My first year working for a large church in Arlington, Virginia, my husband and I ate Christmas lunch off the rollers at a 7-Eleven. Tradition dictated that the newest priest on staff lead the Christmas morning service and I had started working at the church that November. My first Christmas celebrated outside of my home…
Category: Changes
Grandpa’s Jars
A midweek fiction offering for you. I wrote this to share at this year’s Soil and Water Conservation District Christmas party. I value my family’s ability to live close to the land and honor its many gifts. As you consider your many blessings at the close of the year, lift a prayer of gratitude and…
Learning Not to Forgive My Younger Self
I would go back and do things differently. If I could advise my younger self, I would tell her to avoid some things or choose a different path. My younger self didn’t know any better. We should be gracious with our younger selves and forgive them their bad or impetuous decisions. I’m working on forgiving…
Giving Thanks for the Discomfort
I feel obliged to write something for this weekend about gratitude with yesterday being Thanksgiving and all. We’re coming off a challenging year as a family. My husband and I divorced, he moved next door, and we’re learning to co-parent while discovering how family can evolve into something different. I feel we’ve navigated this well,…
Without Being Angry
I have no pithy or poignant start to this reflection. I tried to manufacture one but they all felt empty and forced. How to begin an essay that lets the world know I’ve gotten a divorce? No matter how I begin, once “divorce” appears on the screen, there won’t be attention for much else. Among…
Prayerful Kitchen 