“I picture myself running outside with lightness and a smile across my face.” This vision of myself as a happy, free runner seemingly came out of nowhere. I was listening to a spiritual teacher who encouraged me to write down a vision for my future. The thing about writing, especially with pen and paper, is that it tends to take on a life of its Read More
Life
A Season to Rest
“Winter is not the death of the life cycle, but its crucible." Katherine May, Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times In the Christian calendar today marks the beginning of the season of Lent, a time associated with sacrifice, grief, and contemplation of our mortality. Honestly, though, haven't we already been Read More
Class: Building Our Compassion Muscles
I had the enormous pleasure of presenting this class on "Building Our Compassion Muscles" for my alma mater Davidson College. If you've been needing a little bit more compassion in your life, either for yourself or other people, I hope you'll tune in and practice some strength exercises that will help us all become a little bit more compassionate Read More
Take your dinner to go.
I just wanted to have a nice dinner. I’ll spare you the details, but while on a family vacation, I ended up saying this to a random person I got stuck next to at dinner one night, “I really don’t need you to explain the history of Christianity to me.” I’m not one to start fights, but I sure to get invited to a lot of them. They're hard to Read More
Time to shimmy out of that old skin.
The morning of New Year's Day, bleary-eyed and half-asleep, I was out walking my dog when I ran into a neighborhood kid carrying her puppy Chevy home. “Happy new year!” I said. “Did you make it to midnight?” “Yeah,” she said. “I had to help my pet snake shed his skin.” Well, that was just about the last thing I Read More
How to Talk About Abortion in Church
Abortion. Does the word stir up emotions? Does it cause you unease, even anger? You’re not alone. Say “abortion” in a public setting, and undoubtedly the reaction will be strong and visceral. Say it in the pulpit? The idea is enough to make even the most prophetic among us quake and quiver. Our discomfort with discussing abortion, Read More
Releasing Resolutions
“Do not remember the former things, or consider the things of old. I am about to do a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert.” Isaiah 43:18-19 (NRSV) Isn’t January over yet? I started this month with so much zeal. I’d carefully chosen my word for the year Read More
My Theme for 2019: Release
The new year is deliciously pristine, isn’t it? I tend to approach the month of January the way I enter my car after one of those rare occasions when I’ve vacuumed up all the leaves, Goldfish crackers, and various detritus from the floor mats: I’m delighted by the newness, and I’m anxious about making it dirty again. Right now many of us Read More
My Top Ten Books to Give this Holiday Season
Sitting down with a new book is one of life's sweetest luxuries, which makes the gift of reading such a joy this time of year. I've pored over my Goodreads profile, my Amazon orders, and my library check-out list to share some of my favorite books I read in 2018 that would make excellent gifts for your loved ones--and for yourself Read More
Longing for (Dis)Connection
As I type this post, I have another browser window open to track the path of Hurricane Florence due to make landfall in my area sometime later this week. Though I now live a few hours inland, I grew up in a coastal town, so I know how unpredictable storms like these can be. It’s entirely possible that we will get a bit of rain and wind and nothing Read More