“every time there are losses there are choices to make. you choose to live your losses as passages to anger, blame, hatred, depression, and resentment, or you choose to let these losses be passages to something new, something wider, something deeper…” – henri nouwen * * * * * i came across this nouwen […]
Read Morechurch refugees part 3 – "spiritual practices"
last one! phyllis and i had fun sitting at my kitchen counter yacking away about a topic that unfortunately we know far too much about–church refugees. good, amazing people who for all kinds of reasons have “left” church. if you are just now reading, check out part 1 and part 2. i know there are […]
Read Morethe gravitational pull toward margin
a few months ago a dear friend called me and asked me if i knew of any bible study material for poor single moms who needed an infusion of hope (she works for a ministry that provides practical help for them). i racked my brain for any material that was designed specifically for that demographic […]
Read Moretrust
a few weeks ago–in a small spiritual formation group i participate in now and then–the facilitator started our time together by having each of us pull out one of these cards and reflect up on it for a while. i’ve used these cards before in groups, and i must say it’s amazing what always seems […]
Read Moresigns of hope: grief is weird
* this is part of an easter season series called signs of hope, real stories of people seeing hope & resurrection in the midst of the pain and struggle of real life. * * * * * grief is weird. the loss of those close to us can stir up all kinds of hard things […]
Read Moresigns of hope: staying in instead of running away
in this season of easter i have been posting a few interviews with friends, some “signs of hope”, little slivers of resurrection in the midst of real life. the first two were: emerging from the darkness of sexual abuse and the bumpy road of sobriety. i am a little behind but will try to […]
Read Moretaking things off the table to get to what's underneath–a video conversation
a few months ago i tried something different here at the carnival–a video conversation with my friend john, who after a lifetime of christian ministry shed the label “christian.” it stirred up a lot of great conversation here and in other places, too. near the end of our conversation john shared that in order to […]
Read Moresigns of hope: emerging from the darkness of sexual abuse
this is part of an easter series here at the carnival, celebrating signs of hope–real stories from my friends, signs that out of death and darkness, hope and new life are emerging. * * * * * abuse really pisses me off. any form of it–emotional, physical, verbal, sexual–is so damaging. and more pervasive than […]
Read Morevictim. survivor. thriver.
i know i say this all the time, but this past week goes down in recent history as one of the wackiest in a while. living in real community is not, capital IS NOT a picnic. it’s a beautiful gift, and i wouldn’t trade it for anything, but sometimes life in the low places is […]
Read Morethe cross
well here we are, the monday after easter sunday. it’s my favorite season of the year & every time i re-read the story and engage with the unexpected events from palm sunday to resurrection day i am reminded yet again how Jesus turns things upside down and inside out. i wrote this post last week, […]
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