Along with spending more time in silence, another spiritual practice I’m cultivating is creating space for the wisdom of the room to emerge. At a basic level this involves talking less and listening more. Keeping quiet is a discipline I’ve had to learn. I was the type of kid who raised my hand to speak in class at every opportunity. One day in Read More
compassion
Cooling the Sting of Disappointment
“Always a finalist, never an offer.” The disappointment of making it to the final round but not being selected is tough to stomach. When it happens repeatedly, it’s soul-crushing. Over the last two years I’ve experienced it enough times that it’s almost comical. Almost. Anytime we throw our hats into the ring, whether it’s for a new position Read More
Silent Night, Holy Night: Reflections on Mother and Child
Advent is a season of expectation, hope, and preparation for the miracle of God’s entry into our world as a vulnerable infant. But do we pause often enough to ponder the birth itself? The nativity stories found in our sacred texts tell us little about it, though what we know is Mary was a relatively young woman, she was pregnant at an unexpected Read More
Relaxation as a Spiritual Discipline
I have a productivity obsession. I wouldn’t go so far as to call it an addiction, though in describing to a friend how euphoric it feels to check off a bunch of to-dos, he said, “You kind of sound like a junkie.” He may be right. Up until a year ago I didn’t think I had a problem. When I heard experts talk about self-care and meditation and “me” Read More
Power, Abuse, and the Duggars: Part Three
I didn't set out with the intention of writing a third blog post about the Duggars (see posts one and two), but after the most recent news about Josh's accounts on Ashley Madison, a website for--let's just call it what it is--adultery, I feel compelled to. Just like I have no interest in shaming Bristol Palin for her second pregnancy, I needn't Read More
Why I’m Not Watching
I'm grateful to Feminism and Religion for allowing me to guest post today on the decision not to watch--and what I've gained by doing so. Read More
One Good Thing I Learned in Church: Embrace
As a contributor to Talking Taboo: American Women Get Frank about Faith, I had the opportunity to guest post for Erin Lane, co-editor of the anthology, in answering the question: what's one good thing you learned in church? Growing up I never got to be the new kid in class. For some this might sound ideal, but for me it was stifling. I went to Read More