Part of me is a prairie girl at heart, revealed by my affection for the “Little House on the Prairie” series, written by Laura Ingalls Wilder, and the subsequent TV show, as well as trips to places such as Walnut…
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Sitting With Pain
Here it is Good Friday, in the Christian tradition — a religion that spans about one third of the world’s population. Many have grown up hearing the intense story of Jesus' final day on earth — the cruelty, the agony…
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Patience With a Purpose
Almost five years ago my family moved into our current home. We’re the second owners of this 42-year-old house. Upon our arrival the entire inside was calling for fresh paint and various updates. As any homeowner knows, making improvements can…
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Love Responds
I don't know why the design of life is such that things like pandemics happen. I had a philosophy teacher once tell me that in order for there to truly be love, there needs to be freedom – freedom to…
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Trauma and Triumph
These are strange times. Yet despite how unusual this Covid-19 crisis feels, there is also a remote familiarity to what we are going through, based on our collective human history of enduring periods of widespread suffering.
At a minimum, we…
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The Beauty of Honesty
Growing up in the Roman Catholic tradition, I’ve learned to embrace Lent as a time of truth-telling — a time where I can check in on my journey, for better or worse. By evaluating where I’m at presently, a result…
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Adjusting Expectations
You’ve likely heard the famous quotation by Maya Angelou, “When someone shows you who they are, believe them the first time.” I haven’t always followed that advice well enough. I tend to be someone who sees the best in others…
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Two Things That Free Us
I’ve been thinking lately of people who have endured tangible and devastating limitations, unlike anything my privileged life has known, such as undeserved imprisonment, conditions of war, slavery, and poverty. My mind wonders how a person suffering such a reality…
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I Want to Love You ~ A Song
This tune is about uncertainty in a relationship. It marks the difficult space of not knowing which direction to go with one’s heart. Two people can share the same experience for which they would offer very different understandings. It might…
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Challenge Will Change Us
This week I tried a cycling class for the first time. Riding a stationary bike doesn’t typically appeal to me, as I prefer to cycle outdoors with natural scenery and fresh air. Yet it’s winter where I live, and I…
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