Nearing holidays and—hopefully—nearing the Holy.

As we get closer to Christmas, I admit it-I get hooked by all of the secular, of-the-world stuff. That *one* more thing that will complete the stocking. Trying to ensure exact, mathematical parity between my two children. 

Several years ago, I picked up a copy of Marie Kondo’s The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up. In the unlikely event you haven’t heard of the 2014 best seller, the magical process of “tidying up” is to go through each of your belongings and hold them in your hands asking if they spark joy. [read more of this post at Grow Christians]

Openness and Gratitude

I’ve wrestled a lot in this space about all the things that have shifted over the last period of time since leaving my parish of 11 ½ years and moving closer to home. It’s been a grace-filled time in so many ways. One way is how experiences I had in parish ministry have stayed with me—the conversation that seemed totally routine at the time, the random funeral for a community member—just more evidence of how we are shaped by our world as much as we shape it.  Coming closer to the holidays this year, my thanksgivings have been many.  I’ve been thinking… more of this piece at Grow Christians.