Making the holidays holy days
Photo by Hans Vivek from StockSnap Maybe because it snowed on Halloween this year, I’m suddenly thinking about Christmas. Which I realized is 50 days from today. Fifty days! I tell you that [...]
The surprising gift of silence
This is a loud season, full of good busy and hard questions, for most of us. Even as we strive for simplicity, we see others for whom "simplicity" is not a choice but their only [...]
Waiting for the light of freedom
Advent is a time of waiting, and at our border (and indeed, at other borders around the world), travelers are waiting, now, for the chance to find new life. They are waiting for the chance [...]
Advent: Coming of the King of Peace
This Advent, gather with us in this space. Take a moment to breathe, to read very short reflections, to consider the ties between this ancient tradition and the challenges and joys of our current situation. [...]
Transformative silence
This is a noisy time of year. One of the best gifts we can give ourselves this time of year is the gift of silence, of peaceful reflection in the midst of the hustle and [...]
Do not be afraid…
“Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things will happen. Don't be afraid.” ---Frederick Buechner, Beyond Words: Daily Readings in the ABC's of Faith In the Bible, the command repeated most frequently is “Fear not.” [...]
The Gift of Christmas Present (Part 1)
The Christmas season is one of joy, and angst. We long to have a meaningful, simple Christmas season, but we get sucked into consumerism and a Black Friday frenzy that spilled, this year, into Thursday. [...]
The favor of God
The sun has not shone here in the midwest for days. In this deep and dark December, I'm aware of my own shortcomings, my own mistakes--the darkness of pride, discontent, anger inside me. Life has [...]
Taking a breath before Advent
This year's shopping season may have started before the turkey leftovers fully cooled, but we have almost a week before Advent officially begins this Sunday. Rather than get caught up in the frenzy, take a [...]
Advent Soul Care
I'm guest blogging at Gifted For Leadership (a leadership blog for women) today, on caring for your soul during Advent. Advent anticipates the quiet miracle of the incarnation. How can we say yes to waiting and [...]
