Tag: writing

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust: Our Mom’s Scattering Urn Takes a Road Trip

Ashes to Ashes, Dust to Dust: Our Mom’s Scattering Urn Takes a Road Trip

By the sweat of your face     you shall eat bread until you return to the ground,     for out of it you were taken; you are dust,     and to dust you shall return. –Genesis 3:19, NRSV All go to one place; all are from the dust, 

Why Winter is Hard—and How Sabbath Can Help

Why Winter is Hard—and How Sabbath Can Help

By the time you read this, I’ll be on a cruise ship, recovering from North Carolina’s record-breaking snow. It’s a much-needed reprieve from only a month’s worth of winter, one that even a balmy 60-degree weekend couldn’t melt in the shadowy places. As much as 

Three Simple Ways to Start a Sabbath Practice

Three Simple Ways to Start a Sabbath Practice

[This is part of an article written as a post for Steve Austin’s Grace is Messy blog. Click the link below to read the entire article on his site.] I am a fledgling sabbath-keeper. Though I’ve written a book about it, embraced my 52 chances 

Botox and Sabbath: The Migraine Body and Soul Cure

Botox and Sabbath: The Migraine Body and Soul Cure

Every three months, I receive 32 injections of botulinum toxin. Starting at the base of my neck, my neurologist moves quickly through the shots, inching up my scalp, and finally landing at my forehead. It takes no more than six minutes, but by the time 

Unexpected Sanga: Stumbling into Deep Community

Unexpected Sanga: Stumbling into Deep Community

I was certain we’d hate each other. Many writers experience a push-pull of introversion and ego, of wanting to “see” the world in order to convey it, and longing to convey to the reader what they see. Some of us are envious when the other 

This is Your Life: How Presence Brings Joy

This is Your Life: How Presence Brings Joy

One of my 2015 resolutions was to become more mindful. Not lotus-sitting, 24-7 monastic mindful, but a little less wound up and a lot more present. I’ve needed that resolution this year, as the past 12 months have brought a mix of busyness, joy, wonder,