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Advent…
Advent this year, reminds me that in the very real struggle of our every day lives, there is hope. His name is Jesus.
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What do you see?
Somehow, by tracing the inner landscape of my life, I can consider new possibilities. Am I knocking my head against a brick wall, or feeling frustrated and ready to give up? Maybe there is another way to see this. I use this map as a starting point, a landscape that while real, may not be entirely true.
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Gently now…
So, I’m giving myself permission to move slowly, to be where I am, and to let go of the need to have it all figured out. I’m resisting the urge to find a book, diet, organizational method, or financial plan that will help me whip my life back into shape and move on. Instead, I am leaning into solitude, rest, and time to create the environment where true healing and restoration can occur.
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Holding our own…
Suddenly, all of the daily needs of my family and life seem smaller. I think in some ways we are both numb and a bit in shock. Today, we are going to work on wedding projects and keep moving forward. Tomorrow, we will do the same.
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Recreation…
There is this scene from a book I read in college, where the main character sees her reflection in a mirror and considers how “narrow and dartlike” she has become. I know that feeling, of having life push and pull me until all the flowing softness, lingering questions, and open-ended wonder has been compressed and tucked away into a narrow, efficient, steely dart. I don’t want to live that way.
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Stop pouring…
I seem to have been built with a twisted core of both natural generosity and a deep need to be needed. There doesn’t seem to be a way to untangle these things, so I just go with it. I find it hard for to say no, to let people down, or to let needs go unattended.
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How are you? Really….
Nothing really changed. Our lives moved on after a brief moment, caught up in the next conversations, the to-do list, the hustle of life. Neither of us walked away with new answers to life’s challenges or great spiritual insight. But the simplicity and honesty of that interaction lingers in my heart.
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A good funeral…
It is good for me to remember that living and dying are not mutually exclusive. Inevitably, dying is a part of life. It is good for my heart to recognize that time rolls forward, and long days are not a promise but a gift.
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The unfolding…
My Bible tells me “Submit yourselves one to another.” I think this kind of sharing, this opening up to another, embodies that command. It involves confession and recognition. My experience of this sharing always brings healing.
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Soul-care…
the most reliable way for me to measure the vitality and health of my soul requires that I slow down and listen. I must ask searching questions and really listen to my own honest answers.