I hope you all made it through Thanksgiving okay. I know for many it was likely to be a rough ride, with the reality of family and friends’ who-voted-for-who. We avoided the topic in certain settings, overrun by all 5 kids home for 3 days and knowing it wouldn’t lead to anything productive. I’ll admit, […]
Read More"making nice": the call of the privileged
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension. It is the presence of justice.” ~ Martin Luther King, Jr. We’re 3 1/2 days out from one of the most traumatic elections in modern US history. It’s been brutal, folks. The pain, the grief, the shock, the reality. I was one of those people who […]
Read Morelifeway, power, and the cost of telling the truth.
In 2007, I co-authored a spiritual formation tool for evangelical women called Refresh. It was a pretty cool project for that long ago; the entire book was printed in full color, magazine-style, and centered on 10 stories of real women (most of who were friends) with journaling and reflection questions, small group discussion ideas, and […]
Read Moreelection trauma.
“There are times when the heart, like the canary in the coal mine, breathes in the world’s toxicity and begins to die.” – Parker Palmer Over the weekend in the middle of the night someone stole our Black Lives Matter and Amendment T ( to take the slavery clause out of Colorado’s 13th amendment) yard […]
Read Moreas Christians, this shouldn't be crazy.
Let’s face it, friends. Christianity is certainly in an interesting season. The divides are great. The mass exodus from “going to church” continues. The number of men and women of all shapes and sizes and ages and experiences now unraveling in their faith keeps growing. The political party leap-frog game from Republican to Democrat or Independent […]
Read Morewhat we're willing to live with.
I am so sick and saddened by the entire Trump Travesty. Seriously, it is so dignity stripping–that he is even a contender. That multiple Christian leaders have endorsed him. That the Republican party got behind him. That people are wrestling with their “hard choice” (#itsnotahardchoice). That we’d have a debate like that. I am glad […]
Read Moresome possibilities for bridge building instead of bombing (even though i'm better at that).
I know I can be such a hypocrite. I say one thing and do another. I’m human. I’m doing the best I can with what I have but want to keep improving. I also think the how-do-I-stand-for-what-I-believe-or-think-needs-to-be-said-without-being-mean can be a dilemma. Take the Trump conversation, for example. I believe passionately we need to consider our […]
Read Morethe trump travesty.
On the whole, I stay away from political stuff around here. Once in a while I write something, but the divisiveness is just too crazy and I’d much rather talk about other things. At the same time, over the past several years I have become more clear about how important it is to participate in […]
Read Moreoh, conferences-schmonferences
I’m not a huge fan of Christian leadership conferences. They have their place. I have met some wonderful people at gatherings over the years, and heard some really excellent messages here and there. I have been a participant. I have been a speaker. I have been a workshop presenter. I have been an I-think-I’ll-just-stay-out-in-the-lobby-and-talk-to-my-friends-because-that-will-be-more-meaningful attendee. […]
Read Moretrickle-down or from-the-bottom up.
In conversations about politics, I’ve often told my kids, “If someone tells you that trickle-down economics is a great idea, make sure you remember that it sounds all well and good but the reality is the money and resource rarely trickles down.” Oh, I know some who are reading might be shaking your head right […]
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