My “40 days for Lent” haven’t gone as I had thought. I thought I would be able to post every day but that hasn’t happened. The last two months have been very busy for me – I’ve had my regular part-time job, contract work putting me up to full-time hours, spent a lot of time researching and submitting a proposal for a large contract (which I didn’t get), plus I’ve […] Read More
I don’t feel like writing much today. I came to one of my favorite coffee houses thinking I would come up with something profound or an encouraging word about the beauty of mankind. But instead I read my emails and got some disappointing news. I feel discouraged and frustrated. I am experiencing questioning and doubt. Disappointment is not a comfortable feeling. But it is a feeling all of us experience […] Read More
Someone posted this video on Facebook and I had to share it. It makes me see again…from a new perspective…our common humanity.
My daughter had a fantastic kindergarden teacher last year. This teacher is teaching out of town for this year but my daughter and I were able to track down her work email address. So my daughter wrote her an email saying that she missed her and that she was the best teacher she ever had (my daughter dictated, I typed). Well my daughter’s teacher wrote back today – she was […] Read More
There will be no consolation prize this time the bone is broken clean No baptism, no reprise and no sweet taste of victory All the stars have fallen from the sky and everything else in between Satellites have closed their eyes, the moon has gone to sleep Unloved, unloved Unloved, unloved Here I am inside a hotel, choking on a million words I said Cigarettes have burned a hole and […] Read More
“the two most powerful words where we’re in struggle: ‘me, too’ ” ~ Brene Brown (from “Listening to Shame”) There’s so much I can say about this and I’m having trouble putting it all into words this evening. Those words, “me, too” mean so much to me. It means I am not alone. It means someone else has faced similar circumstances (and they’ve made it through them). Or perhaps they’re […] Read More
1 Peter 4:9 “Show hospitality to one another without complaining.” (NET) “Cheerfully share your home with those who need a meal or a place to stay.” (NLT) I’ve been thinking about hospitality lately. According to Dictionary.com, the word “hospitality” means “1. the friendly reception and treatment of guests or strangers; 2. the quality or disposition of receiving and treating guests and strangers in a warm, friendly, generous way.” I used […] Read More
These two videos always bring a smile to my face. I need to remind myself that though there is much brokenness and pain there is also much good in the world. I admit, sometimes its hard for me to see it.
Thinking about compassion reminded me of this video. Here’s a thought: What if the reason we are on earth is to learn empathy, something we would never be able to learn or experience in paradise? And what if one of the reasons Christ became “God with us – Emmanuel” was to experience empathy alongside humanity?
As I have been learning more about grace and the fact that humanity is broken and incredibly loved by God all at the same time I have found myself having more compassion for people in general. I used to view people in terms of “Christians” and “non-Christians”. I think using this distinction does more harm than good. It pits “us” versus “them”. It stirs up fear and judgement of others […] Read More