Encouragement
The labyrinth
My spiritual director, Ruth, gave some basic instructions about walking the labyrinth. Then we sat in the stillness of the morning. She moved toward the entrance first. I remained seated. The only noise was the earth under her feet. A rumble of thunder from looming clouds was my signal to begin the holy walk. I…
Read MoreChildhood Giants
The simplest things leave scars that we carry with us into adulthood. I call them “childhood giants.” These emerge from emotional events that shape our perceptions. I spent the majority of my life fighting three of these beasts: never good enough, abandoned, and carrying blame. I didn’t know how to confront myself and face the childhood giants I…
Read MoreMama J saved the day.
On our last visit to Florida, my restful time was interrupted by something that caught my eye…a long black line inside the lanai. But then it moved. My curious stare jumped to the realization that it was a snake! And not just one, but two. Now both were moving in opposite directions. EEEK! I sprang…
Read MoreYou can’t…
I notice it easily in others. Nonproductive attempts to control outcomes, invoke responses that’s desired, or ultimatums. I readily feel that twang of conviction when someone else succumbs to manipulation traps. But it’s easier to point a finger away. Unfruitful words such as: “You’ve got to stop acting like this, it’s going to put me…
Read MoreTug Of War
A tug of war ensues within. Hope pulled against uncertainty. Uncertainty yanked back. The future, so, unresolved. A songbird lulls me to the present moment. This is where I should dwell. I breathe in expectation of a new season. Spring is approaching. I reflect. “I have learned to be content regardless of circumstances.I know what…
Read MoreAn Interview with THE Allen Arnold
The hopeful yet defiant message of Chaos Can’t is that it’s possible to remain unshaken in this world of chaos. But we won’t find the answers on the nightly news or social media. This quest offers a refreshingly different approach. Rather than focus on current events, I take readers on a mythic yet practical journey…
Read MoreMy desert time
This morning, as I read my journal from 2016, I came upon two quotes from my sweet friend, Susie Stewart, who has gone home to be with the Lord. At the time she spoke these words, she was in remission from breast cancer. Who would’ve known, just two short years later, she would be gone?…
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