Every year I try to find a healthy balance as I celebrate the holiday season with my family. On one hand, I want it to be fun. We all love candy and cookies and presents and lights. On the other hand, I am aware that the focus of our celebration should be on Christ and…
I’m reading Christianity After Religion by Diana Butler Bass. She discusses the root of the term “religious”–religio. This, she says, means “finding a forgotten path of wonder and awe through the wilderness of human chaos and change.” (p. 97) Finding the path of wonder and awe . . . So do something wonderful today. Watch,…
So today, instead of shopping, I’m pohsing. And I hope you’ll join me. Here’s the basic idea: Instead of–or in addition to–buying more stuff, we will pause and be grateful for the blessings we already have. And we will support (with links and/or money) charitable organizations that seek to provide these same blessings to those…
The “Abnormal Anabaptist” recently quoted his wise wife’s comments on the upcoming shopping frenzy: Our culture has gotten to the point where we cannot take even one day to stop accumulating more and more things, and simply take the time to be grateful for what we already have. And it’s true. I frequently lament the…
This new book–with prayer art by some of you!–will be ready to ship by December 10. Yes, that means you can give it as a Christmas gift! And in the spirit of Christian giving, I will donate $2 to Mennonite Central Committee for each book ordered before December 25. Check out all the details…
I’m working on a new devotional book–a sort of creative prayer journal: Colored Pencil Prayers. I will have the blog page of detailed information up over the weekend (in plenty of time for Black Friday and Cyber Monday which I have ambiguous feelings about, but anyway . . .). In the meantime, I can tell…
Our nation made many political gains toward equality and justice for sexual minorities last week. Among them was the election of the first openly gay Senator–Tammy Baldwin, from Wisconsin. In a National Public Radio report, I heard these words from Baldwin: “If you are not in the room, the conversation is about you. If you’re…
In case you haven’t noticed, I love words. I love reading them and writing them. I love speaking them and listening to them and praying with them. And words can be wonderful, soul-nurturing things. But my spiritual director recently pointed out that I also use words to distract myself. I use them to place myself…
I spent some of my Sabbath time this weekend making cards. Not quick and simple cards–those are the ones I make out of necessity–when I need a card ASAP. These are Sabbath cards–made for people I love without regard for how long it takes to make each one. These luxurious expanses of creative time are…
This week my had has been full of sinus drainage, leaving little room for deep, blog-worthy thoughts. Plus, during those precious moments I have been able to escape the demands of work and family . . . I have been sleeping instead of writing. But hey, there have been weeks–thankfully many of them–when I did…
Spacious Faith 