“To really touch something, she is learning–the bark of a sycamore tree in the gardens; a pinned stag beetle in the Department of Entomology; the exquisitely polished interior of a scallop shell in Dr. Geffard’s workshop–is to love it.” ~Anthony Doerr in All the Light We Cannot See “She” is Marie-Laure and she is blind. She sees through the laying…
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Making Room for Others
Hospitality asks us to make room for others, and we often assume this means hosting them in our physical spaces. Yet because of certain situations—a restrictive budget, a difficult roommate, chronic illness, unpredictable work hours—we may not always have the capacity to open up our homes. But that’s not the only way to be hospitable. Join me at In Touch…
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The Language of Belonging:When a Person and Place Speak the Same Language
“The unseen spirit of a place has its deep desire and if it’s the same as yours then your small desire goes down like an anchor into the depths.”~Elizabeth Goudge in The Scent of Water In the tiny pantry at the top of the basement stairs, I hung the calendar of England my husband gave me for Christmas. Every thirty…
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Three Things to Remember When Guilt Arrives Uninvited
Years ago, during a prolonged season of fighting against some of my own limiting beliefs, I wrote a series on experiencing freedom. Or, more accurately, I wrote my way out of those beliefs into freedom–freedom from unrealistic expectations, fear, false labels, and spiritual bondage. I thought I’d revisit this post on freedom from guilt as we enter the summer season,…
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For the Anxious Heart
When I raised my arm to brush through my hair, I noticed the shiver of unexpected movement in my fingers. I placed the brush on the bathroom counter and held my hands in front of me and watched as they quivered with restlessness. As I watched this unvoluntary shake, I felt the low-grade hum beneath my skin that has kept…
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