It doesn’t appear that my mom will make her 101st birthday on May 8th. She’s receiving hospice care in her home in Monmouth, Oregon, and I’m here with my older sister, Marcia. I came across an old black-and-white photo of the three of us from around 65 years ago, and I placed it alongside one …
I met a man this morning who had a deer-in-the-headlights gaze and stuttered to speak. He choked out an apocalyptic scenario of our country’s inevitable destruction at the hands of our political, racial, environmental, and medical crises. It was early. The man’s dire assessment set my stomach roiling and knees trembling. I had …
You are never far from peace, but you might not realize it. Your problems are so intense that they churn you up like these frothy waves off the coast of Rhode Island, where I live. Always remember that these threatening conditions only exist on the surface. In the depths of the ocean, peace is always …
It’s been said that infants bring us close to God because they have so recently been with the angels. I believe our elders also give us glimpses of divinity because, in the words of songwriter Bob Dylan, they are “knocking on heaven’s door.” I’ve been pondering this because my mother turned 100 last May. Now …
Are you lonely during the pre-christmas frenzy? This season gets hyped as a happy time filled with holiday delights, but many of us experience it as stressful, melancholy, and even depressing. Thankfully, the message of Advent addresses the psychological and emotional challenges of the pre-Christmas craziness. A major theme of the message invites us back …
