What if hospitality can heal us?
The day after Thanksgiving, many people go shopping. I purposely fast from consumerism, needing to rest after two days of non-stop cooking and preparing (and eating) a large meal. I do, however, drag out and [...]
Gift Guide for Writers (and Readers)
Last minute gift guide for readers! If you’re wondering what to get friends and family for Christmas—the answer is always books! Everyone needs more books in their life! As writers, we should read great books [...]
The wonder of a few moments of quiet
This is a loud season, full of good busy and hectic hustle, both joy and stress. We long for a simple and meaningful Christmas, we want to be present during this Advent season. But when [...]
Feeling like a hot mess? Help is on the way!
Ever feel like your life is busy, hurried, stressed? Like you're a bit of a hot mess? Good news: you're not alone, and there's real help available right now. I'm honored to be one of [...]
How can you reduce holiday stress?
It is sunny and 54 degrees here in Chicago today, which is lovely. Except that it really doesn't feel like December, and it's making me deny reality: Christmas is a little over three weeks away, [...]
Excavating Beauty: what lies beneath the surface?
I never really liked the beige Berber carpet in the family room. When we moved in two decades ago, though, we figured we’d eventually update the room, with its very '80s wall of mirrors and [...]
Haven’t we given up enough already? Some thoughts on Lent
About a year ago, I remember feeling a bit of mild panic as I took the last container of Clorox Wipes from a now empty shelf in Target. Something big was going on. We had [...]
The wonder of a few moments of silence
This is a loud season, full of good busy and hectic hustle, both joy and stress. We long for a simple and meaningful Christmas, we want to be present during this Advent season. Often, our [...]
The surprising secret to experiencing abundance
We all long for it: the abundant life. I don't know about you, but I stand against a scarcity mentality steeped in fear. I want to believe that I have more than enough, even when [...]
Between “back to school” and “holiday hectic”–a reprieve
My connecting flight (which I make by only 10 minutes) takes me over the Grand Canyon at sunset. I’m relieved to be on the plane, blown away by the beauty, and suddenly sad for the [...]