I’m sitting in the dark The power clicked off a few minutes ago Ray is in bed so he doesn’t care I, on the other hand, am dying my hair What could go wrong there? Easter tomorrow plus two birthdays Son-in-law Ron turns thirty-five tomorrow Daughter Rachael turns thirty-one on Monday Multiple celebrations in the…

From the Venerable Rowan Williams, former Archbishop of Canterbury: Good Friday brings us up sharp against the recognition that something is very wrong with the human heart. The cross on which Jesus dies reminds us of the countless places where human beings make other human beings suffer unspeakably – and of the fact that most of…

A man and a woman Alone in the woods The gray trunks of the trees In orchard-like rows The ground covered in Orange and yellow flowers Amid green leaves The man in a black suit and top hat Stands next to the woman Who wears a long green dress and yellow hat Her arm is…

This evening was my first time in two years to serve as an acolyte I was the Lay Eucharist Minister at the Low Mass I was greeted by old friends when I walked into the sacristy Holy Week is definitely a good time to reunite I was a bit worried about how much I had…

A list of a few things I’ve outgrown: Any insecurity about coming from a small rural Texas town. I had a moment sitting in a meeting of the Beverly Hills PTA Council (that’s all the schools in the district) when I realized that all the people there were just like the people (mostly women) I’d…

My dad was a cattleman He wore a Stetson hat and cowboy boots He owned an auction barn where livestock was sold every Monday He had a nice car but also an old pickup truck He took me out with him to feed our cows He’d have a bale of hay in the pickup truck…

A true friend Lets you pour out your heart Without judgment Without trying to fix what’s wrong Holds you when you cry  Hugs you when you’re happy A true friend Laughs at the same jokes Cries at the same movies Gets mad about the same injustices Shares the same attitudes and values A true friend…

We all have flaws, yes? Those pesky parts that demonstrate Our humanness The parts that make us Crimson with shame When we realize they have been revealed to others Our thoughtlessness Our ego-driven self-centeredness Our inability to be charitable, kind, considerate, empathetic On a day when we’re overloaded, overwhelmed, Over everything and everybody Who is…

Seems like everyone I know Is facing some shifting right now New jobs, new places to live, new possibilities Exciting and good With one thing in common: change One friend and her husband are considering selling their home Another is looking at a new job possibility A third is contemplating returning to school Is this…

At the corner of my mind I see a scrub jay Nipping at cat food In a red plastic bowl Bright blue bird Shining iridescent At the corner of my mind, I hear an old farm truck Whining around curves   On the National Forest Road Red rusty rig Clamoring incessant At the corner of my mind…