On just an ordinary, normal day, how aware are you of the type of thoughts you think? What’s going through your head as you straighten up the house, fold the laundry, feed the dog, maybe drive to church? The types of thoughts we think—even the tiny little neutral ones we barely notice—are more important than […]
Read more "Things Worth Thinking"In my work as a hospice chaplain, I am blessed to be able to spend time talking with people about the best—and sometimes the hardest—times of their lives. Folks often enjoy looking back, savoring the wonderful things they were able to do and enjoy and feeling some sense of accomplishment that they made it through […]
Read more "Finding the Blessing"Ever since I was a little girl, I have loved wandering around in empty places. I think one of the reasons I love them is that they never feel empty to me. There is a spaciousness, a reverence, the presence of peace. I have a good memory of going to school over on Conner Street […]
Read more "Sanctuary of the Heart"Have you ever tried baking your own bread? If not, I highly recommend it. Yes, it’s messy. And there’s often a lot of kneading involved. Your hands may get tired. You will certainly get flour everywhere. And it takes a lot of time, maybe all afternoon, if you do it right. But there’s quite a […]
Read more "Bread of Life"The idea for our message this week came when I was having a conversation with a friend at hospice about family patterns. As we talked, all of a sudden I understood some things in my own life differently. It was like someone had flipped a light switch: I thought of the way I was at […]
Read more "Patterns of Light"Do you have any kind of gratitude practice in your life? Some people make it a point, just before they drift off to sleep at night, to name three things that happened during the day they feel thankful for. Others keep a running gratitude list or they may just simply do their best to be […]
Read more "A Present Good"Today is a sad and somber day, and it probably always will be. The 9-11 Memorial services are going on now, as family members read the names of the loved ones they’ve lost and continue to grieve, and firefighters ring the bell commemorating each precious life. Every September 11th I feel echoes of the sadness, […]
Read more "Overruling Fear"Did you know that we speak an average of 16,000 words per day? Men and women alike, we use words for everything: we say good morning, we order coffee, we talk to the clerk at the store, we explain to the librarian what we’re looking for. We talk to each other, we talk to strangers, […]
Read more "The Power of the Word"When you think back over the last week, how much of God’s light do you think you shared with others? How often did you feel it yourself? We rarely think of looking at life that way or gauging the success of our days based on how often we smiled, how many times we were kind, […]
Read more "Let Your Light Shine"I’d like to start off this morning with a kind of informal survey. Raise your hand if you are able, perhaps fairly regularly, to have a completely peaceful day. Okay, leave your hand up if you are able to experience peace two or three days in a row. How about a week? Is there anyone […]
Read more "A Peace That Lasts"
The Space between the Words 