the picture on the left are cups are on my bathroom counter. and no, they’re not for some science experiment i’m doing with my kids. they’ve been there for over a week. jose has been seeing how many days it will take before i actually do something about them and the funny thing is that […]
Read Morepraying when you can't find your prayer beads or have taken the word "quiet time" out of your vocabulary
i am not a big pray-er in the traditional sense. i don’t spend specific time every day dedicated to prayer. i don’t call on God on behalf of people in a specific way using certain words. i don’t have a “quiet time” at the same time, in the same way, in the same place like i used to years […]
Read Morethe beauty and pain of pot-making
and for all you naughties out there who only saw the title & not the picture, i’m talking about pots that potters make out of clay! yesterday i went to the spiritual direction 3 hour retreat that the refuge hosted at jenny’s house. my friend debbie swanson, who is a spiritual director, facilitated. i loved the […]
Read More9.25.07 from the refuge blog…we're in good company
when you think of mother teresa, what words come to mind? for me, i think of “poured out, deeply connected to God, amazingly humble, willing heart, in love with Jesus, filled up. sacrificial love” among many others. i am pretty sure “doubter of God”, “overwhelmed with emptiness”, or “tired of never getting His help the […]
Read More5.15.07 from the refuge blog…Downward Mobility
Well it’s official I am over the hill! 40 years old. I know those of you who have already hit this mark don’t have a lick of sympathy for me. My favorite card this year was made by my son Josh, who’s 15. Here’s what he made up: Roses are red, violets are blue You […]
Read More4.3.07 from the refuge blog…Reflex
“Where’s Jared? You brought him home, right?” We had been home about 20 minutes from a team basketball party at a restaurant and were mindlessly sitting in the living room watching the end of American Idol when Jose looks up from his computer and asks again, “You brought him home, right?” I immediately leaped out […]
Read More2.27.07 from the refuge…The Carnival
I am tired of the carnival in my head. I cannot take credit for this thought, my good friend John Nunez tossed it out there in a wacky conversation and the idea has lingered. I guess I latched on to it because it’s so….me. Most days there’s a carnival going on in my head. Let […]
Read More8.9.06 from the refuge blog…My Love-Hate Thing with Community
We’ve been spending the past few weeks talking about community at The Refuge. Everyone who knows me knows I love community. I love relationships. I love people connecting with God and each other. I love to see someone who thinks they are unlovable start to feel loved because I remember how much that meant to […]
Read More7.28.06 from the refuge blog…War Wounds
I have skin cancer. Don’t worry. It’s not serious, but I had to have this thing on my chest removed a few weeks ago. 8 stitches. It’s ugly and I’m stuck with it forever. The worst part is that it was kind of my fault because a weird combination of fear, denial & busyness led […]
Read More7.23.06 from the refuge blog – "I Believe in You"
Last week, my best friend Elaine sent me a donation to help fund my role at The Refuge. Jotted at the bottom of the sheet she only wrote four words: “We believe in you.” I immediately started to cry. I’ve been crying a lot lately; the past 8 months have been some of my hardest. […]
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