What do you think of when you hear someone described as nice? Is that an appealing attribute? We were out with friends last week, having a great time. I smiled at my good buddy and spontaneously thought – “She is one of the nicest people I know.” Then I started the internal debate. Nice? Is that word strong enough? Or is it a weak way to compliment her? What does nice mean anyway? Merriam-Webster defines the adjective NICE as kind, polite, friendly. Hey that sounds good. But NICE’s roots come from Middle English meaning foolish and wanton, from Anglo-French meaning silly, simple, and from Latin ignorant. OOPs – maybe nice isn’t such a nice word after all. And what’s that old joke about the southern girls response to her friend’s bragging. “That’s nice.” (Maybe you don’t know that joke but this isn’t really the place to explain it.) It's nice to be important, but it's more important to be nice. ~Author Unknown Researchers are divided whether being nice is … [Read more...]

Last Sunday we celebrated Pentecost – a powerful moment in our history when the Holy Spirit entered the followers of Jesus. Pentecost seems neglected when it comes to Christian celebrations. I am trying to honor this event more intentionally both at church and at home. I compiled a Pentecost Celebration Idea Guide that you can download at no cost by clicking on the button below. Click here to get Pentecost Ideas What do you visualize when you think of the Holy Spirit? In the front of our church, painted high, close to the ceiling is a dove – one of the more familiar symbols of the Spirit. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. Matthew 3: 16 I guess I have always thought of the spirit as a quiet, gentle voice of God. The Lord passed by Elijah as a whisper. Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before … [Read more...]

My backyard bursts with new growth. Tiny seedlings emerge through the dark earth with green eagerness and daily surprising transformations. Spring is a time of awakening. One section near the fence is covered with a multitude of small sprouts extending their teeny arms upward. It reminds me of baby birds all stretching their heads up, screaming feed me, feed me. As a gardener I see a problem in this area – I need to thin out these new growths for a healthier batch of flowers later in the summer. The dandelions are also quite healthy in my garden. With deep roots and bright yellow faces, they are the first to bloom. They taunt me: “Ha, see we are back again. No use trying to get rid of us. We will return to take over your precious garden bed!” Then there is the issue of “What is growing there anyway?” Is it a weed or will it be something I planted that I forgot? Do I let it grow and later regret not digging it out now? Or will it surprise me later? Decisions requiring answers … [Read more...]

Spiritual Directors International hosts a once a year conference. I was blessed to be able to attend this year for the event held in Louisville Kentucky. This year was extra special as the group was celebrating their 25th anniversary and the 100th anniversary of Thomas Merton’s birth. I felt like a treasure hunter for three days, seeking and finding wonderful gifts. Like a find banquet where I could feast. A soothing spa for my soul. Here are just a few of my notes: I walked a few blocks from the hotel to the busy intersection where Thomas Merton experienced his “epiphany” in 1958. “In Louisville, at the corner of Fourth and Walnut (now called Muhammad Ali) in the center of the shopping district, I was suddenly overwhelmed with the realization that I loved all those people that they were mine and I theirs, that we could not be aliens to one another even though we were total strangers… There is no way to telling people that they are all walking around shining like the … [Read more...]

These past few weeks my schedule exploded into chaotic craziness. Though I love spring, this time of year overwhelms me as I tend to say yes to too many commitments. On top of all the madness, we leave this week for a highly anticipated vacation. I am sooooo ready… but sooooo behind… all at the same time. Stressed and scattered is my song. Do you know Sisyphus? In Greek mythology, Sisyphus was condemned for an eternity of rolling a boulder uphill then watching it roll back down again. That is how I feel about my endless to-do list. For every two items I scratch off the list, four more appear. I became acutely aware of this unsatisfactory and unrelenting tension when I attend last week the Spiritual Director International conference in Louisville Kentucky. I will write more about this wonderful interactive and peaceful conference on Thursday but wanted today to share with you the Tibetan Sand Mandela. Four Tibetan monks chanted and prayed – in the middle of the noisy book … [Read more...]