It feels like we have been in the season of Lent for a year. Lent is the 40+ day season in the Christian year we journey with Jesus in his last days. Lent ends with Holy Week, which remembers his death. This year, Lent begins on February 17 and ends on April 3. It was …
I listen to a lot of podcasts. I get a lot of great ideas and I love to learn something new each day. This week I heard: “Discomfort is the currency of your dreams.” That made me sit right up! I thought about last week. Last week I spent a week meditating. For 10 hours …
I keep waiting for it to get easier. Certainly, some of these things should be easier by now, right? None of what was “hard” was out of the ordinary. For example, I got back to exercising this week. Certainly, it wouldn’t be hard to get back to this? It’s an hour or so, of walking …
I was introduced to meditation in my 7th grade Confirmation Class. And, while it took me till much later to develop a daily practice, meditation is a cornerstone of my spiritual life. Why? It helps me slow down. It helps me reflect. It enables me to put things in perspective. And most importantly, it helps …
Thoughts on General Conference Dear Valencia UMC Friends – We are part of the United Methodist Church – a worldwide denomination that meets regularly to discuss issues that matter to its members and to the mission of Christ. The issue of human sexuality continues to be a place for thoughtful conversation and on February …
I was a grinch in my former life. I had trouble getting into the Christmas spirit. I think it was mostly because I had such unrealistic expectations of it all. This year I have been focusing on the Infinite Hope as I preach during the advent season. What a great theme! This came from a …
I was blessed to grow up in a family that valued disagreements. We didn’t see things the same and my parent’s cultivated our individuality. Our dinner conversations were a mixture of theological, political and baseball debates. I loved it. So I was surprised to learn that not all families did this free-for-all family dinner debate. …
Today I am finishing a week of vacation. It was awesome. I hung out with my husband and son in one of my favorite little towns, Paso Robles, CA. I love the houses, the town square, the great food and wine and cute shops. It is a walkable, pretty town and the area has a …
This week we finish up our series on Becoming Love with a focus on stress. If you have missed any part of the series list here. Stress is part of our everyday lives but as people of faith we have tools that many people don’t have. I first became aware of these tools at a …