There are times in my life when it’s been easy to spiral and I find myself in a dark place. I wouldn’t call it depression. I’ve experienced depression. This is something different. When the spiraling happens, I find myself in what seems to be a deep pit. It can last… Read More »Spiraling Down to a Dark Place
Gratitude. There are many ways people remind themselves to be thankful for the blessings of life. Some people pause before meals to pray a blessing and offer thanks. There are others who use affirmations throughout the day focused on gratitude. From time to time on social media, I see various… Read More »Living With Gratitude
Facebook and Twitter: those are social media platforms I mostly use. LinkedIn – I have an account, but don’t find it very helpful for my work. While my younger friends all use Instagram, I haven’t gotten on to it. Perhaps that’s because I don’t take many pictures, either of myself… Read More »Spirituality: It’s in the Ordinary
I’ve experienced many different kinds of transitions in my life. I’ve lived in Johnstown, PA; Pittsburgh, PA; Morgantown, WV; Miami Beach, FL; Tucson, AZ; St. Louis, MO; and Atlanta, GA. Movements from city to city represent one kind of transition I’ve experienced. I’ve held many different jobs: hospital chaplain, pastor,… Read More »Transitions and Transfigurations
It was a difficult year for me. It’s not easy to convey what it was like. To begin with, I’m one of those people who started working in high school with part-time odd jobs. I always had something going on. Then, unexpectedly, I lost my job and was receiving unemployment… Read More »My Experience with Transformation: A Surprising Re-Orientation
As a child, I was fascinated by caterpillars. Living in rural Western Pennsylvania, there was a variety of caterpillars to be found in the back yard on plants and climbing on the stone wall of my family’s home. I was a bit older when I learned that these caterpillars would… Read More »Transformation: An Evolving Process
The sermon was high energy. The congregation followed the preacher closely. They laughed at humorous stories, applauded emphatically when she made poignant points, and shouted “Amen!” more frequently than most congregations in my predominantly white denomination. The preacher was a woman considered to be one of the most inspiring in… Read More »Spiritual Transformation: Sounds Great, But….
With the 4th of July holiday here, we tend to look at the things that make us proud as a nation. We are particularly proud of the way we mobilize and help groups of people when they are in trouble. It’s the American way. Farmers, who play a vital role… Read More »The American Way
