It’s been a strange year, which sounds woefully inadequate. Somedays it appears the world has gone mad. Not my first time thinking this or even saying it. Hell, almost everyone I know is saying the same thing. I’ve been watching the last couple years of f***ed up leadership in this country - watching people [...]
It’s official. We have entered the holiday season - even though I saw Christmas decorations at Target this past July… but let’s not go there. The bell has rung, and we are out of the gate - starting on Thanksgiving, running into Black Friday, zipping through Small Business Saturday, leaping over Sunday (there must [...]
Say these words out loud - I AM BLESSED. Now say it again with a pause in between each word. I. AM. BLESSED. Now one more time with a longer pause, and with your most powerful voice - I… AM… BLESSED. Even as I write the words, a smile emerges slowly across my face, my [...]
Do you ever hear words emanating from your lips, and instantly while the words break from your mouth you think, “Did I really just say that??” You are still in the nanosecond of surprise, when you discover you probably have a small list of sentences or phrases you could never have imagined uttering. If you [...]
I have a friend that I have known well for about 23 years, she’s also a recovering addict. She has been a sister, friend, sponsee and confidant. I have always maintained that the most challenging people in our lives are our master teachers – I guess you could also say she has been a master [...]
Caregiving is a complex journey that brings a flood of emotions including gratitude, frustration, compassion, sadness, guilt and yes–anger and resentment. We oftentimes have self-critical chatter saying “I’m inadequate” or “I’m not enough,” because we think we shouldn’t get angry. Then when we condemn ourselves for even getting angry, we wind up feeling guilty, and [...]
I have yet to meet a person who doesn’t love bubbles. The fascination begins in childhood, and never leaves. Regardless of our age, we have always loved bubbles at bath time, having your nose tickled as you lift a carbonated drink to your lips, practicing blowing bubbles with chewing gum, even making shapes with the [...]
My own spiritual discipline has been to challenge myself each year with an expanded understanding of the traditionalholidays, while maintaining a sense of reverence, even sentimentality to a small degree. One of the great paradoxes of navigating the landscape of religious holidays, ceremonies and traditions is dancing with reverence AND relevance at the same time. [...]
It seems horrifying to imagine that the places we have used for worship, sanctuary, community, fellowship, love and connection, places that for millennia have helped define our own identity are now having to be prepared for violence and death. I can’t even believe I am having to write these words. It pains me to know [...]
First let me start by saying I hold all those who have been affected by the devastation from #Harvey in my heart - enfolding all life, including those providing the necessary life giving aid, care and comfort. I can’t begin to imagine the fear, anger and terror being experienced. I am watching from a distance [...]
