cultivating the beautiful ordinary by sharing our tales and our tables
*Trigger warning that today’s post contains a story of sexual violence. Through very little thought or planning on my part, my work life fell into place and eventually developed into a career plan. When I was twenty, I started working in a clerical job at a federal law enforcement agency, and over the next eight…
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It was December 22, and the fire crackled as we nestled up in our sweatshirts, the oldest among us sipping whiskey to keep warm on our parents’ back deck. Beneath the large mesquite tree, we were occupying a new space as siblings: the first of us married and the youngest among us bidding childhood goodbye…
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“It took me quite a long time to develop a voice, and now that I have it, I am not going to be silent.” Madeleine Albright Asking me to choose a favorite moment in Pride and Prejudice is a bit like asking me to choose my favorite dessert. They are all so delicious; how can…
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Oh the deep, deep love of Jesus Vast, unmeasured, boundless, free Rolling as a mighty ocean In its fullness over me -S.Trevor Francis “Where was he? Why didn’t he stop it? How could he let it happen?” The words tumbled out of her mouth as we sat together holding the weight of her sexual abuse.…
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Sleepwalking was my companion for three years, but I must admit, it felt amazing to be able to sleep and walk at the same time. Now I know how Michael Jackson mesmerized the masses with his moonwalk. Gliding through the vicissitudes of life without a care in the world, the freedom to just be, with…
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The images contained in the message brought tears to my eyes. The message was titled “Urgent Prayers for Damascus”.
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“What are we doing?” That’s the first question I asked my Pastor as we unloaded boxes from cars. We were a small ministry with about twenty members. Boxes upon boxes of learning materials, cooking utensils, food, blankets and baby supplies. Again I asked, “What are we doing?” As we entered the side door leading to…
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Red Tent Prayer Warriors Prayer Focus A Lament to Bring an End to Abuse of Women We have just concluded a week in which we heard pieces of stories from the female victims, now survivors, of sexual abuse at the hands of Larry Nassar. (Who received a sentence of 40-175 years in prison.) The stories…
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It is the week when at some level the light of Christ’s birth shines brightly in the dark corners we tend to avoid and compels us to look at them before the New Year begins. We consider how we have lived during the past year and what we hope will be different as the new…
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The debris of my story, and life as a single woman, often fill me with doubt that I belong – anywhere. When doubt is winning, I tend to withdraw into silence and ruminate on all the reasons why I don’t belong.
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