Giving Ourselves Permission to Change
March marks the two-year anniversary of this global pandemic. March 23, specifically, marks the anniversary of when life in my county came screeching to a halt with a shelter-in-place order…
A Few Final Helps for Getting Through the Bleak Midwinter or Other Tough Patches
As I was wrapping up my thoughts on this string of posts I realized there are two other ideas I wanted to share with you. They are not holidays, as…
Happy Martin Luther King Day!
I did not grow up celebrating Martin Luther King Day. If memory serves me right, I experienced him as a man largely ignored, or smeared. So I had a good…
Saint Aelred’s Day
I’m indebted to my Christian gay friends over at Spiritual Friendship for the discovery of St. Aelred’s day. January 12, or St. Aelred’s day, remembers the life of Aelred of…
Getting Through the Bleak Midwinter
“Mommy, remember when we did holidays every Saturday? When are we going to do that again?” “Just after Christmas, sweetie. Just after Christmas.” I was so tickled that he remembered…
Jesus as Buffer
Or… How Shall We Then Forgive? Part 12 Two of my closest friends are my sisters, which is fortunate because our family moved a total of nine times before I…
God as Avenger
Or… How Shall We Then Forgive? Part 11 Forgiveness is a non-negotiable. Essential. Dare I say it… required. That doesn’t make it any less of a bitter pill to swallow.…
Does Forgiveness Mean Staying in Relationship?
Or… How Shall We Then Forgive? Part 10 If I were to recommend one book on forgiveness, it would hands down be The Book of Forgiving, by Desmond and Mpho…
How Shall We Then Forgive? Part 9
Or… a little poem about what forgiveness isn’t…
Distinguishing Love from Intimacy
Or… How Shall We Then Forgive? Part 6 So Father God wants to protect us from the incredible danger of hate and revenge. And also, when you forgive bad actors…