I'm crying my way through The Chosen tv series again. No matter how many times I watch the dramatized account of Mary of Magdala's encounter with Jesus, I still end up in a puddle of grateful tears. Such a broken, helpless, tormented woman who had lost all hope. Then, out of the blue, she meets Jesus, and… Continue reading First Contact
I believe in miracles. Sometimes I forget that I believe in miracles and pray weak, cowardly prayers. I do this either because I fear being presumptuous or I fear being disappointed. I also push back against the belief held by those who insist we can command God and demand miracles. Once when I was in… Continue reading Wild Faith
We all have wilderness seasons. In Hebrew scriptures, the wilderness is a barren, dry place where no life grows, and nothing thrives. A frightening, chaotic, dangerous place inhabited by demons and monsters. A place of restless wandering, of loneliness, fear, hunger, and thirst. It is a place where everything you lean on for support gets… Continue reading In the Wilderness
I always associate baptism with wild places. Except for my two oldest children, who were baptized in swimming pools surrounded by friends and people who loved them, my baptisms have all been wild. I was baptized by my uncle in the stormy Irish Sea. I was sure I would drown, but he stood there like… Continue reading Rewilding
Mother Teresa once said, Listen in silence because if your heart is full of other things, you cannot hear the voice of God. Watching the snow fall on the frozen creek outside my window, I sit in silence, listening but hearing nothing. I turn to the book of Joel and linger there. Give me your hearts, the prophet… Continue reading A Torn Heart
I love Lent. I love the idea of identifying with Jesus' forty days in the wilderness, where he faced off with the devil in preparation for public ministry. I love tracing his footsteps and breathing the desert dust as I reimagine his beautiful, grace-soaked encounters with people just as messed up as me. I trudge… Continue reading Holy Decrease
Merry Christmas! It has been a joy to write here each day during this advent season. Thanks for joining me! I plan to take a short break and then post a couple of times weekly until mid-February. Perhaps, we'll start a new daily journey for the Lenten season? We'll see:) Until then, I pray that… Continue reading Rejoice!
What began as a gloriously impossible birth became a gloriously impossible life. The One heralded by the prophets became the Living Voice to a deaf world. The One whose crib was an animal feeding trough became Living Bread for the hungry. The One who was worshipped by kings and angels now became a Living Hope… Continue reading Love With Skin On
Sometimes people may wonder what the birth of one baby two thousand years ago has to do with our frantic lives in the 21st century. We read the daily headlines and feel a disconnect between our day to day realities and the meaning of Christmas. The phrase Peace on Earth rings hollow when wars and conflicts rage… Continue reading Peace On Earth
I must have listened to Aretha sing Joy to the World a dozen times yesterday. It brought me to my feet, brought me back to life, and reminded me of a time when a much less glorious version of that Christmas song brought someone else to life. We were caroling at a nursing home - just a… Continue reading Hope
Paper Thin Places 
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