2020

Linda gave the best children's sermon at Fairview Friends Meeting in Ohio on Sunday. There were 5 children in attendance: my nephew and nieces, Kasen, Tessa, Kaylee, Tysen and Kenzi. Linda brought with her a dumbbell and asked the kids if they knew what it was. "An exercise thing," Tysen said. "An exercise weight," Kasen clarified. She handed the 2-pound weight first to Tysen, then asked her to pass it down the row. Kenzi was the last one in line, and when it got to her she lifted it over her head. "What is she doing?" Linda asked. "Exercising!" the kids said in unison. "Right!" Linda said. "And who gets stronger when Kenzi exercises?" "Kenzi does," they said. "Does Tessa get stronger when Kenzi exercises?" Linda asked. "No!" they laughed. "Does the minister get stronger when Kenzi exercises?" "No!" they laughed again. Kenzi then passed the weight to Tessa,...

Two weeks ago, Francis Chan came and spoke at our church. He is so incredibly passionate; if you ever get the opportunity to hear him speak I highly recommend it! (I haven't read his books -- yet -- but I hear his passion shines through those as well.) Chan started by saying that before he even began his sermon he wanted to ask us one question: "Is God the love of your life?" He said what he meant by that was -- "are you intentionally making space in your life to listen and to pray?" Immediately I felt the conviction of the Holy Spirit. I have done so well to fill my life intentionally over the past 4 months -- but filling my life, adding more to my days, has meant less time for those quiet spaces to listen and to pray. I'm always doing something, and even though the things I am doing -- reading, writing, hiking, dating my husband, meeting the needs of others -- are good, they aren't always God. I realized that if I'm going to have margin, if I...

A few years ago my friend Michelle and her family were preparing to move. She had lived in the same city for several years, and had come to think of it as home. But as is so often the case, when a place becomes home you stop exploring it. Michelle realized that there was so much about her city that she had yet to see, so she created a "bucket list" of things to do before her family moved. And she intentionally set out to do those things. I was reminded of Michelle yesterday when, during our weekly hike as we approached the view above, Randy said: "I've lived here for 25 years and I've never been here before." What?! It was a beautiful hike, just 20 minutes from our house, and he had never been here before?? This is precisely why we decided to be intentional about not only hiking, but hiking a new trail every week this year. We don't intend on being in California forever, or even much longer, and so it is important to take advantage of all ...

Randy and I have a nightly routine of watching Jeopardy and Wheel of Fortune. It's a routine that was born on the Camino, when we watched game shows in Spanish. Of course I don't think we ever got a puzzle right, but at least we recognized the letters! And it was a good way to unwind after a long day of walking. And while it was more of a "mindless" activity in Spain, watching it in English each night is very mindful, challenging us to sort through all those pockets of information in our brains that we can forget are even there. But last night's episode of Wheel of Fortune  had me thinking in a new way. Not because of the puzzles or Vanna White's leopard print dress or the cameo by her boyfriend. Instead, it happened during the interview period when the contestants were introducing themselves. During these introductions, the contestants typically talk about their families, their careers, and something interesting about themselves. Last night...

Two weeks ago while walking the dogs I bumped into our landlord. "What are your future plans?" she asked. "I don't know," I said. "You better figure it out quick because my new tenant moves in June 1," she said. Huh? I went home and said to Randy, "I think we just got evicted." My emotions over the next couple days swung from disbelief to anger to worry to excitement and back to anger. And in the midst of that swing I wondered: what if there is more to being intentional than just the things I do -- hiking and reading and dating my husband? What if I can also be intentional in my response? my perspective? my attitude? In other words, could I train myself to always respond with kindness and believing the best about others? could I intentionally look for the silver lining in every interruption to my plan? Throughout the last week Randy and I have been intentionally focusing on the positives: Perhaps we'll find a plac...

A decade ago I was in my first year of Seminary in Richmond, Indiana. One of my classmates, Jennie, said to me: "We should do lunch sometime." I agreed. Some time passed, maybe weeks, maybe months, then finally we scheduled our lunch. While we were at Mancino's, the local pizza place, we said, "Hey, we're actually doing this!" I remember that lunch for so many reasons. Jennie taught me that you can order food at Mancino's that isn't on the menu. Jennie and I discovered that we had a ton in common, namely that we were both trying to figure out how to be stepparents in a world where "wicked" and "stepmother" go hand-in-hand. Jennie reminded me that "we should get together" should not be a platitude that we say because it sounds nice, but shows the integrity of a person who says it and follows through. And that we really should get together, in person, with both new acquaintances and old friends, as we go through this lif...