviors — they are neural patterns.
Neurons that fire together wire together. Every time you think, act, or feel the same way, the same neural circuits are fired by your brain. Eventually the circuits become automatic, becoming a neural groove.
Meditation helps you interrupt these automatic patterns. By sitting still and observing your thoughts instead of acting out your thoughts, you are weakening the neural circuits. Over time, you can reprogram your mind by making new patterns of thinking and acting.
Brown Butter Matcha White Chocolate Chip Cookies
About a year ago, I discovered the wonders of brown butter.
Brown butter, or beurre noisette in French, is simply butter that has been melted and cooked until the milk solids turn golden brown. The process unlocks a deep nutty aroma (similar to toasted hazelnuts) that transforms ordinary butter into a gourmet ingredient. It has a nutty, rich, caramelized flavor that pairs well with the bitter, earthy, aromatic taste of matcha.
Here is a recipe for brown butter matcha white chocolate chip cookies that will be sure to elevate your palate.
My Skincare Routine - The Science and Tea Behind Skincare Products
I got into skincare a couple of years ago, having developed an interest in Korean skincare. One of my friends had a blog where she reviewed and rated Korean skincare products, and that got me hooked. Before I knew it, I was obsessively googling and looking up skincare products on YesStyle and Amazon, not to mention Sephora and Ulta Beauty. I was really interested in the science behind skincare, having double majored in biology and chemistry in college. I’d like to explain the science behind the various steps of skincare routines and share some skincare products I’ve been loving as well.
Time Management Tactics for Busy People
I recently finished reading The Time Management Solution: 21 Proven Tactics to Increase Your Productivity, Reduce Your Stress, And Improve Your Work Life Balance by Damon Zahariades (that was a mouthful). I’m a huge fan of self improvement and productivity books, and this book didn’t disappoint. I knew of time blocking and to do list apps, but this book really opened my eyes to the myriad possibilities of time management. Here are 21 tactics for time management that will transform your life.
How to Find the Right Career: Core Principles That Work
Garden City is one of my favorite Christian books of all time. John Mark Comer just has a way of words, and I’m fully convinced now that God has put me on this Earth for a reason. That we all have a calling in life, and until we find it and are fully committed to it and practicing it and living it, we will never be happy.
Work is important. We were made to work the earth. Everyone has a job they need to be doing during their time here on this earth, and sometimes it takes years to find it. A lot of people don’t end up working in a field that they majored in. Their paths diverge and they end up in a completely different place that they thought they would end up in.
How do you find the career you’re meant for and that’s meant for you? I’ve had many conversations with people about this, and at the end of the day, I think that a cursory opinion or two based on mental heuristics isn’t enough for me to make a life-changing decision on what I should pursue in my career. I’ve also been on the other side of the decision where I’ve given advice to people who were struggling to find the career they enjoy and want to do for the rest of their life.
So I’ve come up with a framework for helping people decide what career to go into, what their calling in life is. It’s based on these six principles:
Past. Presence. Personality. Practice. Purpose. Power.
10 Life Lessons from my 20’s
I turned 33 recently, and I feel I’ve grown so much since my 20’s. From obsessing over grades and internships and jobs, fantasizing over crushes, crying over relationships that didn’t work out, figuring myself out to learning to love myself has been a long journey in and of itself. And one of the most important things that I’ve gained throughout those years was a love for God, which has helped me love myself. Here are some life lessons I’ve learned along the way.
The Catholic Life
I was baptized in the Catholic Church when I was a baby, and I was confirmed when I was four years old. Usually kids are confirmed in middle school, but I was impatient and wanted to commit and be confirmed. I spent some time in the UK, attending mass at Catholic Church and Sunday school. When I came to the US, I started going to mass regularly with my mom. I stopped in high school but I started going to mass again and taking Eucharist last year.