During the COVID quarantine, my friend and I read some of Julian of Norwich’s work. My friend had heard the saying, “All shall be well,” but was unaware of its origins. I was more than happy to introduce her to St. Julian, which felt especially fitting during lockdown. Julian of Norwich’s most often quoted text…
Category: Personal Essay
Discovering Answers Because of my Kids
In a fit of anger, my son throws his gaming headset on the floor and shatters the plastic connecting the headphones to the bridge that crosses the top of his head. They are irreparable and unusable. He comes in my room, sobbing, telling me they are destroyed then saying what an idiot he is and…
Pleasantness and the Post Office
You’ll call me a liar but the most refreshing part of my week was just spent in the post office. That’s saying something considering I also had the first pedicure this week that I’ve had in three months. Tina soaked and scrubbed my feet then painted my toes an appropriate holiday red, bringing me physical…
Saint Francis and the Error in Fundamentals
My friend and I are reading as a daily devotion Matthew Fox’s Christian Mystics: 365 Readings and Meditations. The selections are short and the meditations with accompanying questions encourage thought without requiring a day’s worth of contemplation and consternation. Today’s selection called up the moment of history when Saint Francis of Assisi stood before Pope…
Wild and Unbusied
I had forgotten what it was to not be busy. This afternoon I wandered around town with my children and it hit me hard: Icouldn’t remember another time when we didn’t have too many plans to rush offto. One by one I collected all three from school and once the oldest hopped in the car,…
God the Father and Father’s Day…it’s complicated.
Father’s Day is this week, which for many will mean cookouts and fun gifts for the dad in their life. Others will celebrate father figures and surrogate fathers by calling them or Facetiming or Zooming. There will be some shared stories and laughter and perhaps a hearty dose of nostalgia.But for others it can be…
Companions and Sources of Consolation
During the season of Easter we have heard stories in the lectionary from the Acts of the Apostles about the experiences of those who first took the good news of the gospel out into the world. One of those early heroes, who has a feast day this week on Saturday, June 11, is Saint Barnabas….
Sacrificing Busyness
Every Monday morning I share a reflection with our leadership team on campus. I try to find something that speaks to the season we’re in or to the particular work of the people in that room. This past week I started my search by thinking about spring, then the tensions in Ukraine, then the grief…
Leave Up the Tree, Paint Some Eggs, or Carve a Pumpkin. It’s your joy!
It’s the season after Epiphany. We finally toted our Christmas tree down to the basement yesterday. It’s almost February and, I suppose, “past” time to put the Christmas trappings away but we were enjoying it and honestly didn’t have time and had even less energy for it before now.Before Christmas we observed an annual tradition…
Leaving Alone to Heal
I love orchids but have never had much luck with them. Most of them have died under my care and certainly never produced another bloom. I read about them and it made me anxious about caring for them. Some advise a strict watering regiment and others say no water but ice cubes, please! Then there…
Prayerful Kitchen 