Our world needs kindness now more than ever. I could fill this page with examples of words, actions, movies, blog posts, and emails that are not only unkind, they are filled with hate. They are filled with a disdain for the value of anyone who looks, acts, or believes differently than the author does. While it is easy to point the finger to these heinous examples, it is just as easy to gloss over our own. We may not be as bad as "them," but we all have our moments, don't we?

Don't you hate waiting? If that website isn't up in under five seconds, we're checking our connection. Starbucks takes forever to get our coffee ready - a whole four to eight minutes. The job promotion is taking forever. The injury just won't heal fast enough. Patience is hard for almost everyone, especially in today’s world. We can get instant responses to our texts, same day delivery for our purchases, and home delivery for our groceries. But there are times when we just ha

News was coming from all sides, and none of it was good. My mother - breast cancer. Father-in-law - inoperable intestinal cancer. Daughter's boyfriend - cancer. Leukemia finally took my cousin much too early. Yet in the midst of the storm, peace. I don't always have this peace, but when I do, I know the source. This fruit of the Holy Spirit is a peace that surpasses all understanding. Standing in the midst of chaos, knowing deeply that God is present and working in it. Lookin

This past weekend, our church had over 130 teens receive their Confirmation. I was amazed to see the atmosphere as we prepared to enter the church. It was like Christmas. Everyone was excited, congratulating and hugging each other, admiring beautiful dresses and smart-looking suits, and eagerly anticipating what was coming. I'm sure there were a few who were there because they had to be, but the joy from where I was standing was incredible. Today, we look at joy. This fruit o

We start today with the Fruit of the Spirit that anchors all the others. When we live with charity, or complete life-giving love, we live with God's love spilling from our hearts. It is beyond physical attraction or love based on what we receive from another. It is not a love because it makes us feel good, but a love that may even challenge us at times. It is a love that allows us to feel deeply and a love that allows us to be hurt. If we are living a life filled with the Hol

Of all the aspects of God, I think the Holy Spirit is one of the hardest to get our minds around. Think about it, God the Father and God the Son have skin on. We can picture a parental figure, we can envision a child, we can identify with a person who has walked the earth, dealt with enemies, and lived within community. But the Holy Spirit is more like gravity. It's there, but we're not totally sure how it actually works. We may give the Holy Spirit credit or ask for our hear

What brings you joy? Truly brings you joy? Have you thought about that lately? I was thinking about that the other day. I have lots of things that bring me joy - laughing with my children, hiking outside on a beautiful, crisp fall day, sitting in front of a roaring fire in the fireplace on my porch, reading a good book, enjoying the company of friends. As I was listing them all, I realized that none of them compared to the joy I feel when I am really connected with God. Those

I have a family member who is not a big fan of religion or even God for that matter. Discussions about faith are always treacherous and any reasonable facts or concepts are not going to get through. Needless to say, we don't talk about it much. Instead, I try to live my faith as openly as I can, talk about people who are living their faith, and share a couple grace-filled moments whenever I can. Surprisingly we had a very open, calm, and rational talk the other day, and it al

I'm am really looking forward to starting up a new Bible study for the fall. It's such a great way to get into the word of God and build community. I can read on my own, and I can study on my own, but when I am part of a study, I not only get my own insight, but I get the benefit of everyone else's perspectives. It's incredible how often I hear something that I would never have found on my own. We are built for community, and I love to hear from people who are just starting t

I was in the airport last week, and in the course of my travels, I saw two priests, fully dressed in their clerics, and two nuns in full-length brown habits. There was no missing them, and I have to say I was a bit surprised. That was a pretty brave move there, don't you think? I can imagine they got plenty of looks, and maybe even a few comments, and hopefully a couple conversations. I hope they were ready. I think it's something to consider. I am so sad for my Church. I am