Gaining a heart of wisdom
I come from a tradition that is suspicious of written or scripted prayers, believing that spontaneity is a sign of sincerity and casting askance glances at those who must borrow the words of others in order to talk to God. Then I became a mother and realized that not only were my own words in… Continue reading A Mosaic of Images on Joy and Prayer
Apparently, in addition to all his better-known gifts, Thomas Jefferson was a gardener. His experimentation with horticulture added over five hundred new fruits and vegetables to the world, but he was never able to successfully cultivate a vineyard at Monticello, his beloved Virginia home. Here's why: the French varieties of grapes he coveted had no… Continue reading Finding Rest in Humility
It certainly doesn't happen often enough, but when it does, it's a glorious thing -- the meeting over tea that has all the marks of the C.S. Lewis definition of friendship: "“Friendship ... is born at the moment when one [wo]man says to another "What! You too? I thought that no one but myself . .… Continue reading Embracing Brave
Discrimination, equality, dignity, and justice are abstract, intangible concepts, and some would say that they are beyond the reach of small children -- completely inaccessible to the sippy cup and board book set. But story is an effective conveyance of meaning and The Story of Martin Luther King, Jr. and The Story of Rosa Parks… Continue reading Filling Up a Concept: Black History Month
We sat on the couch, side by side, but miles apart. She had just lost her son in a tragic accident. I had four living and healthy boys -- and no words that could touch her loss. In the weeks and months that followed, I wrote notes, shared Scripture verses, listened to her sadness, and… Continue reading If You REALLY Want to Help those Who Grieve
"One death is a tragedy. One million deaths is a statistic." ~Joseph Stalin Banking on this banality of evil, the Khmer Rouge murdered or starved 1.7 million Cambodian citizens during the years in which they were in power, all with an eye toward establishing themselves and their Community ideology. Having wiped out 25%… Continue reading Love, Faith, and Courage in the Killing Fields
Until I put it on display, love is sometimes hard to see. Dr. Mary Manz Simon invites pint-sized theologians to embark upon a delightful scavenger hunt, looking for all the places love hides in the daily life of a preschooler. She does this with precision, because when we demonstrate the love of God to others,… Continue reading Love Hides Close By
Annie Dillard has (famously) said, “How we spend our days is, of course, how we spend our lives.” This is a cautionary saying for those of us who live our days as the sandwich-makers, the sock sorters, and the finders of misplaced library books. Therefore, Liturgy of the Ordinary has landed upon my reading list… Continue reading Sacred Ordinary/Ordinary Sacred
Whether it's feelings of inadequacy, parenting anxieties, or panic over the latest terrorist tactics in the news, the challenge to face down our fears and to move forward into new, healthful, and bold behaviors is a common thread for January writing and thinking. The problem, however, with this seasonal booster is that the need for… Continue reading Awakening Courage in Community
In the car, in the dark, I trekked a twice-daily, hour-and-a-half commute for the final eighteen months of my life as an employee. I don't miss that, but those miles and hours translated into an era of abundant listening to books on tape. A favorite from that time was A Country Year by Sue Hubbell,… Continue reading Another Country Year
Living Our Days 