It Will Carry a Blessing
Perhaps the greatest mystery in life is the problem of pain and suffering. Today I read Hannah Whitall Smith’s reminder from scripture that all things serve God. This sentence astounded me with hope: “While the Lord does not inaugurate the evil, when that evil is directed against His children, He makes it His ‘servant’ to […]
Showing People Their Beauty
Today I came across Jean Vanier’s statement that to love someone “is to reveal the beauty of another person to themselves.” I expand the quote to include revealing the value, intelligence, or talent to them.
Offering Work as a Gift and Blessing
Once a woman asked me how I handled criticism and praise. Praise or critique once mattered so much to me that it could paralyze me with pride and self-importance on the one hand, and shame and fear of rejection on the other. Over time on this journey of public speaking, writing, and teaching, I’ve learned […]
Garden Gallery of Favorites
The Way of Things
In just one day, the hummingbirds have disappeared. I’ve done everything correctly: I’ve changed the sugar-water; I’ve left the backyard alone; I’ve waited patiently. But still. They’ve migrated on, perhaps perished, or have simply chosen other yards. You can’t control anything. It’s the way of things: Just like that, the iridescent joy lifts and moves out […]
10 Orderly Relationships
Today in church, I find myself praying about all the ways God restores right order and right relating. I normally think about relating to God and then others, but I consider this: I pray for a right relationship to my work, to the earth, to my own body, to objects or possessions, to money, to […]
Telling Your Story of Place and a Lesson on Listening
Last night, my husband and I had the best time sharing our stories of meaningful places with our dear friends who invited us for dessert. They were such a blessing to us because they listened. They didn’t just listen the way you normally think about listening–with polite nods and smiles and then a moving on […]
Making the Soul Home Again
You know that experience of returning from a long trip away back to your little home? You walk in, and you need to reinfuse something, set it right, get its scent back. It’s dark and dead, but you flip on every light. You open windows or turn on air, you light a candle, and you […]
Summer Reading
I’m happy to report I’m reading! There’s time for reading again! We love the Summer Reading Program at the public library. We log books we read; they give prizes! In my stack by my bed, I’m diving into these authors recommended by various people: Marisa de los Santos (Falling Together), Marilynne Robinson (Gilead), Italio Calvino […]
As Simple As Sleep
Today I hear how a labor and delivery nurse tells a new mom what to put on her list of Things to Do each day after coming home from the hospital. Sleep eight hours. It doesn’t have to be all at once, but you must fill up your sleep tank. Each day. Check it off […]