Practicing Gratitude

Last updated on: November 13, 2012 at 10:01 pm By Erin Wathen

I’ve gotta say… for all the junk and crazy-making stuff that floats around on facebook, i’m finding the daily ‘thankful’ posts a blessed relief. In case you haven’t noticed–many people challenge themselves, during the month of November, to give thanks for something every day of the month. People share their gratitude for everything from health and family to simple daily blessings–good food, good coffee, the smell of laundry on a weekday evening. All told, sifting through my newsfeed these days, i find an on-going litany... Read more

Change Gonna Come

Last updated on: November 8, 2012 at 6:48 pm By Erin Wathen

Some folks seem to be reeling from some recent revelations: 1– ‘white majority’ is no longer a thing because of a) growing demographics of multi-ethnic groups and b) philosophical differences, even among people of the same race. 2– women can do stuff. it’s a thing. 3– there is no one truth, and there are no easy answers. If a country is divided literally in half, we have to acknowledge that we are all a little bit right, and we are all a little... Read more

Next…

Last updated on: November 7, 2012 at 6:10 pm By Erin Wathen

A deep breath…this is a non-partisan post, I promise. In fact, I’ve tried to focus all my posts around specific issues and social concerns; not about people, parties or politics. But today, especially, is a day to try and get past party lines and talk about what’s next. To that end, here’s what we’ve (all, hopefully) learned: -Hating on the gays doesn’t buy votes anymore. Let’s move on and talk about something else next time. -There are many women’s issues in politics, but... Read more

We The People

Last updated on: November 6, 2012 at 7:35 pm By Erin Wathen

I was inspired and encouraged by the people I saw at the polls this morning. Not just the by the number of them, but by their diversity. Young and old; men and women; affluent and otherwise; Hispanic, Indian, Anglo, and citizens of European heritage, speaking to their children in native tongues… In this season of Thanksgiving, I am extremely grateful for our founding fathers, and their vision of democracy; for the generations of men and women who have protected our freedom; for women who fought for... Read more

Joy in the Morning

Last updated on: November 5, 2012 at 3:36 pm By Erin Wathen

Enough. Come tomorrow, I want my friends back, I want my country back, and I want my shallow consumer-driven commercials back on tv. Enough. We are tired Read more

Scattered and Sown

Last updated on: November 3, 2012 at 11:45 pm By Erin Wathen

So this farmer went out with a bunch of seeds. And he scattered them far and wide. Some fell on the road, so the road runners ate them. Some fell on the red rock; those seeds sprouted quickly, but their roots didn’t go very deep. The saplings whithered and died in the blazing sun, and the remains were trampled by coyotes. Some fell in the dry and thorny weeds; those seeds never had a chance. And some of those seeds fell... Read more

Scent of the Sacred

Last updated on: November 3, 2012 at 2:24 am By Erin Wathen

Best smells for the soul: fresh lavender. or basil. cut christmas tree. my favorite leather jacket. library books. my kids, just out of the bath. laundry. an old church fellowship hall. morning coffee. my husband’s t-shirt. just-blown-out birthday candles. honeysuckle in the kentucky springtime. rain in the desert, anytime. onions cooking in olive oil. bread baking. (baking anything). tobacco hanging in my grandparents’ barn. I love to go for a walk about 30 minutes before dark. Partly because it’s cool;... Read more

Thin Places: Sanctuary

Last updated on: November 1, 2012 at 6:54 pm By Erin Wathen

I love Halloween. Seriously, when else do you get to be a rockstar-gypsy-cowgirl AND eat lots of candy? Ok, maybe i do that every day, but still. On Halloween, it’s FESTIVE. And there are decorations, and the candy-calories don’t count (as everybody knows). And this year, i had the joy of trick-or-treating with my kids, on the first year they were big enough to really get it. And there is nothing like watching them march up to the door with... Read more

Cut and Paste

Last updated on: October 31, 2012 at 7:47 pm By Erin Wathen

I’ve had a startling revelation–I’m conservative. At least, the elements of my life reflect conservative values. I am married to a partner of opposite sex. He is my first spouse, and the father of both our children. We have 2.5 kids–meaning, two kids and a really sweet dog. We have very little debt. Heck, we don’t even have a car payment. We don’t have cable. One parent stays home with the children full-time. We do not let our kids watch... Read more

…but the Lord was not in the wind

Last updated on: October 30, 2012 at 7:29 pm By Erin Wathen

They’re like Voldemort. Or perhaps I should say, “he who must not be named.’ Because really, naming them gives them power. They are people who show up at a soldier’s funeral to spew hate rhetoric. They are people who move in when there is tremendous grief; and sometimes, like dementors, they are also drawn to celebration. They make hideous signs, and they make the news. They are pastors who teach their youth that a little bit of harrassment might be a... Read more