Category: Reflections
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The abundance of just enough
I recently spent 5 days on retreat at a Benedictine convent, which was restful and soul-filling. So much has stayed with me about my time there, but the one thing I keep coming back to is the simple, mindful way of life the Sisters have cultivated within their community. The Rule of St. Benedict, which…
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Fallow season
Indeed, the LORD will comfort Zion; He will comfort all her waste places And her wilderness He will make like Eden, And her desert like the garden of the LORD; Joy and gladness will be found in her, Thanksgiving and sound of a melody. – Isaiah 51:3 Last Fall, during the week I spent with…
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Unbusy
I decided to give up busyness for Lent. Fasting or refraining at Lent is traditionally about food, but it can be applied to just about any habitual behavior that creates distance between you and God. While Lent is a time of penitence, it is not meant to be about punishment. If we are disciples, we are not “giving…
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Welcomed in
I remember the day I walked into my church for the first time. I had been feeling the pull to seek a church, even though I had only attended worship a handful of times in my life. At the time, I lived within walking distance of at least five churches, so I had my pick. I…
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The heavenly party (for Kristen)
My friend Kristen Dellaporta left this world on Friday, December 18 after living with metastatic breast cancer with wit, passion, love, and courage. Her motto up until the end, and inked on her arm was, “In grace, in love, be relentless.” French author Émile Zola’s famous pronouncement, “If you ask me what I came to do…
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Throwing a rock
My heart is filled with sorrow with the news that a grand jury indictment was not ordered for Ferguson, MO police officer Darren Wilson, accused of killing Michael Brown, a young and unarmed black man. Whatever the facts of the case are, we are left with a family, a community, and many people in our…
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The coldest day ever
We’ve had a very frigid old snap across most of the United States. Atlanta has seen its coldest temperatures in decades. As someone who grew up in the Northeast, I can only remember a few times in my life that it’s been anywhere near this cold! There’s not much more I can say that hasn’t…
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Give in to wonderment (Advent Day 16)
One of the best things about Advent and the holiday season is the opportunity to delight in the spectacle of warm lights and bright color all around us, especially as the days get shorter and colder. Everything right now is glittery, glitzy and over-the-top. Magical moments are everywhere you look. I love that more of…
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Give yourself space to let the light in (Advent Day 12)
The holidays can be a very hectic time – both joyous and stressful. Add to it colder temperatures and shorter daylight hours, which can darken moods and zap energy. During Advent, we wait in ever-deepening anticipation of what is to come, and what has been promised. We wait, preparing to move from darkness into a…
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Give blessings (Advent Day 9)
Yesterday, we lit the Advent candle of peace. It was a moment to reflect on our Prince of Peace, Jesus, who taught us to open our divided hearts toward a life of reconciliation. I realized late in the day that it was also the anniversary of the murder of John Lennon, another strong advocate for…
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