cultivating the beautiful ordinary by sharing our tales and our tables
Twenty-one years ago, my sister shared a joke with my parents that made them belly laugh. I heard the laughs and saw the smile on my sister’s face, but only one thing raced through my four-year-old mind: “I want to make people laugh too.” I announced that I, too, had a great joke and assured…
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A long time ago, there was a prophet named Elisha, who had his bald head so far up into heaven that he was able to perform many miracles. This is not about him. He had a servant named Gehazi, who had his head so firmly fixed on this earth that he was shrewdly able to…
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It’s in the shadows and the unknown where courage blooms and fears are undone A choice To set our face like flint toward the tempest Where winds howl and doubts dance
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The Pilgrim’s Credo– I am not in control. I am not in a hurry. I walk in faith and hope. I greet everyone with peace. I bring back only what God gives me. –-Father Murray Bodo* I was raised in the Christian fundamentalist tradition, then happily transferred myself to the evangelical tradition (that is, very…
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Hushed words seize power, Veiled whispers shatter safety, The desire to wilt. Yet, strength blooms in twilight’s veil, Anchored in embracing Light. Heather Medley is a woman who is learning to be present and kind to herself and to the people she loves. She is drawn to engage her world with hope of restoration and…
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I’ve spent my life surrounded by people telling me the word “gospel” means “God’s good news.” Yet Jesus’ first words as he began his gospel ministry—“Repent, for the kingdom of God is at hand”—didn’t prompt the kind of comfort and joy my friends described. For as long as I can remember, I understood Christ’s words to…
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When I bought a hanging pot of pansies last October, it was to replace a broken bird feeder that squirrels kept raiding. We moved the bird feeder to a more rodent-proof spot but were left with an empty porch hook—a spot for hanging flowers, I decided. The pansies were dark purple and glorious. Their pot…
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“You’re too young to be married,” said Lottie to my husband after we returned from our honeymoon. Lottie, one of our clinical supervisors in our Master of Counseling program was speaking of his developmental age, not his biological age. “You are still a little boy looking for a mom,” she said.
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In honor of the tenth anniversary of Red Tent Living, we are featuring a monthly legacy post written by one of our regular contributors from the past decade. Kelsi Folsom joined the Red Tent writing community as she and her family were living on a small Caribbean Island. Her perspective as a young wife and…
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In honor of the tenth anniversary of Red Tent Living, we are featuring a monthly legacy post written by one of our regular contributors from the past decade. Anna Williams is one of our original writers. Her voice helped shape Red Tent Living as she brought the perspective of a single young woman. This post…
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