By Heart

In school we used to have to learn things "by heart," like our multiplication tables. You need to know your phone number, or social security number by heart. My husband still knows all his friends' phone numbers from growing up years by heart. People who know number stuff by heart amaze me. I am a …

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Perspective

Entering in and really contemplating the Christmas story and all the many players invited to be part of God’s bigger plan has been encouraging, and at times challenging. One scene has always captivated me and intrigued me, the one where the wise men go to the Herod’s palace to meet the newborn king because they …

Pondering Two Women

Two women, one story, woven together by the God of all creation who designated their time and place to be the fullness of time. Then to think of their experiences, they could not be more different although with some similarities, same God, both righteous and favored by God for the important jobs of raising two …

Two Sides of the Same Coin

As we slide into Christmas Eve, this wondering through Advent has me seeing and thinking things I have not considered, or thought but did not give much second thought too. This slowing down to be still and contemplate, and really enter the story has helped me to see more than meets my annual cursory reading …

Mingling of Joy and Grief

It came up in my Facebook feed today, my post about the mingling of joy and sadness this time of year from last Christmas season. This time of year is full of joy and fun but I fight against a heaviness and sadness that this time of year brings. As I wrap and ship out …

Favored and Beloved

It all seems to be coming together, this message of beloved, the significance of allowing God to name me, instead of my many faults or successes. Margaret Feinberg calls it "sacred echoes" when you are hearing the same message in many places, God trying to get our attention. This Advent season, this message keeps coming …

Still Wondering

This past week I saw the above picture from a friend and was reminded how I used to lay under our tree growing up, just staring at our nativity set. We kept ours on the floor under the tree, a tradition we have kept with my own family. My growing up creche had a orange …

Donkey Police

Even as it slipped out of my mouth, it startled me. "There was no donkey. Mary and Joseph did not have a donkey." The intensity was what was surprising, as if someone was speaking blasphemy. Thankfully, I was with a group of people who know how to laugh and find humor in things, and we …

Wonder

Wonder... I heard two sermons the Sunday before Advent that talked about wonder. My soul resonated a hearty yes to wonder... I was thinking that was my word for December. I was going to get a break from persevere, and be awed by wonder. The next week my husband preached the first Sunday of Advent …