Today’s reading is one of the most troubling passages in the whole Bible. Is Jesus calling upon us to abandon our families? Those who are nearest and dearest to us? The...

A year or two ago, I cut sugar from my diet in an effort to decrease arthritis inflammation. Eager to experiment and find a sugar substitute, I delighted in finding I...

Years ago, I kept a gratitude journal. Without much space to jot down more than a thought or two, its narrow pages became a genuine and authentic way for me to...

Recently, my sons and I encountered a man experiencing homelessness asking for assistance. I rolled down my window to give him a package of Pop-Tarts. A conversation about building houses and...

When I was an English teacher, I loved teaching about contrast in literature and helping my students to understand what happens when we consider together a pair of two strikingly dissimilar...

Last week, a handful of friends gathered at my family’s house for dinner. Take-out pizzas, compostable paper plates, and red plastic cups filled our table. Three hours later, most of the...

Christmas carols remain the song of choice in my family all year. Earlier this morning, my five-year-old sat on the floor of the living room, singing his own version of “Repeat,...

The print that hangs in a corner of our dining room reads: “When you have more than you need, build a bigger table, not a higher fence.” My family tries to...

The woman has suffered from bodily and social pain for eighteen years. She has been victimized and abused as a sinner by the religious leaders. She has been exiled, rejected, despised,...

Many years ago I met a woman whose real name I did not know; I knew her by her nickname, Cat. Cat shuffled into the dorm where I worked the night...