nellskac

6. What you are

I have a spiritual director; we meet once a month. He asks me about my prayer life, and what parts of the Bible are striking my heart. Every month, he always asks me if there is a scripture passage that I would like to use for meditation. Sometimes I pick one that comes readily toContinueContinue reading “6. What you are”

5. The definition of charity

My sister’s middle name is “Charity,” which the dictionary says is about giving to others in need and the Catechism says is about loving others and God, but I think it might be about the time we were hiking in the frigid north and she (so unfortunately) got diarrhea in the middle of a twelve-mileContinueContinue reading “5. The definition of charity”

4. Born for this

I went to a gathering today Ran into a woman I’ve known for a while We’ve never been close, But I always enjoy her company, So I sat next to her at the table. At the break another woman asked me– If I have been praying for a husband or for a good convent? MaybeContinueContinue reading “4. Born for this”

3. Based on true events

I ran into a friend of mine, now-ordained, at an event where we were both volunteering. On the way to our cars, I asked if he would hear my confession, and he said he would, so we paused, in the cold January air, in a salt-stained back parking lot off of a busy road. TheContinueContinue reading “3. Based on true events”

February challenge

Last year I tried to write a piece of poetry every day for the month of February. This lasted decently well for the first two weeks. And then, sadly, one of my dearest friends was in a life-threatening accident involving an ambulance and unconsciousness and recovery and, to this day, there are things that hisContinueContinue reading “February challenge”

2. The holy (broken) family

Maybe St. Joseph Was just as broken as My father. We paint a rosy picture– Joseph cradles a sleeping Mary Joseph covers the baby Jesus Joseph works in his shop And the doves gather As the lilies bloom. But maybe We’re wrong. And our heart-cries For perfection have forgotten: Joseph was not announced by anContinueContinue reading “2. The holy (broken) family”

1. To the saints we never knew

Ignatius was a soldier whose leg was crushed one day in battle. Luckily (for him, for us), he was given medical care, and his leg healed. Only…it healed crooked. And Ignatius was vain. So, he order the doctors do him a solid and…re-break his leg. Which they did, in hopes that it would heal inContinueContinue reading “1. To the saints we never knew”

Happenings.

Half of the blood in my veins comes from a peoples easily addicted to fire water, and the other half from folks with a tendency towards obsessive compulsions and, while I’ve done a pretty good job of avoiding both of those things, I do tend to get reallllllly into whatever hobby I’m feeling at theContinueContinue reading “Happenings.”

Stories from the desert

I once sat in a table discussion at a workshop We were asked to share about God’s work in our lives. Every story, told, took a matter of minutes. But, I was struck that every story used a phrase like, “And a long time later,” Or, “Over the course of years…” To say a phraseContinueContinue reading “Stories from the desert”

A simply delightful weekend

I have two mentors. They’ve both been like, “So, taking time for yourself,” and this has been a process that has taken a lot of time (*cough* a year *cough*), BUT, this weekend I dutifully marked as “recovery weekend” which meant no responsibilities to anyone except myself (I’m looking at you: job-that-I-love) and therein beganContinueContinue reading “A simply delightful weekend”