Years ago, when my husband and I had breakfast at a diner with our daughter, Sara, and our grandchildren, Lauren & Ethan, we’d play “connect the dots” on the back of a paper placemat that Sara would make a series of dots on. In “Dots and Boxes,” around since the late 1800s, players add horizontal […]
Category Archives: Faith
You’re embracing life if you sit down with a cup of tea, coffee (or a glass of wine) and stare out a window, remembering or imagining different versions of you that lit up your spirit or spilled joy into your heart. You’re incredible if you have been “in it alone,” whether parent or caregiver, but kept moving […]
Today is my grandson Ethan’s sixteenth birthday. It seems like it was just yesterday when he was born. I remember holding him in the NICU, praying for Sara, my daughter, and Ethan to be healthy (Thank You, God, they were.) Years have flown by. Ethan plays basketball and soccer, has wonderful friends, is intelligent, creative, witty, and […]
Awareness and acknowledgment may seem inconsequential, but, in reality, they make a significant difference in our planet’s energy. I’ve always been mindful of sharing what I think if it’s something positive and will walk up to perfect strangers and compliment their hair or outfit or the cuteness of their child and never once has it not elicited a […]
Yesterday, the faith community I’m part of dedicated a new space. It’s not a traditional church; it’s not even a building we own because our philosophy has always been to use our resources to create a safe place where love is paramount, a sense of community is critical, and we can be genuine with each […]
Part 1: Sleepless in Emmaus It was 4:40 on this last day of 2022 when I woke up. Thankfully, the early rising wasn’t because of a full-blown nightmare like I had the previous night, where it physically felt like I had a heart attack. Frantic and powerless, I was pushing back against a reality I […]
On this day after Christmas, the house is silent—too quiet, honestly—with only Vero (our empathic little rescue dog) and me sitting in the library as the heater whirs on, staving off the winter that won’t officially end until March 20th. The past two days were a whirlwind—leaving our home for church on Christmas Eve with […]
A few weeks ago, I unpacked Christmas. In the boxes were fragile glass ornaments, precious works of art with”best Nana ever,” and the little drummer boys my daughters, Sara and Erin, made with their grandmother more than thirty years ago. There were gifts from friends and heartfelt pieces my Mom gave me. Some are decades […]
As I sit facing the east, in my quiet time with God and my tea, I see the maple tree as the sun rises each morning. She was here before me—graceful and sturdy, a beautiful paradox. My grandchildren used to climb her branches, and each autumn, they would jump in piles of her vibrant, fallen […]
The table of Thanksgiving has been set. For many, it will be filled with laughter and reminiscing. For many, it will be a table for just one. A barely perceptible voice whispers, “you are loved.” “Thank You, God” will be followed by a list of extraordinary blessings. “Thank You, God” will be followed by “for […]
Life’s fragility—much too fleeting or painstakingly stagnant, joyfully overflowing or devastatingly lonely—plays out in this space between human life and death. Sometimes, lines have been rehearsed for decades; often, we’re caught off guard, blindsided by the swiftness of change that was never expected or invited. We can be like shooting stars—tiny specs of dust glowing […]
The human brain is only three pounds but has a trillion cells and a rapidly firing hundred billion neurons. Our cerebrum’s options are practically limitless, yet we humans often get caught up in minuscule life routines, forgetting to see other pictures of life different from our norms or what’s right in front of us. Reflecting on life this […]
Part I I woke up this beautiful summer morning from a bad dream; thankfully, not a full-blown nightmare which I have too often. These sleep-state images were about being in a terrible accident and waking up paralyzed, my ability forever at the mercy of a wheelchair; my life abruptly halted. In the dream, I was […]
After another night of bad dreams, I woke up tired and disoriented. I called the new day to me, trying to shake off the dark, pulling myself together (literally curling up in a fetal position), then getting myself together emotionally. I’ve never understood the calamity my brain creates as I attempt to sleep when I […]
When I ponder the word “Joy,” much comes to mind: the people I love most and all those who bring cheer (or bonafide festivity) into our world, the humans who make us smile or lift us up or make us better, the sound of laughter, the innocence of a newborn baby, the heartbeat of love, […]
Chapter IOnce upon a time, there was a baby, not planned but wanted, loved, and nurtured. She was cared for with tenderness and affection and knew not fear, concern, or worry. She explored her world with natural curiosity and would recollect seeing a shiny doorknob as her first retained visual memory. Chapter IIExposed to people […]
“Tomorrow comes into us at midnight very clean. It’s perfect when it arrives and puts itself in our hands. It hopes we learned something from yesterday.” Marion Robert Morrison (John Wayne) “Tomorrow, I’ll take better care of myself.” “Tomorrow, I’ll make smarter choices.” “Tomorrow, I’ll get enough sleep.” “Tomorrow, I’ll pursue healthier relationships.” “Tomorrow, I’ll work […]
There is joy, and there is woe (bliss and suffering can dance on the same stage), and we humans react to those opposites in many different ways. Of course, happiness is subjective, but when we choose it, we are actively creating inner peace, moving forward into authenticity and self-worth awareness. (Even a magic wand won’t automatically make […]
A while ago, I read a comment from a nurse whose patients were in the last months of human life. What she heard over and over were stories that contained this awareness and sadness: “I wish I would have been true to who I knew I was when I had that chance.” I, too, have experienced that […]
As a verb, the word “commune” (/kəˈmjun/) means: contemplating, reflecting on, or experiencing with others, sometimes without using words. As a noun, the term “commune” (/ˈkämyo͞on/) is a collective—a group that bonds together, creating—figuratively or literally—a “village,” supported by a common ground. You’re aware, of course—unless you’ve been in a sequestered holding pattern your entire life— […]
I’ve been thinking about how diverse our individual journeys are despite what seems like a lot of sameness. Sometimes, in day-to-day life, we simply “go through the motions.” Our routines take us from point A—when we get up until point Z—when we end the day. How often are our hours spent simply “moving through,” oblivious […]
I: Who, What, When Where, Why Like, I’m sure at least some of you, there are times I forget to see the life-signposts with flashing lights screaming: “Who are you hurting (hopefully unwittingly) with a lack of awareness?” “What, small but valuable something, are you missing running through life? “When do you choose to look away rather […]
I was asked by a friend, doing research, some “life queries.” Her questions and my responses follow. Question: What keeps me up at night? Answers: • Nightmares (literally); had one again last night despite being completely violence averse. • Trying to figure out what I’m called to do with the rest of this life. […]
For contemporary Christians, Advent is a time of readiness, an anticipation-filled awaiting of the birth of Jesus. But, what used to be a time of reflection and prayer is often replaced by a season of buying. The “bringing into total perfection” has morphed into bringing in more possessions. Road and internet-weary consumers choose something, anything, […]
Last night, I went to bed hungry. It was by choice, not by necessity. There were moments while lying in the darkened room that I thought about getting up, going into the kitchen, opening a pantry or refrigerator door, and choosing something to eat. But I didn’t. Instead, I thought about the 800 million people on our […]
peace full home®—intentional living 