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We belong to the sixth day of creation. We belong to the dark, damp soil teeming with freshly created life. We stand as shared substance with all the seeds and biological matter packed into that rich dirt. We are connected to the cosmos, the light and dark of the first day swirling around us from the beginning. We belong to the garden and all its goodness; variety and bounty, food without toil, movement unfettered by constricting clothes or the straightjacket…

The best way to describe our twelve years together - we dance! We don't always know the right steps, but we hold on to each other and follow the music. We refuse to let go of each other, of the moments we get to share in this life we've created. Our dance has often surprised me! But we've learned some things about our tandem rhythm, the music indigenous to our hearts and how to love while our feet keep moving…

[caption id="attachment_1324" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Idelette embodies encouragement for me... laughing, crying & dancing together.[/caption] A five minute free write, unedited, done in conjunction with Lisa-Jo Baker. The prompt: ENCOURAGEMENT. In the 80's it was all about encouragement. Everyone hungered for it. We were told from youth group on to encourage one another. Honestly, in retrospect, it was a buzz word. It never meant much to me, it felt too thin to hold the heavy things in my heart. I like…

Growing up hope was a whispy dandelion. Hold its tender stem, blow, and watch all the florets move with the breeze, small against the bright sun and blue sky. One gentle puff and I’d send my wish off into the wind. Most of my wishes felt fragile against the wild landscape. I assumed they’d melt in the noonday heat. But they were all I had – handfuls of hope to throw to the wind. Then I read Isaiah and discovered…

  [caption id="attachment_1317" align="aligncenter" width="600"] Women of Matara by TIna Francis[/caption] A five minute free write, unedited, done in conjunction with Lisa-Jo Baker. The prompt: SEE. (And yes, I'm a day late. Some Fridays are like that, right?) When I see transformation of soil and souls it makes me hunger for more. The sight of calloused hands and glowing smiles reminds me this is possible and not only here in Matara but in so many theres. Because seeing it happen…

How appropriate that my South African sister broke the news to me – Mandela died. I picked my daughter up from school and before we were out of the carpool lane I cried again, telling her Madiba died. “The South African president?” she asked. We read his story many times last year over dinner, so she knew it well enough to share my tears. We drove to the store and picked out bunches of white lilies, a pillar candle and…

I wanted to read so many more books this year – I had a great strategy to guide my efforts and I knew there’d be some serendipitous additions along the way. I trusted in the long summer months in Burundi to give me time to dive deep into the weightier texts, the time in transit for lighter fare and lots of good reads in the intervening months. But my weeks in Burundi were fewer and fuller than usual and my…

Last night I stayed up late to watch in the funeral of Nelson Mandela and witness his burial in Qunu, the soil he called home. The majestic landscape of his ancestral village seemed to salute him, standing tall and bright as Mandela returned for his final repose. Once his family released him one final time, I said my final farewell from my home across the world. I leaned in and blew out the pillar candle that burned for days in…

This past November I was invited to share at The Simply Jesus Gathering in Denver, CO. The mandate was simple - share something you are currently discovering about Jesus. I knew instantly what I'd share since these past fourteen months I've been seeing Jesus through a new lens. Here is my offering to the Jesus conversation...   https://vimeo.com/81340536 Afterwards I was approached my birth moms, adoptive parents, adopted adults and soon-to-be adoptive parents to share stories about living adopted. I…

We've been invited, as a Deeper Story family, to reflect on the passing of Nelson Mandela. Our reflection is hosted by Lisa-Jo Baker, the host of Five Minute Fridays (#FMFParty). This is my five-minute reflection... *** I am not South African. Nelson Mandela didn’t emancipate me. He didn’t change my day-to-day experience of life. But Mandela’s story captivated me as I read A Long Walk to Freedom many years ago. He stood out as a testimony to the otherwise, to…