I love me some Freddy Buechner, a Presbyterian pastor with a knack for turning a phrase. The smallest acts of kindness, even circumscribed within our own families, can, as Buechner says, "set the whole thing trembling." Kindness can change the world. Listen to how Buechner puts it: "Humanity is like an enormous spider web, so […]

I wrote this 8 years ago. It brings me great joy to re-share today. ********* I want to give you a glimpse into my life. For those who know me this story will not surprise. For those who think you know me this story will help you know me better. I was shopping for groceries […]

Confession: I am still in my LL Bean flannel pajamas in front of a roaring fire. It is well past morning. I am thinking about a concept called "idleness aversion." Idleness aversion is something the German sociologist Max Weber called "one of the core ingredients of the modern soul." Oliver Burkeman defines it as "not […]

So much of life is spent trying to gain acceptance from others - our parents, friends, colleagues, children, even strangers. We all want to be seen, known, and accepted, flaws and all. Too often, acceptance feels elusive. And so we try to achieve it. We fit ourselves into molds that will gain acceptance from one […]

Last Saturday morning dawned like most other Saturday mornings. Loose plans, weary bodies, much that needed our attention. "What do you want today to hold?" I asked my husband. He didn't seem very interested in the question. Distracted, caught up in his own thoughts. "I just have so much to do," he said. "Like what?" […]

What to write, what to write, what to write? When those in charge of our nation's Department of WAR (!!) use snarling, violent words? And speak about bombs, destruction and bloodshed while praying for God's providence over acts of death? What to write, what to write, what to write? When those in power use hard-to-understand, […]