Karen Kwek

Learn more about Karen Kwek and check out Karen Kwek’s contributions to YMI over the years.

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Letter to Christian Misfit Featured Image YMI

To The One Who Feels Like an Outsider

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I saw you leave right after last Sunday’s service. You mumbled a polite excuse when some members invited you to stay for lunch, but I saw the tension and unease in your face.

When My Life Slowed to a Standstill

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One moment I was standing in the middle of a room at church, and the next I was being half-carried out and sent home in a car. My right kneecap had suddenly felt too unstable to support me, as if it were about to be dislocated.  After that, I was unable to walk without crutches for about a month.
A sleeping bear

4 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Rest

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It happened to me again: a long weekend promised an extra day of rest, but after the break, I was dragging myself out of bed and not relishing the start of the work week.

When My Joys Don’t Line Up With God’s

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"I try to pray and read the Bible, but I’m not the kind of person who posts Bible verses or articles about Jesus. I just feel guilty that I still find my hobbies, like searching for cute collectibles, a lot more fun. Is it wrong?”

How Do I Get Past My Disappointments and Hurts From Church?

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My friend came to our breakfast meeting downcast. “I’m having a hard time,” she said. “How long does it take you to forgive someone?”

What Should Christians Do About the Pain and Suffering in This World?

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I never expected celebrity chef and writer Anthony Bourdain to take his own life. No one did. Few guessed the internal struggles that sapped his zest for living, even while publicly he personified vitality itself. Sad news comes as a shock, even when there is so much of it.

Why Do I Always Think I’m Not Good Enough?

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“I’m really stressed,” my friend Anna* sighed, slumping into her seat opposite me at the café. “I need to do well during this probation period, but at the rate my department head keeps criticizing me, I don’t think I’m gonna make the cut.”

When You Find Out Your Friend Has A Mental Illness

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Simone and I were college-mates at university in England many years ago. Smart and popular, with a sarcastic sense of humor, she seemed to have it all: a strong Christian faith, a close circle of friends, top grades, and a guaranteed place in a prestigious postgraduate music program

So You Think You Have the Best Bucket List?

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“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?” Recently my sons’ school principal addressed his students with this line from Mary Oliver’s poem “The Summer Day”, recognizing that with their best years lying ahead of them, life was full of wonder and possibility.