A poor carpenter from Nazareth was put to death this week, died, was buried, and rose from the dead. Even though Christians do a lot of thinking and talking about tombs on Easter weekend, the story does not end there. … Continued
Imagine this: you’re lying back in a dentist chair. Your dentist is descending on you with a flashy steel scalpel, about to cut out one of your front teeth. As the morphine begins to blink your eyes closed, your … Continued
I recently had a dream that I almost drowned in the ocean shallows. I was floating when a massive whirlpool formed beneath me. I tried to get my bearings but I couldn’t swim against the current, pulling me down, down, … Continued
What’s the first thing to come to mind when you hear the words, “Kiss me”? Or how about, “popcorn”? Or what about “colorectal”? EXACTLY. Words have weight. Words are not neutral; they come with more baggage than an American family … Continued
Lent has me thinking about the ubiquity of suffering. Sickness is part of the universal human experience, but we try so hard to disengage from it. You would think we all understand that we are all going to die (unless … Continued
I saw the wine bottles first. I was sitting outside on the patio, hoping the fresh air would lighten that bottomless grief. My parents were making soup and passing out hospital surgical masks or worrying about next appointments. The bottles … Continued
Toban says the day he knew I really loved him was the day I was diagnosed with stage IV cancer. I had just been told my life was over, and he said he felt something Hallmark should probably trademark: “You … Continued
This week marks the beginning of Lent, the forty days in the Christian liturgical calendar leading to the commemoration of Jesus’ crucifixion (Good Friday) and resurrection (Easter). For many Christians, it’s a time to temporarily abandon vices, try new spiritual … Continued
Today is one of those days when I don’t know whether to laugh maniacally or mouth breathe into a pillow. Someone pause the life train because EVERYTHING IS HAPPENING TODAY!!!! The project that started as a collection of moderately-comical emails … Continued
This book is a way to faithfully stare down the darkness together.
There is nothing like a handwritten note to tell someone you care about them. But sometimes, a well-intentioned gesture can have the exact opposite effect.
I never got really good at asking for help, even in the days when I really, really needed it. But in my hardest days, it didn’t matter that I didn’t know how to ask. My people showed up.
Going through something terrible makes you want to become the “perspective police,” to command everyone to shut their pieholes until they fully recognize how horrible things are for you. What can you do when you’re trying to win the tragedy contest?
What is it about deep winter that makes us want to shed our natural insulation with new fitness routines or reorganize our pantry? Nevertheless, I embrace it. Long January dawns are great time for reflection on important lessons learned.
I’m committed to learning from the past. Here are 10 Lessons I Will Finally Learn in 2018. Hint: un-memorize your WIFI password.
Advent is preparation for the great inversion: God coming to Earth in the form of a human baby; the ruler of the cosmos trapped in a squalling package of helpless flesh. But this Christmas, it’s not enough.
Humans have survived because we are tribal and, man, am I grateful for mine. This season of true miracles is a love letter to my tribe.
People often remark on how well-loved I am. But the truth is, I am not unique. These good people love me well, yes. But these good hearts would do the same for anyone in need. They’re not going to let anyone be eaten by the saber-toothed tiger lurking beyond the fire circle. And that is why I love them.
One of my favorite things about Christmas parties was that they helped me say something a little louder than usual: that I was so effing glad to be alive. Hope springs up in the gloom. Not everything is lost. Even if every horrible thing about empire and injustice and cancer cells is true, a little baby is still about to be born who will crack open the world.
The season of joy and cheer runs on two things: sugar and torture. We cram as much as possible into days that sprint by. When you are in the season of terrible, you hold on to every second.
We might not all achieve ram-a-stranger’s-car-into-a-pole stress levels, but holidays have a way of making us feel frantic. Let’s take a minute to realize that we are entering what the church deems Pretty Special Time (PST, sometimes confused with Pacific Standard Time.) CHRISTMAS IS COMING, people. Everyone get ready!
Being together for family holidays when things have not been okay in your world can be, well, not awesome. Everything is heightened, and there is already enough pressure for everything to be perfect. You want to be together. You want to be anywhere else. How can you be present when most of the situation makes you want to hide?