Adventure vs. Safety
At the playground with my kids, I overhear a parent and their child. “Watch out for that!”“Don’t step down from there!”“Be careful!”“That’s dangerous, please get down!” This parent calls out commands and the child responds, changing their behavior to match the comfort of their guiding adult. I’ve been this parent.Not so much now.In fact, only […]
At the Charcoal Fire
I sit on a plane.Watching a sunset out my window.Delayed but now on my way home. I feel the familiar joy of spending myself for the sake of others.God’s Spirit in me and on me.I recognize the way that God moves.This time had the mark of God’s presence. Often life feels like movement,Events to major […]
I Believe in Healing
Wholeness and healing are available. I will never stop believing that miracles are possible.I’ve witnessed first-hand cancer that is wiped out,babies that survive and thrive,money that comes just on time. However, my faith does not depend on this physical manifestation. Sometimes wholeness and healing don’t always appear in the ways I expect. I never got to birth my […]
My Grandma Jean: Love & Stories
Experiences with her are woven together in a blurry, patchwork of memories. Tables full of cousins at Christmas time. Turkey and BBQ, stuffed raisin cookies, olives for every finger. My favorite part was always the games. Farkle and Canasta. Mille Bornes and that one with the tiles. I don’t remember the name. I never wanted […]
Life is full: we celebrate, we grieve
Last week was a weighty week for us. My heart was full of joy as I officiated at my mom’s wedding.Ralph is a fantastic human and I’m so grateful that he and my mom are together.It’s a true gift to watch the delight dance in my mom’s eyes.To see how settled and comfortable they are […]
Christmas – holy or humdrum?
There are times when every ordinary moment seems so precious and vivid, wild with life. Where things are seemingly suspended in the air, as if experienced in slow motion. Everything feels like the gift that it is. There are other times life is steady. Indistinguishable moments lived in a blur of speed. All fading together. […]
Experiencing-Self / Remembering-Self
In her book All Joy and No Fun: The paradox of modern parenthood, Jennifer Senior describes the ways children reshape the lives of their parents. Parents may not be having “fun” when they are restructuring their entire lives around raising children, but they are opening their lives to greater joy. Thus the paradox: are we […]
Is your value based on what you have to offer?
You cannot force rest.You simply must be present to it.And by ‘simply’ I don’t mean there is anything simple about it.It’s just that I cannot make it happen. This summer has been a time of making myself available to rest.With the support of this loving church community, and my conference,I opted to take half of […]
5 Books to Read Your Kiddos This Summer
You know what’s REALLY hard about making a list of 5 books to read to your kiddos? Keeping the list to only five! For a book lover like myself, it quickly became a list of 15, and then 16 and 17… You get the idea. I love books in general and children’s books in particular. […]
What Pastor Elias Taught Me About Life and Ministry
One of my favorite authors talks about a “long obedience in the same direction.”* When I hear that phrase, I think of Pastor Salim Elias. On June 30, 2021 Pastor Elias took his final rest in Jesus at the age of 98 years old. This weekend (April 16) is his birthday. 98 years of loving […]
