Uphill idealist

Some days, our feet hurt and our hearts are weary. Some days, our minds our worn out and our vision is fuzzy. In the midst of our questions, we find nothing more that more - questions. We wonder what the point of all this is. But somehow in the questions and uncertainty we keep on living. For me, I sense a particular presence of God in this uncertain space. The questions, for me, have become the space where the Spirit is a work -  glimmering hope here and there and calling me to a space of welcome where unrest usually resides. All are welcome in the questions. In the questions - God is present. God is present - where you happen to be. Peace.

Mark 10:2-16 New Revised Standard Version (NRSV) 2 Some Pharisees came, and to test him they asked, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” 3 He answered them, “What did Moses command you?” 4 They said, “Moses allowed a man to write a certificate of dismissal and to divorce her.” 5 But Jesus said to them, “Because of your hardness of heart he wrote this commandment for you. 6 But from the beginning of creation, ‘God made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife,[a] 8 and the two shall become one flesh.’ So they are no longer two, but one flesh. 9 Therefore what God has joined together, let no one separate.” 10 Then in the house the disciples asked him again about this matter. 11 He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her; 12 and if she divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” Jesus Blesses Little Children 13 People were bringing lit...

When I was 12 years old, my college-age brother bought me an amazing gift – a stereo system complete with turntable, cassette deck, radio, speakers and a vinyl album of “Synchronicity” by the Police. The giving of this gift required lots of working overtime and thoughtfulness on my brother’s part but the receiving of this gift was one that still makes me smile years later. The memory of that Christmas is one that makes me feel a sense of home, even though the tangible gift is long gone. We all have a longing for things in life to become whole or complete, but we live with the reality of that tension that things  aren't  quite right.  In recent reading of “Undone” by Laura Sumner Truax with First Lutheran’s True Sisterhood group , I have been learning about the tension of living in-between the spaces of Saint and Sinner.  Laura writes, “(The creation story) framed and ethic and a worldview. These were stories that helped explain why brothers had a hard ti...

Image found at: achurch4me Story of missing puzzle piece – When my daughter was almost one and a half, I was working on redecorating her bedroom. I bought some bright colored fabric and sewed some curtains and bought a new comforter for her new toddler bed. To complete the decorations I found a puzzle that matched the design of her curtains and spent many evenings working on it. I filled in the sky, the houses and all the people in this colorful parade scene. But when I got to placing the last piece of the puzzle, it was nowhere to be found. I searched our apartment from top to bottom, emptied the trash, a vacuumed every corner. I even checked the vacuum cleaner bag – but the missing piece was nowhere to be found. I had planned to seal the finished puzzle with puzzle glue, frame and hang it on my daughter’s bedroom wall. But now, my plans - along with the last piece of the puzzle were lost. For a day or so I sulked about the missing puzzle piece. I considered going a...

A few months ago, I asked friends for pictures of hope for a mini "Ted" version talk on the importance of Art and Faith. Today I put together a few pieces to be submitted for Women Create's upcoming show for 2014. It is a juried show, so I have no guarantee that these pieces will be selected, however I'm happy to have the opportunity to show these pieces for consideration as well a hopeful that for someone they will shine some light, whimsy and joy into their day. Raven's Dawn A Woman's Vision Mother and Child

I have a toddler friend named Sailor who spends a good amount of time at my home on a regular basis. She has gotten the hang of navigating our wandering back steps with a little hand-holding help, she has no problem cuddling up on the sofa for nap time, and enjoys pointing at our 40-pound-beagle-cattle-dog and shouting with glee, "Aggie-Dog!". Sometimes we set up a gate to keep her in a play space of the living room and that usually works out just fine; but yesterday "Aggie-dog" decided to mix up the afternoon activity just for kicks. Sailor was happily playing with her baby, "Beba" when I came home and let Aggie-dog out for a bathroom break and dinner. Aggie was so happy that she began running and jumping throughout the downstairs. She was even so clever to effortlessly leap over the living room gate like a hurdle in a race. As the dog was leaping from side to side, Sailor would laugh uncontrollably and shout "Aggie-Dog", louder and loud...

Hebrews 11 “Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. Indeed, by faith our ancestors received approval. By faith we understand that the worlds were prepared by the word of God, so that what is seen was made from things that are not visible.”   Image: Hope at my door by Katie Finch \ When I was a child, my mom had a collection of odd socks tossed into a basket in the laundry room. The mates to these socks were long gone, but she would hold on to them for dusting and various household chores. Sometimes, I’d ask my mom if I could have a few of the odd socks and I’d dig out scraps of fabric, buttons and yarn to create puppets out of those odds and ends. What one person might discard, another person with a little imagination can create opportunities for renewal and hope. This creative rethinking is something that applies not only to odd socks, but to the mission and ministry of the church. According to recent research, the top spir...

Luke 7:1-10 Jesus Heals a Centurion’s Servant "After Jesus had finished all his sayings in the hearing of the people, he entered Capernaum. A centurion there had a slave whom he valued highly, and who was ill and close to death. When he heard about Jesus, he sent some Jewish elders to him, asking him to come and heal his slave. When they came to Jesus, they appealed to him earnestly, saying, ‘He is worthy of having you do this for him, for he loves our people, and it is he who built our synagogue for us.’ And Jesus went with them, but when he was not far from the house, the centurion sent friends to say to him, ‘Lord, do not trouble yourself, for I am not worthy to have you come under my roof; therefore I did not presume to come to you. But only speak the word, and let my servant be healed. For I also am a man set under authority, with soldiers under me; and I say to one, “Go”, and he goes, and to another, “Come”, and he comes, and to my slave, “Do this”, and the slave ...