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The yearly feeding frenzy of holiday shoppers has begun. While post-Thanksgiving shoppers ventured forth with tasers in hand and hearts full of greed and aggression, my mood turned pensive. Is this really what life is all about? What compels someone to leave their table of blessing to find (and sometimes fight with others to get) more … Read more
A visit to Crater Lake in October offered the rare opportunity to wear flip-flops in the snow. Normally I’m a two-pair-of-wool-socks kind of gal when there’s snow on the ground. But the snow at Crater Lake was only in patches and though the wind was blowing and the air was chilly, it was sunny enough … Read more
Mastering the balance between accepting life as it is and realizing that our thoughts create our reality is a life-long endeavor. Many modern-day gurus and life coaches of all stripes are quick to tell us that everything we experience we create. I’m not disputing that the essence of what they say is true, but I believe life … Read more
For so many years, I have been dogged by the fear that I wouldn’t live up to my potential. Since high school, I have framed it as “singing my song.” It comes from my belief that all of us have a unique “being-ness,” a unique gift that we were given to develop and share with … Read more
Every morning since October 6, 2012, I’ve been texting prayers to my cousin as she works her way through a really tough time. It hadn’t been a conscious decision to do this. It just sort of happened and the weird part about it is that it happened at a distressing point in my own spiritual … Read more
I was half way through my early morning speed-walk and about to tackle a long hill when a white pickup truck turned the corner. I was walking in the street with cars parked on both sides so I ducked into an empty spot to let the truck pass. The truck was moving too slowly though, so … Read more
I’m guessing that most Valentine’s Day greetings today will be from one person to another. I’d like to share what I think is a close approximation to the kind of love greeting that, if we were silent enough long enough, we might hear from our Source today. For this greeting, I’ve taken a few liberties … Read more
Listening with discernment rather than judgment is one of the greatest gifts we can give to each other. The difference between discernment and judgment is subtle but important. When listening with discernment, we recognize and understand the differences between what the speaker is saying and what we hold to be true. We respect their right to … Read more
Each morning we awake, we have a choice. Will we let the circumstances of our life determine the level of joy and gratitude we feel that day or will joy and gratitude flow simply from the gift of the day? Some days have more challenges than others yet how we perceive those challenges determines whether … Read more
Thought for the day from writer and theologian Frederick Beuchner: The vocation for you is the one in which your deep gladness and the world’s deep need meet—something that not only makes you happy but that the world needs to have done . . . The kind of work God usually calls you to is … Read more