“Going from this place to another place is like a bird in winter who remembers the beauty of her Springtime nest just to keep herself from freezing.” Nancy Wood Reading this morning from Joyce Rupp’s beautiful book, The Cup of Life: A Guide for Spiritual Growth, I am struck with the power of memory. Memory [...]
For most of my life, autumn has been my favorite season. Until Joel entered my life, when it became a never-ending battle between us and them—us being me and Joel, them being soggy leaves dragged into the house by human beings and resident dog. Any time a two-legged or four-legged creature entered the house we [...]
“The deepest satisfaction of writing is precisely that it opens up new spaces within us of which we were not aware before we started to write. To write is to embark on a journey of which we do not know the final destination. Thus, writing requires a great act of trust. We have to say [...]
Quiet time in the kitchen garden, sitting under the hackberry tree. It’s a crisp, cool, September morning, and I’m bundled up in an afghan, warding off the chill. I woke up earlier than usual this morning, worries and anxieties taking flight even before I opened my eyes. Not a good way to start a Monday [...]
“Compassion has a price. It does not come without a cost, the least of which is the pain that pierces our own hearts as we accompany one who is suffering.” Joyce Rupp, The Cup of Our Lives: A Guide for Spiritual Growth. Saturday morning. Dappled sunshine, clouds scudding across the sky at a good clip, [...]
Last cup of coffee on the deck at Silver Lake. Time to pack up, clean out the refrigerator, and wash the sheets and towels before leaving. This is a beautiful place, full of the grandeur of God. The silvered surface of the lake when it is calm. The dunes rising up out of the lake. [...]
I’m sitting on the deck of an A-frame cottage on the shores of Silver Lake, Michigan. It is windy, and it’s a good thing the orange sun umbrella on the edge of the deck is tied down tight. It twists and turns in the stiff breeze, looking as if wants nothing more than to fly [...]
Boardwalk creaks and groans under foot; lily pads await their lilies while a red-winged blackbird practices whistling. Cat tails bend and bow in homage as Spirit wind parts the path before me. Swing awaits on higher ground. River sparkles, holy water to douse my troubles. A gentle rhythm pumps my legs; to and fro, to [...]