JOURNEYING to the Heart of God

STOP.  Right now.  Right where you are.  Don't change a thing.  Don't close a tab on your browser.  Don't close a book.  Don't delete a message you're writing. LOOK.  Look around you.  Look at what you're doing.  What you're writing.  What you're playing.  What you're saying. ASK.  Ask yourself, "What does God think of me, right now, right where I'm at, doing what I'm doing, … [Read more...]

INGESTING God

Growing up in the Methodist Church, it seems we were regularly celebrating communion in new and different ways.  I appreciated the diversity in approach, as each new form somehow brought out a different aspect of the act of remembrance.  One form, however, I remember more for the laughter it produced, than anything else. Individual families took turns contributing by making homemade … [Read more...]

HALLOWING the Ordinary

"Mom, can I get some spring church shoes that match my Easter dress from the storage room?" Absentmindedly I nodded my head.  "Uh huh, that's fine.  Just don't make a mess." Several minutes later, my daughter returned upstairs from the storage room, wearing fancy, new "church" shoes.  "Now those aren't for playing outside.  They're only for church."  If you're a parent, you've … [Read more...]

GOING to Hell (to Preach)

"Mom, what is Saturday called?" I looked at my 11-year-old with a puzzled expression, unsure how to answer her question. "You know.  Thursday is Maundy Thursday.  Friday is Good Friday.  Sunday is Easter Sunday.  Even Monday is called Easter Monday.  So what is Saturday called?" I considered the question, and realized I didn't have a good answer.  Long after the conversation was … [Read more...]

FIXATING on the Crucifix

One hangs from my kitchen window.  Bought at the end of a disappointing day in Santa Fe in December, and crafted from red chili peppers, it is my most unique version, and reminds me that all things can be redeemed - even grumpy days. Another hangs on the wall by the front door.  Hammered from recycled tin drums by artists in Haiti, it demonstrates that beauty and hope can rise from … [Read more...]