Heartbeat of Time

“For when I am weak, then I am strong…” ~St. Paul When I was young, these words of St. Paul made no sense to me. How can you be both weak and strong at the same time? And even into my early adulthood, I would cringe to hear employers or supervisors ask what I thought … More The Gift of Weakness

Have you ever felt baffled by God? Or in mid-stride as you head to your next appointment on a Tuesday afternoon thought, “I just don’t understand my life…” Where is it going? What is its purpose? Why am I in this place, in the midst of this ongoing story I didn’t write and wouldn’t choose. … More What I Don’t Understand…

I grew up in a church tradition where it was a common practice to raise your hands palms up during the worship service. In American Sign Language (ASL) this hand shape is often called a 5-hand shape. It is both hands open in a gesture of both of surrender (willing to give up what is … More Open Hands

I spent an unforgettable summer in a rural village in Kazakhstan over 20 years ago and one of my take aways from that trip was learning not to take things for granted. Since that trip I have learned a new appreciation for hot steamy showers with steady water pressure. And almost every day since that … More Can You Give Me Thanks?

What if? What if the gas prices keep rising? What if the stock market crashes? What is the Russian invasion into Ukraine triggers world-wide food and gas shortages? What if… Have you ever noticed that when these two little words are used to start a sentence, the description is almost always a negative picture that … More Look up, Child.

Have you ever felt like everyone else in your family got the talented genes and you somehow got the short end of the stick? This is how I feel every time I attempt even a rude sketch of something. Almost all of my siblings have more artistic talent that I do. One time I asked … More I See You.

Have you ever felt forgotten by God? That He once spoke a hopeful word over your life but then walked away and seemed to forget about it. You wake up most mornings in anticipation and go through your day in faith, but still see no evidence for what you were hoping for on the horizon. … More I’ll Not Forget You.

Today I feel small. There is so much happening around the world right now at a pace that leaves me feeling stunned. I can’t take it all in. I have been praying with my church for those in Ukraine these past few days and then today I gave a lecture to graduate students in Russia … More The world is big and I am small.

This Ash Wednesday is no ordinary day for me. In fact, this whole past week has been a heartbreaking and unsettling one for almost everyone I have talked to as we have watched in disbelief the images of tanks rolling into Ukraine and heard the stories of thousands of Ukrainians fleeing their once peaceful land … More Ash Wednesday Reflections