Wandering & Wilderness

As I read again Carolyn Vance’s poem below, I feel how well these words articulate the difficulty of this Lenten journey. In our unknowing, may we trust the One who calls our name. -Renée On Unemployment Disorienting freedom,Unknown pathways,Caminos to who knows where.The way unclear,The goal wrapped in mystery,Time of wandering. How long will I trek in

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Waste Not

Seeds sprout in basements under grow lights. I spotted a crocus in my neighbor’s yard this morning. The sun brings warmth, green, and much-needed Vit D. Not really a gardener, I appreciate the weekly analysis from my local farmer. Who reminds us that water from a hose can never do what rain and snow accomplish. 

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Practice Starts…

Tomorrow begins my favorite season. There is jittery anticipation. Like the first basketball practice or class with an esteemed professor. Will I make the cut? Can I keep up? With the running, the writing, the standards that encourage us to rise above what we thought possible.  Each Lent holds, for me, a new challenge. An

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I Have a River

It is strange to live so long in a town with no river. Absent, I forget. Though Bull River defined my Montana childhood wanderings. Walking down the middle of the wooden one-lane bridge to and from the bus stop. Playing by the edge all summer long. Trout fishing and frog catching.  The log church was

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Double Your Investment

Maybe money’s on my mind. It is tax time, after all. Surveying income and expenses from 2019. Sussing out solar panel possibilities. Investment or debt? Current actions are a down payment on the future. Where do we put our money, our time, our hope? When I read Isaiah 58, I hear promises and affirmation. Increasing our

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Critical Thinking

It is easy to criticize. Authority. Administrators. Flawed systems. There is so much that is broken. Including us. Also ways to improve. Or get stuck. Even on a balmy February morning. No ice. No snow. No school. Well, not for the kids at Central HS who knew. Whose parents watch local news(!)  When I saw

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Dance Revolution OR Tone Down the Passion

Are you the person making an exuberant fool of yourself? Or are you the family trying to rein in the crazy? Mardi Gras has been in full swing since Twelfth Night, with parties increasing until Fat Tuesday. Oh, to be in New Orleans instead of gray Illinois.  King David was a dancing fool. Celebrating with

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Get Going

Make the “right” choice. We want decisions vindicated by their outcome. Demonstrating good judgment. Those we have selected, and invested in, to be successful. Choosing well. And we occasionally think that we can exert influence to steer people in the right direction. Poor Samuel. He had similar struggles. As high priest, he really wanted people

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Calling Collaborators

Lunch with the pastor of Grace Community; bringing our worship leaders together to share stories. Meeting with the pastor of Restoration Urban Ministries to plan our next connection points. Tea with a leader from Quest United Methodist to brainstorm for Good Friday Streetfest.  When I read Brian McLaren’s challenge of collaboration, it resonated. Is this

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Take a Look

I got nothin’. In a good way, I think. Silence. Waking up with a quiet mind. Unburdened and empty. Sleep has done its work. Resolved, temporarily, the conundrums of the previous day. But what will I write? What words do I have to share? When the disciples noticed that people were hungry, their answer was

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