I'll Have The Curry.

  Not a Mountaintop High In January of this year, I had the privilege of traveling to Ghost Ranch outside of Abiquiu, New Mexico for my Doctor of Ministry travel seminar. Before class began, a few of us stopped in Santa Fe first to experience the beauty, culture, and food in this part of the country. Luckily for us, we were guided by locals who knew the greatest and best Santa Fe had to offer. We had piñon pancakes, spicy hot chocolate at Kakawa Chocolate House, margarita flights, and everything else covered in hatch chilies. We walked around the art galleries of downtown, talked to artisans as they showed us their handcrafted jewelry, and rejuvenated our bodies in the legendary healing hot springs of Ojo Santa Fe. Those few days were truly awe-inspiring and the snow on the ground made it even more magical for a Texan who rarely sees the snow. It energized me and made me expectant of something truly life changing to happen when I got to Ghost Ranch. Ghost Ranch is an education an...

I saw a dust storm once, The winds whipped violently through the trees Howling through the voids  between glass that touched the clouds It picked up anything it could carry Only limited by its own strength,  like a novice gym goer  fulfilling an ambitious new year’s resolution Carelessly discarded paper  and plastic shopping bags brought in from cities without bans filled the blue sky, defying gravity as they float to litter another spot that didn’t ask for a new resident This wind was stronger, more powerful than I’ve ever seen on a sunny day like this.  So out of character for a wind this strong. A wind without it’s companion darkness Instead choosing grains of eroded hills and mountains from the past for the journey  It seemed angry, lashing out at me unpredictably Tossing my hair into tangles  Desperately trying to get my attention What did it want? Tears began to fall on my cheeks unexpectedly, my eyes protecting themse...

You Have Called Us to the Mending O holy one, Knower and searcher of every human heart The One from whom no secrets are hidden, Your spirit is ever present, unveiling the unloving and unholy within in us Give us the courage to face our brokenness,  to admit when we are wrong, To make amends when we hurt one another,  Refusing to let pride and ego dictate our relationships  and noticing when it does  when we encounter injustice or pain or suffering or hunger or loneliness Convict us when we say “not my problem” Stir in our hearts the courage to get uncomfortable  To call an old friend To visit a loved one in a nursing home To have lunch with someone we disagree with To say I’m sorry Because….you are working within us to mend this broken world Of injustice, of suffering, of hunger, of loneliness. It starts within our hearts, our words, our feet, our hands But you say…. Such big tasks for these small hands Can my heart handle much m...

In the Foundations of Faith: Christian Spiritual Practices Sunday school class, we’ve been exploring different spiritual practices that help us connect to God.   Throughout the 12 weeks of the class, we will explore solitude, lectio divina, honoring the body, centering prayer, experiencing beauty, the Examen, discernment, worship, and sabbath.   With each different practice, we will engage a different way to experience God with the expectation that one or two of the practices will inevitably fit for each of us. (I know I am absolutely terrible at sabbath…which may mean God is calling me to investigate how I can incorporate sabbath into my spiritual life). For some of us, these spiritual practices are brand new.  They might feel uncomfortable because they require us to step outside of how we’ve always experienced God. For others, these practices are already part of our daily connection to God. Regardless of our experience, we’ve found a safe space to ponder what it means...

  In the rear view there are winding roads  Wide as far as the eye can see Clear sky, smooth asphalt, no speed limit Nothing slowing us down The top is down Wind whipping our hair into a tangle Pure joy and exhilaration Always toward a promise of …something  In the rear view there are winding roads  Twisted and jagged across root exposed earth Threatening punctured tires and bloody heels Forcing us off our desired paths Questioning our journey, we never stopped.  Too much was at stake. Curiosity kept us moving forward  Always toward a promise of…something Seekers of truth, Of the promises of God when she says I am with you,  Look how far you’ve come Down roads of sorrow, of pain, of uncertainty You didn’t know where you were going,  Yet you followed anyways Always toward a promise of…something.  Our pathway to the manger  is illuminated now, bright star exposing the thorns and temptations that slow us do...