I'm a middle child in birth order. I'm also an INFJ on the Myers Briggs Inventory. My Enneagram is 9. All of that means that I am hardwired to be a peacemaker. I hate conflict. When people are angry at one another, I feel it in my own body. My heart breaks and my soul... Continue Reading →
A Little Less Than Divine: A Reflection on Psalm 8
A couple months ago, I was listening to an audio book about St. Francis in which the author discussed how monks in medieval times would have written. Unlike me, who jots my thoughts down on anything from scraps of paper to smart notebooks, Francis would not have had access to such things. Francis' writings, like... Continue Reading →
Replanted: A Reflection on Psalm 1
I know a thing or two about being replanted. A few years ago I made one of the hardest decisions of my life and followed God into the unknown. This unknown was Southern Idaho—maybe that doesn’t seem drastic to anyone else, but for me it was huge. I was leaving Appalachia, and I knew that... Continue Reading →
Reclamation
Image by Andrew Martin from Pixabay I’m back! It’s been more than a 18 months since I sat down and focused on writing. The pandemic struck and so many of the things that had always sustained me were shoved to the back burner… except I forgot to tun on the burner, so it’s just sat... Continue Reading →
Patience
Patience is an act of faith—a proclamation of trust—that God’s Will will be done in time. (Click to view video)
More Than I Bargained For: Lent
I won't lie--as Lent began I still didn't know what I would fast from throughout this season of Lent. I thought about the things I had given up in the past--anywhere from the selfishly motivated giving up of sweets (that was more of a diet disguised as a religious discipline) to the far more difficult... Continue Reading →
Crisis: Week 10
I have found myself desperately reaching for the calm wisdom of Mr. Rogers over the past few weeks as the Covid-19 virus has made it's way around the globe. It's one thing to get on social media and post funny memes about all the people panic-buying toilet paper, or grumbling at the grocery story with... Continue Reading →
Failure: Week 8
There is a fantastic scene in the new Mr. Rogers movie in which our beloved children's show host hilariously fails at setting up a tent on his show. As he struggles with the apparatus and mutters under his breath, his crew can't help but smirk at the good-natured man being bested by the very same... Continue Reading →
Change: Week Two
One of the primary reasons I took on this Mr. Rogers project for 2020 was because I wanted to spend the year practicing how to love and appreciate all of my neighbors. We live in a polarized and divisive society and as I contemplated how to navigate those choppy waters I figured Mr. Rogers would... Continue Reading →
Gratitude: Week One
In the first entry for my Year of Living Like Mr. Rogers project, I decided to focus on gratitude. As a child, watching Mr. Rogers, one of things I remember him often saying was, "Thank you for being you." We often thank people, but the unspoken caveat is that they have done something that helps... Continue Reading →