The calendar tells me that we are in the waning days of August, and the heat and humidity outside certainly confirm that. But, internally, I do not feel anything even slightly resembling the slow, lazy haze of summertime. I am in full-blown Task Mode, with...
Company’s coming! These two words have the power to spur me to action like almost nothing else can do. This past weekend, a group of friends gathered around my dining room table to celebrate two birthdays. These are friends I have known for the better part...
What are your favorite memories of summer? For some of us, food plays a major role in defining what “summer” means to us. Homemade ice cream, ice-cold watermelon, steaks or burgers on the grill, fresh corn on the cob, and chins that are sticky with...
Second Sight Sometimes, you need the ocean light, and colors you’ve never seen before painted through an evening sky. Sometimes you need your God to be a simple invitation, not a telling word of wisdom. Sometimes you need only the first shyness that comes from being shown things far beyond your understanding, so that you...
Questions. Really good questions. Teachers, therapists, leaders, and parents all know the power of a good question. I am not talking about fact-finding questions, though they certainly have their place. And I am certainly not talking about nosy questions. I am thinking of penetrating questions,...
Sometimes my mind totally baffles me. For instance, lately there is a phrase that keeps rolling around in my head: “Now is the winter of our discontent.” This was the opening line in a speech delivered by Gloucester in William Shakespeare’s Richard III. Nearly four...
For the past two weeks I have been out of the office. I cannot say I’ve been on “vacation” because there wasn’t much about my time away that was restful or relaxing. I cannot even say I was “away from work” because I “worked like...
We are doing some updates and came across this blog post from last year. We hope you have either peaches, beaches, family, or friends lined up for your weekend! What is the first thing you think of when you hear the words “summer vacation”? Do you...
While Pastor Michelle is on vacation, we are reposting some of the "best of" her blogposts. This post - a reflection no the 4th of July, was from July 2, 2017: This year was a very low-key 4th of July celebration at my house. Having...
If you know me at all – and especially if you have been in ministry with me – you’ve heard me say that the model of leaving the faith development of children completely up to the church is flawed and out of date. Flawed for...