Labels
I have lots of these and my favorites are based on my identity in relationships – daughter. sister. aunt. mom. friend. wife. When I am introduced to someone often the labels I am asked for are not the ones based on relationship (perhaps it is too intimate), but rather the identifiers are based on what…
Easter 2023
Today is Friday. Fridays have become a good day because I switched my role as minister to worker bee and now have a weekend to rest, play and get chores done. This Friday is extra special because it is God’s Friday around the world as we remember the work of Christ on the cross. Can…
Miracles
Yesterday at our weekly staff meeting one of the shepherds asked us to list miracles we have witnessed and the room was silent. Really?! A room full of full time ministers and christian workers who could not share a miracle! (myself included). I am sure that some of the lack of response was due to…
Heroes
There are heroes in the world. Some are disguised as regular people. I know some – actually I know more than my fair share. They may not be the superhero kind who wear capes and have otherworldly superpowers but they are the real deal. One of my superheroes, at 87 years old, went to Africa…
The myth of the past
Looking forward rather than backward is “advent”, It is looking for what is coming, anticipating arrival- not retracing our steps! As a kid I celebrated the expectant coming of Christ with eager anticipation (well, at least for the gifts that accompanied the arrival). And yet He had already come some 2000 years ago! We retrace…
89 & 65 and me
My dad turned 89 in Oct. My parents celebrated 65 years of marriage in Nov. Every day I have them is a blessing for which I am grateful. It does not matter how long I have had my dad, nor does it matter that he has lived a good long life. It does not matter…
Fears
I have been worried about losing my job for years. It is often an irrational fear with underlying roots in unworthiness and lack of confidence, but now it is more than a fear. It is more likely than it has been and my boss basically asked for volunteers today as the budget shortfall is $1.5…
November 5th
This is a day seared into my memory forever. It is that mix of complete devastation and holy moments. It was a blend of wanting complete privacy and needing to allow everyone else to say their goodbyes. It is the worst day of my life and the hardest one I have ever known. It is…
He is Here
Have you ever taken a sentence and repeated it over and over emphasizing a different word each time? It is hard to explain how just an emphasis can make a difference – they are the same words after all – but it does change meaning. HE is here- God is the He to whom I…
Miracles
Once upon a time, last Sunday, April 10th shortly after 9pm to be more accurate, I was driving home to Downey after spending the afternoon with my parents. I was driving along with the flow of traffic on the North 605, listening to a Lucille Ball podcast, when all of a sudden I heard a…