I’m blogging through Father Richard Rohr’s Falling Upward: A Spirituality Through The Two Halves Of Life. Even if you haven’t read the book, please stick around and join the conversation here if you’re facing a mid-life transition. Father Rohr offers us all some meaty food for thought. Here are links to my previous posts in the series: Intro — Chapter 1 — Chapter 2 — Chapter 3 —Chapter 4 – Chapter 5 – Chapter 6 – Chapter 7 – Chapter... Read more
Terri was a chemist, skilled at her work and respected by her coworkers. Terri was a caring daughter. She spent a few evenings at week with her mom, a late-stage Alzheimer’s patient, just as she had every step of her mom’s journey. And she was a huge support for her dad as well. Terri was a gifted musician, leading worship at church with a generous and humble attitude. Terri was a thoughtful friend. She remembered details from past conversations in... Read more
I’ve lived in nondescript subdivisions (beige house, beige house, beige house, lather, rinse, repeat) for most of my adult life. The sameness of my surroundings was like an aerobic workout for my imagination as I worked to notice each difference (Look! Red shutters!) and imagined what life inside each house might be like when I’d walk the neighborhood. The town in which we’re now living is full of history. I enjoy the variety and charm of the homes here, but... Read more
I’m blogging through Father Richard Rohr’s Falling Upward: A Spirituality Through The Two Halves Of Life. Even if you haven’t read the book, please stick around and join the conversation here if you’re facing a mid-life transition. Father Rohr offers us all some meaty food for thought. Here are links to my previous posts in the series: Intro — Chapter 1 — Chapter 2 — Chapter 3 —Chapter 4 – Chapter 5 – Chapter 6 – Chapter 7 – Chapter... Read more
Q. What do these people have in common? Rares Dumitrescu Stepanka HIlgertova Rick Van der Ven A. They are each Olympians, though their names may not be familiar to you unless you’re a hard-core fencing, kayak or archery fan. And each one placed fourth in an event in which they’d competed. A recent Chicago Trib article profiled another fourth place finisher, rower Sarah Zelenka, who called her fourth-place finish “a nightmare”. Watching Jordyn Wieber’s agony-of-defeat moment... Read more
I’m blogging through Father Richard Rohr’s Falling Upward: A Spirituality Through The Two Halves Of Life. Even if you haven’t read the book, please stick around and join the conversation here if you’re facing a mid-life transition. Father Rohr offers us all some meaty food for thought. Here are links to my previous posts in the series: Intro — Chapter 1 — Chapter 2 — Chapter 3 —Chapter 4 – Chapter 5 – Chapter 6 – Chapter 7 – Chapter... Read more
Twenty years ago, author Anne Lamott was ambushed by her unexpected pregnancy. Her best selling 1993 memoir, Operating Instructions, describes her tumultuous first year as a single mother after her son Sam’s birth. When Sam turned 19, he told his mom that he and girlfriend Amy were about to become parents, a life-altering event for the young couple. The news did some serious upending of Anne Lamott’s life as well. Anne and Sam together agree to tell the story of... Read more
Is there anything more inviting than a stack of books waiting TBR (to be read)? Whether they’re piled on a nightstand, a coffee table or next to a Adirondack chair parked alongside a freshwater lake, the promise of new worlds awaits between the covers of the books in a TBR pile. And there’s something almost as delightful as hitting the “on” switch on a Kindle, and seeing a fresh list of *new* books waiting TBR. My internal red pen offers... Read more
It took me a long time to understand the difference between teaching (informing, enlightening) and preaching (re-presenting the Good News). It is unusual in our culture to find a church with leaders who are gifted preachers. Most churches we’ve attended have had teachers in the pulpit. Even those who claim to have a deep commitment to exegetical preaching typically teach the passage rather than endeavoring to form Christ in lives of the hearers. Both teaching and preaching are spiritual gifts,... Read more
A few months ago, my sister told me she was making me something for my birthday. She does seem to enjoy handyman-type projects like replacing toilets, but I never figured her for a crafter. Her gift box arrived last week, and a CD and flash drive of this 5 minute, 29 second video was inside: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ext1fo4SAkM&feature=youtu.be She’d snagged pictures from my facebook account and combined them with some from her own photo albums. I cried like a baby at the... Read more
Pilgrim's Road Trip
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