I am from…
[caption id="attachment_1194" align="aligncenter" width="500"] Laughing as we wrote... photo by Tina Francis[/caption] I am from an immaculate house, heady with ammonia and lemon. I am from a room with eyelet bed skirts, piles of ruffled pillows and the daily expectation of a perfectly made bed. I am from books and a chalkboard, dance recitals and satin ballet shoes, straight As and honor roll.   I am from Saturday chores inside and out, father’s forehead covered in sawdust, mom elbow-deep in…
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What I’m Into (August 2013)
Tina Francis delivered these stunning photos to me this month capturing our shared memories in Uganda and Burundi this summer... cheers! Yes, that's Leigh & I pumping water from a new well in Bubanza, and yes, we're happy! And one of my favorites... Tina catches Claude and I together with Idelette laughing in the foreground. Priceless! I'm also into this new flipbook! Claude and I collaborated in August with Sarah Richardson (aka Resident Creative at SheLoves Magazine) to show and…
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{ ShePonders: Fearfully & Wonderfully Made }
I scribbled the word abortion with my teen-age cursive in my Study Bible. My youth pastor told us that Psalm 139 proved that God made us, knew us and determined that we each should live. Proof positive that abortion is a sin, he declared. And so I marked the margin of my Bible, determining to never forget where God stood on this issue. Maybe as an adopted child I grew up with the acute awareness that I was a candidate…
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Jonathan Martin responds…
  A short while ago I opened up the #TransitLounge cue for questions. I wanted you to have an opportunity to engage a bit more with Jonathan Martin, author of Prototype. After some reflection, Jonathan has responded. With grace, candor and insight he shares thoughts on miracles, the wilderness, the books he's reading and his own writing process. Caris asks: Do you think there’s a danger in valuing the wilderness so highly? Kind of like old soldiers swapping war stories,…
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{ Deeper Story: the gift, then and now }
When I was young St. Nicholas was the only church I knew, a second home (but with more candles and rows of hardwood pews). Under this Catholic canopy I received the gift of tongues - I was not even six years old yet. Those days the small parish buzzed with talk of the charismatic renewal movement. Most likely I overheard the grown ups talking about tongues between Maranatha choruses and closing prayers spoken from the heart, not the prayer book.…
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{ when there are everlasting meals }
Our small oak table, weathered by other generations, creaked as we crowded around for family dinner. The squared space could scarcely hold all the tiny plastic bowls and colorful demitasse spoons, the sippy cups and our two grown-up plates.  But like every night for months we sat close enough to reach their full lips with food for soon-to-be full bellies. I spooned tender jasmine rice and squared carrots into his tiny mouth. He scooped glistening peas with mint and lemon…
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Prototype & my journey to self
I invited Claire DeBoer to share her reflections on Prototype as part of our #transitlounge book club. Claire and I are both contributors to SheLoves Magazine, which is how we first met. But I believe it was our time on African soil  this summer that birthed our heart connection. Claire writes with a passion and for a living, she moves with everyday elegance and is her most lovely when sharing her own story. I'm honored to call her a henna…
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Ask the Author: Jonathan Martin
So we've arrived in the middle of August - and just maybe most of us are part way through Prototype already. (Maybe some of us are re-reading it because it's just that good, and even more rich the second time around!) Now I want to invite you to put the book down and think of a question or two you'd love to ask Jonathan about Prototype - or  other questions that reading about identity, calling, community and sacrament stirred up…
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Transit Lounge: Protoype by Jonathan Martin
If asked ‘What’s saving your life right now?’, that question made popular by Barbara Brown Taylor, I’d answer with the name of two preachers. In the past set of years I’d been quite demoralized by the state of preaching and I wondered if anyone was preaching in current pulpits the Gospel of love, peace-making, generosity, freedom and prophetic challenge. Then on Twitter I stumbled upon Jonathan Martin, aka @renovatuspastor. His content-rich tweets intrigued me. And in one exchange regarding a…
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{ Deeper Story: Her Dreads }
Her dreads sway around her shoulders as she walks – and when she twirls her headdress of black ropes spins like a merri-go-round, whipping through the air with whimsy. I’m often mesmerized by her hair, those thick strands of luster sheen yarn reaching down her back, framing her face, sometimes tangling with her long lashes. I gather the dreads up in my hands as I make a ponytail high atop her head and I marvel at their strength - chords…
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