The following is an essay I wrote for the Community of St. Mary Southern Provence Newsletter, in which I share a bit of the back story in how I have found myself in discernment to be an Oblate in their community. “Ultimately it is the land and what it knows that sustains life; and it was to the land that we had to take our children before it was too late.” - Phyllis Tickle, from the ... View Post
Last Minute Saint Lucia Day Celebrations
December 13 is the Feast of Saint Lucia aka St. Lucy Day. There are a couple of different stories around why and how Lucia came to be a saint, but one thing seems to hold true even if the facts are fuzzy, and it is this: LOVE made her brave, LOVE made her fierce. Her gifts, her light, her actions, her choices - they came from love. And this love - this is the light that breaks the darkness. This ... View Post
The Thrill of Hope…
Next week, I will be joining my good friend Callie Swanlund to host a special day for lay women leaders in ministry. This day is for lay (non-ordained) women who lead in ministry - voluntarily or professionally- to find some quiet in the midst of the chaos and some community during this season of isolation. This day has been set aside as a day of hope in what feels like an overwhelming and ... View Post
A Prayer for Being Present
As we enter into the holiday season in a year that will require us to do a lot of things differently, here is a little prayer to help us be present to what is, instead of what we wish could be. Help me be here. Help me notice if I need to disconnect - from devices or from unhealthy habits, or the Amazon shopping cart. May I open my hands to what is instead of just waiting for what might ... View Post
Good News in the Garden
It is no secret that life on the farm is a full-self experience for me. It is the place that nourishes me body, mind, and soul. And since COVID-19, it has been nourishing my soul more than ever. As is evident by my excitement over radishes as show above. So you can imagine my delight when I was invited to talk with Anna Woofenden and Sam Chamelin -host of my favorite podcast, The Food and ... View Post
Doing Church Outside
I don't know exactly when it began, when the seeds were planted for my love of outdoor church, but I think it probably began with VBS, with the brown bag picnics we would have on the lawn on the last day. In my memory those days are full of friends, laughter, food, and singing - and church. All my favorite things together. Or maybe it was the annual fish fry at the Presbyterian campgrounds ... View Post
