Category: Uncategorized

Fear & Peace

For two long days last week as my pastor-husband prepared a sermon, I overheard his end of several zoom interviews asking people two questions: What causes you fear? and How have you encountered Jesus at your point of fear? I couldn’t hear their answers, so I pondered my own responses to questions I’d been asking … Continue reading Fear & Peace

Bees (or, What Anxiety Feels Like in My Body)

On Easter Sunday we went for a hike in the hills beyond the end of our neighborhood. The boys went off looking for snakes, per usual, and texted us to stop at a turnout. After a quick photo shoot of our dogs amidst the wildflowers, we waited. As I surveyed the surrounding green hills (big … Continue reading Bees (or, What Anxiety Feels Like in My Body)

Reading: April 2020

Entering our eighth week of shelter-in-place and I have been reading more. However, the pendulum swung from not reading as much as usual as SIP began to reading far too much, reading to avoid present circumstances. Always slow to transition, I am slowly developing healthier rhythms. I'm finally sleeping most nights during mostly normal hours … Continue reading Reading: April 2020

Meatless Monday: IP Tortilla Soup (vegan)

We had a zoom call scheduled for 5 pm on a Sunday evening. I checked the clock and was surprised to see that it was already 4:40 pm. I had hoped to get dinner in the Instant Pot so that it would cook while we enjoyed our call. Could I do it? This recipe was … Continue reading Meatless Monday: IP Tortilla Soup (vegan)

Unexpected

How are you holding up during the pandemic? I don't typically experience anxiety, but I have during the five weeks the San Francisco Bay Area of California has been under shelter-in-place (SIP). Some days, or at least some hours, I'm fine, and others not so much. I do typically seek out gratitude, and this discipline … Continue reading Unexpected

If Only…

Pre-pandemic pause, we said: If only...we weren’t so busy. If only...we had more time. If only...the family could do more together. During this pandemic pause, we say: If only...this had never happened. If only...I had my own space. If only...we could go back to normal. [Please note: This pandemic hasn't thrust us into the same … Continue reading If Only…

Easter Sunday 2020

"Jesus isn't dead anymore!" [the angel] said. "He's alive again!" And [the women's] hearts leapt. And then the angel laughed with such gladness... Jesus Christ is risen. He is risen indeed. Hallelujah! For those who want a fresh take on Luke's familiar resurrection account, I offer some questions to guide you. Connect Reflect on a … Continue reading Easter Sunday 2020

Lent 2020: Maundy Thursday

“My body is like this bread. It will break.” Jesus told them. “This cup of wine is like my blood. It will pour out.” “But this is how God will rescue the whole world…. So whenever you eat and drink, remember,” Jesus said, “I’ve rescued you!” My husband just popped dinner in the oven (a … Continue reading Lent 2020: Maundy Thursday

Lent 2020: I Pray…

“Did you know that God is always listening to you? Did you know that God can hear the quietest whisper deep inside your heart, even before you’ve started to say it? Because God knows exactly what you need even before you ask him…. So when you pray, pray in your normal voice, just like when … Continue reading Lent 2020: I Pray…

Reading: March 2020

One might reasonably expect that a bookish individual would, during a pandemic that requires shelter-in-place, escape into a stack of books. I am realizing, slowly, that all reasonable expectations might as well hurl themselves out of windows. Harsh, but also sorta true. The world has spun off its axis and, while I'm mostly fine, there … Continue reading Reading: March 2020