When I first started practicing Centering Prayer in earnest, focusing on a sacred word to bring my thoughts back to the Presence of God, I daily focused on the word beloved. I was struggling to see anything good in myself. Borrowing from the teachings of Brennan Manning, I imagined crawling up in the lap […]
What Strong Women Do
by on March 25, 2020 1 Comment
None of the ladies in my family shrink back. Distinctly southern, full voices fill the room when we enter. We’re known for our loud laughs and warm embraces. We aren’t afraid to speak our minds and take the lead. We see a space and fill it. We see a need and fill it. I never […]
A Recipe For A Feast Worth Sharing
by on January 30, 2020 1 Comment
I didn’t want her to see me fumble around with the spices she effortlessly wielded. She had been making these dishes her whole life, learning at the side of her Amma. This was my second attempt at making the fancy chicken roast and fragrant pulau, Bengali staples. My friend says they are her comfort food. […]
The Red Couch: Once We Were Strangers Introduction
by on November 6, 2019 Leave a Comment
Those of us who want to serve others like programs and events. They have defined timelines and expected outcomes. We get to show up and give money or time to a cause. And then we get to walk away. Reading Shawn Smucker’s memoir Once We Were Strangers, I was reminded of the time my “program” of […]
Learning to Live in the Incomplete
by on September 11, 2019 2 Comments
“You just can’t see it yet like I can,” she said, gesturing toward the kitchen counter she promised would boast a pantry big enough for all our needs once the project was finished. She was right; all I could see was the room of storage boxes and suitcases, tools and paint cans piled high in […]
