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    February 4, 2019

    Something I Carry

    {GUEST POST FOR SHELOVES MAGAZINE}

    Posted on February 4, 2019 by Jenn Zatopek

    What an honor and privilege it is to be over at SheLoves Magazine today, sharing some of my experiences on overcoming grief and loss. I hope you’ll enjoy reading the essay as much as I enjoyed writing it!

    ***

    I don’t know when the depression started. Did it start during the seemingly interminable winter months when I could barely get out of bed before 9 o’clock in the morning? Or did it start before then−during the holidays with new schedules and more family visits and less time for myself?

    The answer is a mystery. What I recall is that I was deeply depressed during the winter months. Each morning before work, I crawled out of bed and went to the kitchen to fix breakfast. I made my way to the front room to pray, but wept instead. I provided counseling to others and tried my best to be of service. I slept on the office couch during the times when folks cancelled, praying to God for help, for strength, for anything that would help me find solace and hope during those lonely moments. . .

    I would love for you to click here and finish reading at SheLoves Magazine.

    (Photo by Alexander Ramsey on Unsplash)
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    January 31, 2019

    In the Silence of the Night

    {GUEST POST FOR THE GLORIOUS TABLE}

    Posted on January 31, 2019 by Jenn Zatopek

    It is truly a joy to be over at The Glorious Table today and share with you about my own struggles with sleepless nights and how I encounter God’s compassion in the midst of them.

    ***

    I wake early again and toss and turn in my bed for a while. I can tell it’s early morning because no sunlight is streaming in through our bedroom windows—and I am groggy. I try to fall back asleep, staying still in my warm bed with my husband lying quietly next to me, but it’s no use. I can’t keep my brain from whirring with thoughts that clamor for attention.

    I do the only helpful thing to do: I slowly make my way out of bed and wend my way to our little study to pray. The cold north winds rattle the window panes as I carefully navigate through the darkened house. I settle into the armchair with an afghan and a purring cat, and then I sit in the dark. I have learned that turning on lights keeps my brain wide awake. What I need right now, more than anything, is darkness.

    I’d love for you to click here and finishing reading at The Glorious Table.

    (Photo by Tyson Dudley on Unsplash)
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    January 20, 2019

    A Closer Look at The Shack

    Posted on January 20, 2019 by Jenn Zatopek

    It was in my late twenties that I discovered the writings of Paul Young and The Shack, and it could not have come at a better time. I converted to Christianity at age twenty after I discovered Jesus at an Episcopal Church in which my humanities professor, Father Bob, served as a part-time rector. As I took the host for the first time from Father Bob, I leaned against the communion rail and wept with joy because I knew I had finally found Jesus, my true home. Read more

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    January 2, 2019

    Wonders of His Love

    Posted on January 2, 2019 by Jenn Zatopek

    *This essay was accepted for publication by SheLoves Magazine in December 2018. However, they were unable to publish it.  Still, it is an honor that the editors loved the work and wanted to publish it.  Enjoy!

    ***

    It’s Christmastime** again, and the cold rain falls steadily upon the earth as I sip my hot tea and stare out the window, enjoying the pale gray morning. I listen to the folksinger Sufjan Stevens croon “Joy to the World,” and I can’t help but weep. What is it about this particular song that stirs me so deeply, and why am I smiling? Could it be that I have finally awakened to the truth of who I am, God’s beloved daughter? Read more

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    Community, Family, Mental Health, Spirituality, Uncategorized, Work /
    December 7, 2018

    The Importance of Being Vulnerable

    Posted on December 7, 2018 by Jenn Zatopek

    Last week, I decided to undertake a new project in addition to private practice.  The opportunity is flexible and lucrative and has supportive management.  It is for a good cause and would allow me to pursue several dreams that are coming true for me, especially so for the next year.

    But I have a confession to make to you:  I experienced misgivings the moment I decided to take on something new.

    Read more

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    November 29, 2018

    Friendship with My Soul

    Posted on November 29, 2018 by Jenn Zatopek

    I sit in a sunlit diner having a late lunch.  It’s after two o’clock in the afternoon, and I notice the light dancing in the shadows near the corners of the wall, the dust motes floating delicately down the way to the ground, their bedding for the moment before they are brushed away into air again.

    The diner is situated near a busy intersection so I take a seat in a quiet corner of the cafe, watching the cars drift by and the russet leaves blow on a slender tree just outside the back door.  I’m caught in a beautiful reverie, a flow of sorts, of relaxing into the only moment I have: the present. Read more

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