Tag Archives: faith

Advent Monday #2

There is a line in an Advent song that sings like, “O Come, O rod of Jesse’s stem” And today’s reading is about the desert and the parched land and the steppe blooming “with abundant flowers.” But I’m just over here like, “Yeah, and I’ll bet that those were watered by our collective tears.” “MourningContinueContinue reading “Advent Monday #2”

Advent Sunday #1

I usually sleep straight through the night. This is a grace, I know, And I am thankful for the blessing. To readers with restless legs and insomnia: I’m sorry. But a few night ago I was startled awake. I looked around frantic, Trying to determine what had shocked me alert. Half-awake, I roughly brushed myContinueContinue reading “Advent Sunday #1”

The Wedding Feast: an extroverted dream of heaven

When I was young and without a driver’s license, Lauren’s mom would sometimes carpool me to my house from classes. We would talk about all kinds of things–classes, memories, God. Probably colleges, too. Being in high school has its own set of stressors. One day Lauren’s mom started talking about her wedding. Maybe we wereContinueContinue reading “The Wedding Feast: an extroverted dream of heaven”

Discerning Lake Michigan

They say that the waves on my beloved Lake Michigan reached a height of twenty feet last week–crests of far-flung fresh spray spouting into the grey sky. I love the Great Lakes: their wide expanses of blue touch me every time I travel to see them–I could look at them for hours. Often, on vacation,ContinueContinue reading “Discerning Lake Michigan”

What if you didn’t know the Our Father?

In Christianity, there is a prayer given to us by Jesus. It’s called the “Lord’s Prayer” by some, but I hear it called the “Our Father” in Catholic circles, and so that’s what I call it here. Just so ya know. Not last weekend (Halloween/ All Saints Day), but the weekend before, I lost myContinueContinue reading “What if you didn’t know the Our Father?”

Living, dying, and both well

A few weeks ago, I met some old-but-far-flung friends halfway between their distant homes and mine. My friends, Lauren and Mica, are sisters; we’ve been friends since grade school for real, though. We drove out after work, exchanged happy greetings and unloaded at the farmhouse where we would be staying the night. And then, weContinueContinue reading “Living, dying, and both well”

Eucalyptus

Two hundred years ago, in 2011, I walked a bit of the Camino de Santiago. Sometimes life has a way of surprising you, you who show up with skeletal “plans” or maybe “visions.” Ha. Hahahahaha. Almost a year before I walked the Camino, my brother had sent me a link to the Wikipedia article aboutContinueContinue reading “Eucalyptus”

Abundant Grace

Sometimes I wonder to myself, “How do people even get married?” Weddings seem so bizarrely beautiful. This man and this woman, promising lives and fidelity to each other forever and ever (well, until they die, at least). But how? How do people look at each other and decide this? How do they get to aContinueContinue reading “Abundant Grace”

“The best we have to offer”–A thought on ministry

Last summer I went and stayed at an all-girls Catholic sleep-away camp. For a week. Honestly, it was probably because they were short on helpful adult-chaperone-ladies, so I was asked by someone who knew someone and then, wouldn’t you know it: bam. A week in a cabin full of 13/ 14 year-old girls. Now, myContinueContinue reading ““The best we have to offer”–A thought on ministry”