<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8"?><rss xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/" xmlns:content="http://purl.org/rss/1.0/modules/content/" xmlns:atom="http://www.w3.org/2005/Atom" version="2.0"><channel><title><![CDATA[Mercy Rapha]]></title><description><![CDATA[Mercy Rapha]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/blog</link><generator>RSS for Node</generator><lastBuildDate>Mon, 19 Oct 2026 23:38:15 GMT</lastBuildDate><atom:link href="https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/blog-feed.xml" rel="self" type="application/rss+xml"/><item><title><![CDATA[Before I Turn 33, Here's What I Want to Do Differently ]]></title><description><![CDATA[So, what do I want to do differently in year 33? Honest answer: I have no idea. I’ve always been the type to plan for everything, down to the second, but I’ve come to realize that I wasn’t allowing life to happen as it should, and I spent a lot of time worrying and ruminating.  I want that to be different.  Not the usual list of becoming a completely new person (I just may be; I’m not closing myself off), waking up at 5 am everyday lol, drinking green juice, and suddenly having my entire life...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/before-i-turn-33-here-s-what-i-want-to-do-differently</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ad5d74d28129433d6dce3df</guid><pubDate>Mon, 19 Oct 2026 08:47:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/b72c73e82c9c4e5b8956469522b4dabb.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[I May Not Have Everything Figured Out, But I Know I'm Moving ]]></title><description><![CDATA[If you asked me a year ago where I’d be at 32, I probably would have given you a confident answer based on the version of my future I had imagined.  But as we know, life always has other plans  This year, I graduated with my Master’s degree, found work that gives me a sense of purpose through Chiwo Connect, and started seeing my future a little more clearly.   Those things are worth celebrating.  I’ve also experienced seasons of abundance and seasons of lack. I’ve had moments when I felt...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/i-may-not-have-everything-figured-out-but-i-know-i-m-moving</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ad482cb243629b2a9d92bfc</guid><pubDate>Sun, 18 Oct 2026 08:35:14 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_7d81254b74504455a6a4420bd6bac727~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Getting to Know ME]]></title><description><![CDATA[At some point this year, I decided I needed to spend some time with myself, and I mean really spend time with myself.  Not the kind where you’re alone physically but mentally managing everybody else’s business. I wanted to understand who I was when I wasn’t busy responding to the world around me.  So, I pulled back a little.  I spent more time reflecting, praying, and sitting with thoughts I would sometimes rather avoid. I started paying attention to my patterns, my reactions, my fears, and...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/getting-to-know-me</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ad3364b5b1e314eb9cdeca5</guid><pubDate>Sat, 17 Oct 2026 08:56:54 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_6230c93d3e8749fbb6f521f6f285d9ba~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Turns Out, I'm Actually a Softie ]]></title><description><![CDATA[One of the more surprising discoveries I’ve made at 32 is that I’m actually a sweet person.  I know. Groundbreaking news  Somewhere along the way, I developed an exterior that might have convinced people that I was emotionally unavailable, perpetually unbothered, or capable of handling everything without assistance.  The truth? I can be all of those things on a good day; on other days, I’m just a softie with an excellent poker face.  This year has taught me a lot about how I love people and...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/turns-out-i-m-actually-a-softie</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ad1afcd5e692e92b8414b5e</guid><pubDate>Fri, 16 Oct 2026 06:30:02 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_89d822667c134f43b29f13520c3294ca~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[In My Brokenness, I Never Lacked What I Needed]]></title><description><![CDATA[One of the running themes of 32 was: having faith doesn’t mean you’ll never have difficult days.  Sometimes you pray and still feel anxious; other times you trust God and still have questions. Sometimes you believe everything will work out, but you’d also appreciate a small hint about how and when, because the suspense is getting out of hand  This year, I’ve experienced some of my deepest moments of prayer. I’ve had to sit down with God and ask Him what the deal is. I’ve had to confront...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/in-my-brokenness-i-never-lacked-what-i-needed</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6acfc8fe5510cf48b6915829</guid><pubDate>Thu, 15 Oct 2026 06:30:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_2958eef531944aa39d0baf392725a0fc~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The Year I Learned That Love Doesn't Protect You from Loss]]></title><description><![CDATA[This year has taught me that you can love people deeply and still lose them.  I know that it’s a fact of life. We’ve all heard it before. There’s a difference between knowing something intellectually and having life sit you down and make sure you understand it.  At 32, I lost a friend and my grandmother in close succession.  I’m not an expert in grief, nor do I think that there’s a perfect way to talk about loss.  Sometimes you have the words; sometimes you don’t. Many times, life carries on...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/the-year-i-learned-that-love-doesn-t-protect-you-from-loss</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6ace33f5fa64c4bae638de9b</guid><pubDate>Wed, 14 Oct 2026 06:30:03 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_0d4e0e0f391a48e8a53acbd4a12a4cb2~mv2_d_5763_3842_s_4_2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[32: The Year I Questioned Everything]]></title><description><![CDATA[There’s something about getting older that makes you see that you actually know very little about life - this is very inconvenient when you’ve spent years thinking that you’re a reasonably intelligent person who has a lot of things figured out  As I prepare to turn 33 (even me admitting this in such a public space in itself is very brave), I’ve been reflecting on year 32, and honestly? What a year!  I graduated with my Master’s degree, experienced loss, questioned relationships, made new...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/32-the-year-i-questioned-everything</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6acd1c8064fa781cd4cc0415</guid><pubDate>Tue, 13 Oct 2026 06:30:04 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/ec424e4d284643c7b2a674ca18c3726b.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Growth Is Often Quiet: How to Recognize Progress in Your Life. ]]></title><description><![CDATA[When I was younger, I imagined growth would be obvious, straightforward even. I thought it would come with dramatic transformations, breakthroughs, inspirational background music, and the sudden ability to manage my life.  What I didn’t know was that personal growth is incredibly boring, especially from the outside.  Growth can take many forms. It can look like: Answering an email you’ve been putting off for days. Choosing to remain calm in a situation that would have ruined your entire day a...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/growth-is-often-quiet-how-to-recognize-progress-in-your-life</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a3137a3a3833966018b7322</guid><pubDate>Tue, 16 Jun 2026 11:56:42 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_57defd2be4694bd19b571c932df267c2~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Lessons I've Learned from Rejection Emails]]></title><description><![CDATA[I wish I could tell you that rejection no longer bothers me - that after years of applying for opportunities, pitching ideas, sending applications, or putting myself out there, I’ve evolved into one of those emotionally mature people who simply nod or say ‘Ah, yes, another learning opportunity’ ‘Another step in the right direction’ ‘This is part of my story.’ Unfortunately, I’m not that person.  I’m the type of person who, if I open an email and see the words ‘Thank you for your interest…’, I...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/lessons-i-ve-learned-from-rejection-emails</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a1c08dc73b1da78bf62522a</guid><pubDate>Sun, 31 May 2026 10:23:27 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_cc41acc455014eb3afc580112ce1b8c1~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Why I Still Believe That Good Things Are Coming]]></title><description><![CDATA[Every time I think about, let alone say, ‘I feel like something good is about to happen’, life says bet, and responds with the most random bouts of sadness, an unexpected emotional breakdown at 11:43 pm (which makes you wonder why you’re not asleep yet), a rejection email from a client you didn’t think had the ability to say no, or the impeding doom of your existence.    And yet, in the midst of the murkiness, I am a prisoner of hope; I still believe good things are coming.  And this is not...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/why-i-still-believe-that-good-things-are-coming</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a12b4068fa816dacc82b9a8</guid><pubDate>Sun, 24 May 2026 08:39:19 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_d8eb94007b114d6d8f8b3f1d0fbe9237~mv2.png/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Ways to Pretend That You're Fine, When You Aren't]]></title><description><![CDATA[My grandma has been a constant source of light all my life.    She’s one of those people who, if they’re around, you feel your problems disappear. It doesn’t help that if you look at her, you see my mother, and then see me. She’s everything I am not, and though I don’t see her every day, I feel connected to her.  So, imagine the devastation I felt when I received news that she had passed on. The first thing that came to my mind was no, she’s not. Why would an enigma’s life end? And why was it...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/ways-to-pretend-that-you-re-fine-when-you-aren-t</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6a096670df43effc8ce1631a</guid><pubDate>Sun, 17 May 2026 09:55:41 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_f5c47c86872a427aa1d0ac1761968ffd~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Category: Slightly Unbothered with the Possibility of Slipping Back.]]></title><description><![CDATA[There was a time when Imani would have been shattered by a random’s person’s opinion of how she is, based on interacting with her for a...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/category-slightly-unbothered-with-the-possibility-of-slipping-back</link><guid isPermaLink="false">64a51840ffa97608d4d59ef7</guid><pubDate>Wed, 05 Jul 2023 07:28:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8aa6094f4a704707bd0f233a1c792b10.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[What Was, Is, and Could Have Been?]]></title><description><![CDATA[You met in the hallways of your dorm room when one of your friends brought him over. You thought, 'Oh, he's cute. He has a nice smile'....]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/what-was-is-and-could-have-been</link><guid isPermaLink="false">6491ea680259c784e2587ad5</guid><pubDate>Tue, 20 Jun 2023 18:45:18 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_7736a5e2cdfd4b1d92068f22cb11ffda~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Uncomfortable Truths about your 20s]]></title><description><![CDATA[Recently, my brother, who’s in his early 20s, realized the actual responsibilities of adulthood, and let’s just say, he’s not a fan. He...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/uncomfortable-truths-about-your-20-s</link><guid isPermaLink="false">62cc0251dc9866b9a596a18d</guid><pubDate>Mon, 11 Jul 2022 11:18:25 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_a95e20eae67242ef85e6cb43cbe6b5de~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[11 of the Most Underrated Things (IMO)]]></title><description><![CDATA[One thing about me; I don’t like existing in my comfort zone, especially when I know I have the skills, knowledge, experience, or...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/11-of-the-most-underrated-things-imo</link><guid isPermaLink="false">629ca5b226be6d00fd730647</guid><pubDate>Sun, 05 Jun 2022 13:25:21 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_8c0aab2a9f804f3695ae67f658d3410f~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[My Narcissist Boss ]]></title><description><![CDATA[I was at a loss trying to understand her. From the moment I joined the organization, she was always complaining. I figured that it had...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/my-narcissist-boss</link><guid isPermaLink="false">628dc10b38389efeaf0fb44b</guid><pubDate>Tue, 24 May 2022 21:00:00 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/f4a2eb10b3154a8a8c1bcda2e37e94c0.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>Guest Writer</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[The 10 Commandments of absolute random stuff]]></title><description><![CDATA[To me, life is a collection of random things that happen either by chance, as a joke, or completely accidental. With this knowledge, you...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/the-10-commandments-of-absolute-random-stuff</link><guid isPermaLink="false">612109ba50d2a5001522ecf8</guid><pubDate>Sat, 21 Aug 2021 14:34:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/8b0f4572c34045f98b1897f88502cc52.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Impromptu clarity in the middle of the unknown ]]></title><description><![CDATA[As many of you know I am always in search of something new; something to learn, something to enhance my creativity, and sometimes, things...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/impromptu-clarity-in-the-middle-of-the-unknown</link><guid isPermaLink="false">60d63860cc82550015fbdf32</guid><pubDate>Fri, 25 Jun 2021 20:33:26 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/15db9c04db804a7cb9e229b45337e838.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[Girl Code; Unwritten Rules ]]></title><description><![CDATA[As a gender we have so many moving parts it’s hard to keep up with each one of them, let alone keep up with another person. This is why I...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/girl-code-unwritten-rules</link><guid isPermaLink="false">60a93a4780a70d0015bb3a95</guid><pubDate>Sat, 22 May 2021 17:32:57 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/nsplsh_0bafa5e26c984473bc70a87b4d708edf~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item><item><title><![CDATA[A to Z guide to your well being ]]></title><description><![CDATA[Month four of 2021 is almost done. Have you started being the new you yet? What are some of the challenges you have faced so far and how...]]></description><link>https://mercyrapha.wixsite.com/website/post/a-to-z-guide-to-your-well-being</link><guid isPermaLink="false">607e93190d70ef005712824c</guid><pubDate>Tue, 20 Apr 2021 16:01:12 GMT</pubDate><enclosure url="https://static.wixstatic.com/media/11062b_3487c3bc4dfe4e9597122eb156985107~mv2.jpg/v1/fit/w_1000,h_1000,al_c,q_80/file.png" length="0" type="image/png"/><dc:creator>mercyrapha</dc:creator></item></channel></rss>