“With all it’s sham, drudgery, and broken dreams, it is still a beautiful world.” Max Ehrman
Cheers to the women who haveloved me fiercely.The ones who called forth the me in me.Who weathered my storms andfaced my fears andcarried a snack just for me,sometimes sweet, sometimes salty butalways the word or gesture orbag of chips I needed. Cheers to the women who mothered meinto the mother I’ve become.To my mom, cheers. … Continue reading Cheers to the women
Mary Magdalene thought the resurrected Jesus was the gardener. The Gardener, whose job is to raise up new growth from a lifeless seed. The Gardener, whose job is to call forth new life out of the darkness of dirt. Perhaps Mary wasn’t wrong. Perhaps she was seeing Jesus’ true identity. The Gardener of the original … Continue reading She Thought Jesus Was the Gardener
Jesus walked willingly to the Garden of Gethsemane on the night of his arrest. The courage in that act alone - it’s hard to fathom. God and humans don’t have a good history in gardens, after all. The last time God shared a garden with humanity, it didn’t end well. The humans betrayed God, eating … Continue reading Gethsemane
Let’s de-Hallmark-ify the Christmas story, shall we? Instead of a warm and cozy barn - try picturing a dark, grimy cave, full of loud, smelly animals who aren’t fond of sharing their home. Instead of a serene, beaming Mary - let’s imagine an exhausted teenager who just survived the risky business of labor, far from … Continue reading Let’s de-Hallmark-ify the Christmas story, shall we?
I light the candleremembering honoring missingJohnnyJackBettyJohnFayeTisaAdelaideOwenMikeRoyDon.I light the candle and seemyself in the dancing flame -the simmering embers of griefthe warmth of remembered lovethe sizzling burn of angerat Death, whoTakesTakesTakesTakesTakesTakesTakesTakesTakesTakesTakes.So I light the candle and stare down Death.I will not flicker or flinch or fade.For the light shines in the darkness,Life is kindled from Death,and … Continue reading All Saints Day
I slip a napkin note into my kids’ lunchboxes every day. Sometimes the note is as simple as a smiley face, other times I write silly jokes, but most of the time I write some version of: “I love you just the way you are.” When that time of day rolls around for my girls … Continue reading Lunchbox Notes…from God
Are we enslaved to Time? Must we march to its relentless rhythm, powerless as prisoners shuffling on and on under the watchful eye of such a dispassionate guard? This week I ticked off milestones, one after another. My six and eight-year-old daughters returned to school, growing up ever so slightly with every passing day. We … Continue reading (Never) Enough Time
To create is to connect with the Divine. It never fails to amaze me when I consider the endless variety of creation. The infinite shades of blue that make up the earth’s waters. The intricate, minuscule details that adorn a tiny insect’s body. The spectrum of emotions we humans feel and the bodily responses that … Continue reading To Create is Divine
It’s one of the first languages we learn. The language of climbing and chasing, swinging and sliding. Of cartwheeling past fireflies, somersaulting to joy, embracing the slow fade to twilight, the end of the day. Play is how children learn to live in this world and interact with one another. It’s the gateway into science … Continue reading Some Days You Gotta Play
It starts with attention. What am I paying attention to? And by extension, what am I not paying attention to? This morning I stood in our messy kitchen, eyeing the breakfast crumbs and the lunch fixings left out from the kids’ lunch packing frenzy. My husband stood before me, our girls at his heels, briefcase … Continue reading It Starts With Attention
Rev. Laura Johnson 