My first two experiences in this year of Cultivating Delight weren’t dramatic or adventurous. They didn’t require travel or planning or courage in the way we often think about courage. But they asked something deeper of me. They asked me to challenge a story I’ve been carrying for a long time. A… Continue reading
This year, as I approach a birthday, I’m choosing a different kind of journey—not a list of goals, but a rhythm of living intentionally. I want to cultivate delight. To notice the small and the extraordinary. To create, to explore, to stretch, and to rest. To trust that what I… Continue reading
And in that space, Jesus expands his imagination: God’s love is not narrow or conditional. It is wide. It is generous. It is for the world. We often interpret in-between seasons as examinations. Prove your faith.Prove your devotion.Prove you’re growing. But Lent is less about proving something and more about… Continue reading
We know what it’s like to be in the wilderness and experience the temptation to question our baptismal identity. We know what that’s like…and it’s not fun. It leaves us famished and exhausted. Matthew 4:1-11 (Lent 1A. Diaconal Sunday, Gloria Dei Lutheran Church) I have to admit that when I… Continue reading
Ash Wednesday (and sermon prepping) brings me back to the wilderness. Each year, Lent begins with an invitation into the wilderness — in the reminder that we are dust and with a reflection on the story of Jesus being led by the Spirit into the desert. Jesus’ experience in the… Continue reading
To the casual observer, the yellow dish on my shelf does not mean much. It is handmade. Simple. Sun-warmed in color. The kind of thing you might pass in a thrift store without a second thought. It was mine once.Then I gave it to my friend Nicole.And after she was… Continue reading
Advent does its quiet, steady work, reminding us that the chaos of now does not undo the promise of God’s love. It reminds us that Jesus has already come near, and will come near again. It reminds us to stay awake not out of fear, but out of hope—to notice… Continue reading
Crackling leaves on a hurried evening walk. Rustling jackets in the frenzy of getting out the door. Buzzing alarm clocks in the darkness of early morning. Autumn has a particular soundtrack, doesn’t it? It’s not the bright energetic sounds of summer—full of laughter, insects, and long evenings—but something quieter, layered,… Continue reading
I recently participated in a walk for Alzheimer’s, which not only gave me an opportunity to do something in memory of my dad, but also modelled some things I think we could be reminded about in the church. Here are some of those reminders: An annual fundraising walk for the… Continue reading
The drive from my mom’s house to the memory care unit where my dad lives is becoming familiar. Past the thrift store I keep meaning to stop in to browse. Around the corner and up the hill, and then right at the light by the rehab center. When my parents moved… Continue reading