Of all the instruments in an orchestra, the cello is the most soulful. I am sure of it. Perhaps I only believe this because my mom always loved cellos. Perhaps it is that the melodies most often played by cellos lend themselves to lyrical loveliness. Whatever the reason, hearing a cello’s voice in a piece […]
The Slow, Painful and Essential Work of Building Community (Or, “St Paul, Were You Drunk?”)
by on May 11, 2017 8 Comments
“Pinterest, are you drunk?” I mutter. I mean it as a joke, of course, but jokes always have an underbelly of truth. “Are you drunk?” is something I mutter under my breath when I see anything that feels like an impossible ask: the school sandwiches cut with personalized cookie cutters and lovingly placed in a […]
Praying with Palms Up
by on April 20, 2017 15 Comments
“Heads bowed, hands together, eyes closed.” This was how we prayed, our seven-year old little bodies being trained in the ways of holiness. Also, at the end we said “Amen.” I wasn’t sure why we did any of those things, but I did know these were the words and posture of prayer. Prayer, if it […]
The Capacity of Stomachs and Schedules
by on January 5, 2017 12 Comments
Our stomachs are incredible organs: like the stretchiest of balloons, they can expand in size from a fraction of a cup to well over eight cups when full. Think of the hours after a feast like Thanksgiving Dinner: cups and cups of turkey, pie, and mashed potatoes sloshing around, with those who didn’t wear stretchy […]
Blessed Interruptions
by on December 1, 2016 8 Comments
“Sure,” I said to my husband, “that sounds like fun. We don’t have a lot else going on that month.” And just like that, we agreed that we would pull the kids out of school for a week and accompany him on a business trip. It would be an adventure. It would take a little […]
