Although it’s half a week late, I preached a short homily this last weekend in Seattle. Soup & Bread Gathering and St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church, thank you for allowing me to step into your pulpits. As per the rest of you, enjoy! — Today marks the first Sunday of Lent, the first Sunday in a season of reflection and remembering – in a season of going deeper into ourselves, in a season of “bright sadness,” as one theologian puts it. It’s... Read more
Today’s post is from a friend who’s ever growing dearer to me: Myisha Hill is a friend and a leader, a speaker and an entrepreneur who also happens to be a deacon at Oakland City Church. She resides in Oakland with her three children, Micah, Melech, and Naima, and as one of my conversational partners when it comes to talking about justice, race and privilege, I can personally tell you that she’s the REAL DEAL. I know you’re going to love what... Read more
Oh friends, another poet is entering this space today! Carolina Hinojosa-Cisneros is a friend, a mentor, an advocate, a poet, a justice slinger, a student, a wife, a mother and a teacher to us all. I can’t WAIT to get my hands on Becoming Coztototl, and after reading this interview with her, I don’t doubt you’ll feel the same way. — Tell us a bit about yourself, will you? I am a Tejana poet, Chicana, and Mujerista from San Antonio, Texas.... Read more
Well friends, I’ve got a treat for you today! Shann Ray is a friend, a poet, a systems psychologist, an award-winning novelist, a dad and a husband. And y’all, after spending a week together at Collegeville Institute, not only did I know he was the real deal, but I knew I wanted to host him in this space. So, cozy up and read about him and his new book of poetry, Sweetclover, then leave a comment at the end for a chance... Read more
This morning, my oldest son and I dropped his younger brother off at preschool before heading to the gas station, the coffee shop and his school. But today’s visit to his elementary school was different, because we didn’t walk through its doors – and neither did 467 of his classmates. As you may have seen on the news, Oakland public school teachers are on strike …and as a family who benefits from the local public education system, we too have... Read more
It’s Tuesday and you know what that means – I’ve got another author to feature here on my Patheos blog. Aubrey Sampson recently released The Louder Song, which is a book about a topic some of us tend to avoid but all of us need to embrace: lament. I write about lament in my book, and am so glad to see others are writing about it too. Check out the interview with her and leave a comment at the end to win... Read more
Perhaps like you, my prayer life has had about a million different faces over the years. Growing up, prayer looked like closing my eyes and holding hands around the dinner table and saying ThankyouJesusforthisfoodandforthisfamilyAmen as fast as humanly possible so we could eat the food in front of us. Beyond that, it was boring, uncertain, nonexistent. What was prayer but something I was supposed to do in order to illicit a desired response? By the time I got to high school, I... Read more
Well, friends, it’s official: The Color of Life is now out in the world for public consumption. As I told one friend on the phone this morning, in a way, I feel like my job here is done. There’s nothing I can do or say to make you read my book. I can’t fine-tune my words anymore, nor can I offer the world’s coolest giveaway (although this one, I must admit, is pretty high up there). I did the work.... Read more
This last week, marketing passed along endorser images to me. With The Color of Life releasing in just a couple of days, I’ve pretty much been reduced to a ball of emotions, good for nothing but singing “Shark Attack” with my four-year old and reading Ultimate Body-Pedia over and over again with my six-year old …which is exactly what I should be doing right now anyway. After all, my book is just another book – but it’s just another book... Read more
Friends, I’ve got a FANTASTIC book to pass along to you from another dear writer friend. As I said in my endorsement, Uncluttered by Courtney Ellis is somehow raw, relatable and hilarious all at the same time …and I don’t know about you, but that’s exactly what I need and want from a book sometimes! Check out this interview with her and head over to Instagram in a couple of days for more chances to win a copy of her book. — Tell... Read more
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