Author: Siv Ricketts

Hi, I'm Siv (pronounced "See-v") Ricketts, & I'm so glad you're here. In this space & on Instagram, I write to encourage you to have hope, seek beauty, and live joyfully. I have BA’s in English and Communication from Westmont College and an MDiv from Fuller Theological Seminary. I have focused my career working in and writing for the Church as a youth director, a communication director, and a freelance writer/editor. I live in the San Francisco Bay Area with my husband, two sons, and a menagerie of pets. You can also find me on Instagram (@sivricketts).

FOON: Fear of the Old Normal

Do you have FOON? I might. About a month ago, just as I was two weeks post-vaccination and the CDC guidelines changed again, I began to see articles about another phase of pandemic-related anxiety. One of the articles mentioned FOON: Fear of the Old Normal. I leaned in hard to my introverted homebody-ness this year. … Continue reading FOON: Fear of the Old Normal

Take All the Time You Need

Dave may have over-planted our front yard garden. In winter, he dug up all the plants and bulbs between the three white rose bushes. He put in new trim, amended the soil, and planted (or replanted) up to 100 bulbs - ranunculus, gladiolas, calla lilies, and dahlias. The ranunculus emerged first, confirming our hope that … Continue reading Take All the Time You Need

Reading: May 2021

Ooh, have I read some good books this month! And school's out here so now we're on to summer, which means it's time to stock up on summer reading. How do you pick what you'll read next? I maintain my Goodreads "to read" queue as well as a holds list from our library. I usually … Continue reading Reading: May 2021

Recovery

Five Minute Friday prompt: RECOVER This summer is all about recovery. After a long, hard year of too many indoor hours, hunched over computers, struggling to work and learn and connect through Zoom. After a few long, difficult years of ministry. After a long slog through the worst school year ever. After anxiety and injury … Continue reading Recovery

New Shoes

At one point, I couldn’t imagine wearing out two-plus pairs of shoes per year. Now each day begins with pavement pounding. My junior high mile run time was slower than my current walking mile time. I loved school and books and writing, but hated PE. I snail-crawled my way through the mile “run,” followed by … Continue reading New Shoes

More Than These

Five Minute Friday prompt: Excuse This morning I practiced lectio divina before I took the dogs out for a walk. From John 21, I heard “Do you love me more than these?” and “Follow me.” It was the phrase “more than these” that really caught me. The resurrected Jesus has appeared to his disciples on … Continue reading More Than These

Gone Fishin’

Today marks the beginning of Dave’s first sabbatical adventure: a ten-day fly fishing trip from California to Montana and back with C22 and a friend. He learned to fly fish as a child but didn’t have much chance to practice until a few years ago when he began organizing an annual trip for men in … Continue reading Gone Fishin’

Know Your Why

Besides caring for myself, my guys, and our small menagerie, I invest myself in writing. Why? I write to encourage those who read my words. I write to encourage… Your heartYour faith and practiceYour health and wholenessYour pursuit of lifelong learningYour commitment to justice and right actionYour creativity - even if you think you don’t … Continue reading Know Your Why

In the Middle

My teenage son teases me. “You’re old,” he laughs. Nope, I’m just older. Older than he is for sure, also older than I was. But really, I’m in the middle. Middle age. It almost chokes me to say it. Image by Gerd Altmann from Pixabay We’re also in the middle of so much, all of … Continue reading In the Middle

Tune In

Over the last few years I’ve been learning to develop healthy boundaries around the voices I listen to. I stopped listening to the news and read carefully instead.I implemented care in my use of media and social media.I made the difficult choice to walk away from relationships that had become crusty, toxic, bullying.I also tuned … Continue reading Tune In