This morning, I read Dietrich Bonhoeffer, and my whole spirit calmed down. He lived and was martyred during one of the most awful periods for the church. And yet, his words are like a balm and a reminder of what community is supposed to be like for believers. I do not think we are…
Category: Current Events
We could Hug More!
Another bad thing in a world of bad things. I have not become numb, that is not what has happened. I crumble with each new attack, with each new assault – foreign or domestic. And then I disconnect, and block out the media, and become absorbed in my kids’ interests and the activities we can do…
If a Genie Could Grant us Wholeheartedness
My husband and I were solving all the problems of the world this morning over coffee, and again, the discussion of violence in our nation was at the forefront of our thoughts. We were acknowledging that it is difficult to have a conversation about how to solve the problems without people getting heated, and…
She Thought Perhaps Azalea
#blacklivesmatter
I Do Not Tug at their Hearts for No Reason
Earlier this week, we were having a dinner table conversation led by my husband about Not Judging a Book by its Cover – not judging people – understanding that everyone has a story. We may not ever know what drives a person, but we have to give space, give grace, and give a level of…
Dustin Hoffman on Appreciating Women
Dustin Hoffman is in a video that will most likely go viral. It is about the moment he realized how many amazing women he had missed out on meeting or interacting with in his life because they didn’t fit the image he had in his head of how women should look. He breaks down crying…
Where there are no Oxen, the Stalls are Clean
This was the phrase floating through my head all morning as I cleaned my house. I cleaned everything. My house has not been this spotless in a long time. I cleaned with joy. I cleaned with a spring in my step. Bean helped me with the more fun parts, like the duster dealie-ma-thingie. The other…
With Everything I am, I Thank You
This morning, in the moments before anything else happened, before anyone needed me, or the morning ritual of hugs all around began, I imagined being there yesterday, in Boston. I imagined the sounds and all I really know of anything this scary, is seeing blood on one of my kids from a bicycle accident. When…
The NRA and Guns and Schools: A Balancing Act Not Completely Thought Through
On Monday morning of this week, after the horrific shooting in Connecticut, I woke up wanting the NRA to pay for armed security in our schools. And now, it seems, that is exactly what they are proposing to do amid a frenzied national outrage. I feel like a heel. In the moment, it seemed like…
Jingle Bells: The Third-Grade Christmas Sing and Shuffle
There they stood, in all their Christmas Cheer. The girls, that is. Many of the girls wore fancy dresses. Even a couple of boys were dressed in suits and ties. Most of the boys were dressed like my son, in sweatshirts and jeans. Ben sported a Harley Davidson t-shirt, and his ever-present baseball hat. They…
