The Feeling People Get When They Are With You
Today I learn in a meeting all about the emotions people experience when they think about certain brands. When an organization decides what kind of emotion they want to invite, they begin to make branding and marketing decisions that cultivate that emotional experience. It was fascinating how the participants in this meeting all knew what words they associate with […]
Securely Set on High
This morning I read a verse I’ve passed by many times. In Psalm 69:29, David writes, “I am afflicted and in pain; May Your salvation, O God, set me securely on high.” I consider how David doesn’t ask for healing or an end to his affliction. He doesn’t ask for a change of circumstance, a […]
Saying Goodbye to My Creek
For years, I’ve been hoping for a chance to say goodbye to my childhood home in Virginia that my parents sold in 2009. Whenever I pass through that old neighborhood, I wonder what would happen if I just knocked on the door and begged for a few minutes alone with the creek out back. But […]
Wherever You Are: Settle In, Cultivate, and Protect
I read Genesis 2:15: “The LORD God took the man and put him in the garden of Eden to work it and keep it.” I look up the language in translation and find three beautiful verbs: God settles the man down; God instructs him to cultivate the land and to guard the garden. I think […]
Sounds We Love
We talk about sounds we love over dinner. It’s a great conversation question. My youngest begins this discussion when she proclaims, out of the blue, “I love the sound the knife makes as it butters crisp toast!” I post on Facebook this conversation in order to report that I love when the sound when things […]
What’s Next?
This morning, I walked the children to school for the last official time. I can’t believe it: 8 years of walking! I don’t linger on the ending of it all for long. I call my friend and muse about what’s next. What kind of gathering could naturally bring neighbors together for a crucial connection–no matter […]
Uncertain of Ourselves, We are Certain of God
Today I recall Oswald Chambers’ phrase “Gracious Uncertainty” and how he discusses how we are certain in our uncertainty because of God. He writes, “We are uncertain of the next step, but we are certain of God.” I like to remember that when I feel uncertain in a decision or in my circumstances, I can […]
More Often: Grace, Mercy, Love
Today I confess how critical I’ve been, and how easy to find fault I am. I pray that I’m full of the same grace, mercy, and love that God shows me each day.
What’s Here More Than What’s Not Here
I’m learning to listen for whether or not people share healing stories of abundance and hope or deprivation stories of loss and despair. I’m wondering what it means to invite people to tell more healing stories of where they have found love and beauty and abundance. The more people I talk to and learn from, the […]
Being a Good Neighbor in Your Own Home
After church today, we talk about the sermon on being a good neighbor. It occurs to me that being a good neighbor starts with our interaction within the home. We talk about what this love means: acting with kindness, looking for ways to be helpful, noticing pain or sadness, serving without hope of reward, encouraging […]