Dads and Devotion
My husband, Brian, is a man of presence rather than words. His presence is kind, service-filled, and quiet. I know he’d prefer to talk less and read more. I know he’d love to wake up late and go to bed late. I know he’d definitely appreciate moving slower in the...
A Summer Pause: connecting fully, listening deeply and playing wildly
“Mommy,” my five year old daughter quietly calls to me, “Here. I have a heart for you.” She holds a tiny heart-shaped leaf between her little fingers, sweetly twirling the stem back and forth. I wonder, “Where did this come from?” We have a tree that has bigger,...
What it really means to “be strong”
Two days ago, I was being ever so creative with "getting exercise time in" that I was doing jumping jacks at the bottom of our neighbor's stairs while my daughter rang the doorbell to see if her friend could play. I was jumping and jacking and running in place with...
Mother’s Day Delight
"Mom!" my son said, running through the front door after school. Handing me an brightly colored hand-drawn invitation he made, he said, "It's for our Mother's Day Tea at our school on Friday!" I looked at the invitation and my heart beamed! My son doesn't love to...
The Holy Mess
The Holy Mess Lisa A. McCrohan Standing in the mess at my feet of Legos, shoes, and markers on the floor; staring at the mess on the kitchen island of water bottles, pistaccio shells, and half-eaten bread crusts; holding the mess of emotions within me, the unspoken...
WE are the miracles in the messes
My friend, Jennifer Leach, taught me that there are miracles every day. As the cancerous tumors grew in her body, Jennifer - a mom to two little girls, a faith-filled woman, and a dear Light - showed us all that there are miracles everywhere. Every single day. In...
Dropping perfection – a mindful approach
{Today's Gem: Dropping Perfection"} When I woke up this morning, I instantly became a bit anxious. It's Monday morning! Everyone is going back to school and work, the week starts, and this week, in particular, is a full one for us. And then the thought came to me:...
Which Seed will you plant? Let it be a seed of compassion.
Today's Gem: Which seed are you watering? Last night, even after a lovely yoga practice, I was irritated about something. I was frustrated with my husband, Brian. As hard as that is to believe because he is such a gem of a human being (!), this is how it goes in...
Love heals. The practice of Lovingkindness Meditation
Love heals. We tend to over-complicate it -- looking for complex solutions to our suffering, heartaches, and worries. We can busy ourselves with looking for solutions outside of ourselves, when, really, we can turn inward to our own hearts and bring loving attention...
Your words matter
"Briaaaaaaaan," I found myself saying the other day. My tone was filled with frustration over something I don't even remember right now. That evening, I went to sleep angry. The next morning, I woke up before everyone. In the quiet darkness of the early morning...