Relentless tenderness
One my walk this morning, there is a slight lifting of the Spring air so I can smell the earth and the blossoms on the wild cherry trees, and I take possession of my life. (A shout out to May…
Hearing the voice of grace
Mary had grown up knowing that she was different from the other kids, and she hated it. Born with a cleft palate, Mary would hear the jokes and tolerate the stares of other children (some cruel, others, simply curious) who…
Permission to not keep score.
Have you ever heard of Buddy Ball? Beth Campbell started the program in 1994, in Bellevue, Washington. Because of his disabilities, Beth's son Stevie, age 7, was unable to play in the regular t-ball program. So, Beth started a baseball…
Awake to the present moment
A business executive wanted to encourage his staff to take more risks; to understand that life at its best or fullest, means not shutting down, or playing to “I can’t, what will they say?” At a staff meeting he passed…
By some miracle of grace
Once upon a time, a little boy loved a stuffed animal whose name was Old Rabbit. It was so old, in fact, that it was really an unstuffed animal; so old that even back then, with the little boy's brain…
Bright shadow to embrace
Stories do my heart good. And sometimes stories are more important than food for nourishment. Because they are reminders of sufficiency, and the sacrament of the present, and help us not give way to any restrictive narrative of fear. Today’s…
Open arms of love
Once upon a time, there was a boy who didn't like himself very much. It was not his fault. He was born with cerebral palsy. Cerebral palsy is something that happens to the brain. It means that you can think but sometimes can't walk,…