Pain has a way of narrowing the world. When it arrives—physical, emotional, spiritual, relational—our instinct is often immediate: get away from it. Distract ourselves. Fix it. Numb it. Move somewhere else. Do almost anything except remain in the place where it hurts. I know that instinct well. As an Enneagram Seven, one of my familiar … Continue reading Inhabiting Pain
There is a difference between simply having a body and actually inhabiting it. Last week, I began what I’m calling the Inhabiting series by reflecting on what it might mean to inhabit your life as a gift — to live from the deep awareness that you are precious, and that your preciousness shapes the way you engage … Continue reading Inhabiting the Body
A reflection from the Infinitely Precious podcast Hello, beloved. For months now, we've been walking together through what I call the ripening dimensions of life — the ways we're always moving toward greater ripeness, or sometimes away from it, in any given moment. (A little Aramaic trivia for you: the root of the word "good," … Continue reading Ripening Playfulness: Awake to Delight
Most of us imagine that changing the world requires grand gestures. We wait for the perfect opportunity, the important conversation, the defining moment when we can finally make a significant difference. But what if the deepest changes in our lives—and in the lives of others—happen in moments so ordinary that we almost miss them? Recently, … Continue reading Ripening Action: The Ripples You Never See
July 1 marks a milestone I can hardly believe. This week I celebrate forty years of ministry—thirty-eight years serving churches under appointment and another two years serving on church staffs before I was officially appointed as a pastor. Whenever someone reaches a milestone like this, there’s an obvious question people tend to ask: “What have … Continue reading Forty Years Later: Who Have I Become?
This week, as this episode is released, I am in Greenbrier County, West Virginia, serving with the Appalachian Service Project. Alongside youth and adults from Dulin United Methodist Church, I’ll spend the week helping make homes warmer, safer, and drier. It is a week of service, but it is also a week of practice. This … Continue reading Ripening Intention: Showing Up as Yourself
This week I head off to Annual Conference. For those unfamiliar with United Methodist life, Annual Conference is a yearly gathering of clergy and lay members from across a region. We worship together, study scripture together, conduct the business of the church, approve budgets, celebrate ministry, commission new leaders, and make decisions about our shared … Continue reading Ripening View: Learning to See Relationally
Some days feel heavier than others—not because anything has gone wrong, but because everything is happening at once. The calendar is full. The expectations are high. And before the day even begins, the anxiety has already arrived. I’ve had several days like that recently. You may be having one too. When the schedule fills up faster than … Continue reading Giving the Best You’ve Got Right Now
There are moments in life when the ways we have understood ourselves, the world, and even God simply stop working. The stories that once held us together lose their coherence. The beliefs that once gave us certainty begin to feel thin. The practices that once grounded us start to feel empty or incomplete. And suddenly … Continue reading When Meaning Breaks Down
