Today I read an editorial on Anne Rice’s recent comment about no longer professing to be Christian. She claims to continue to be a “follower of Christ”, but rejects “being anti-gay, anti-feminist “. . . ultimately “anti-life.” . . . . her brief but brutal description of what Christianity has become. She refuses to allow the heart of her [...]
Author Archive
Clearing the Clutter
Not long ago my husband and I moved to a new town. Well, not “new” really. We had lived there when we were in high school and college, met each other there and married there. So, in a sense we were moving back home. Still, it was a big change because we had lived in [...]
Letting Go ???
There is a contemplative practice called The Welcome Prayer. The more I practice it, the more I realize its wisdom and gift. It goes like this . . . “I let go of my need for security. I let go of my need for affection and approval. I let go of my need for power [...]
The Surprise of Silence
I’ve heard it said that silence is God’s favorite language. Sort of a clever saying . . . but if you really think about it, what does it mean? I’ve taken myself to silent retreats in a variety of ways over the last few years. I’ve gone to national parks to hike alone, stay [...]
A Wider Way to Love
“Stop the words now. Open the window in the center of your chest, and let the spirits fly in and out.” (Rumi) I remember the day I was interviewed about starting a hospital visitation training program. I had been teaching for 6 years and prior to that coordinating an educational program at a church, so [...]
appropriate risks ?
I don’t know who wrote this short bit of wisdom, but it popped into my mind the first time Laura mentioned Risk-a-Day to me, so I searched until I found it. To laugh is to risk appearing a fool. To weep is to risk appearing sentimental. To reach out for another is to risk involvement. [...]
Living Into New Skin
Well, I did it. I actually submitted an article for publication. I’ve thought about doing this, talked about doing this, imagined myself doing this for years and suddenly one day last October, I did it. I’m not sure what made the difference. I had just given a presentation telling about my experience of grief over [...]
Being Safe
Our daughter was a Peace Corps volunteer and served 2 years and 3 months in Niger, West Africa. She lived in a little village by herself in the midst of a loving community of poverty-stricken people. She had no running water, no electricity, no trash pick-up, no grocery store, no medical care, no car, no [...]
The Honesty of Grief
Sometimes folks who love us grow weary with our grief over losing a loved one and want us to be “better” before we are able. There is cultural pressure to “be strong” and “be okay” . It takes patience and inner strength to continue leaning into the sadness in order to heal from deep within. [...]
