Can I be enlightened and still have my snow shovel stolen? — People seek authenticity today. We search for spaghetti sauce from Italy, not El Paso. Sometimes the real deal is hard to come by. I’m not sure what an authentic life is, but mine’s about a six out of ten. My inner vision sees a web of loving consciousness across humanity. …

It might be harmless barking. — I’m a dog person. I love how they lick and love with abandon. ‘Right now’ is their happy place. Except when they’re stuck in yesterday. A while back I fostered a border collie who’d lived on rough city streets, then in a shelter, then found herself with me in suburbia. …

Grievances block joy. It’s no way to live. Or die. The power of the word forgiveness can’t be underestimated. For years I held a grudge against my volatile dad who used to eviscerate my mom with cruel words. He verbally flattened her. The next day he’d play basketball with my…

You’re strong, not weak. We all have a Christ Self. It’s where our divinity meets our flesh. It’s strong, not weak. Bible verses, prepare to launch. “And the rockets’ red glare, the words bursting in air, give proof through the night that our fear-based Biblical interpretation is still there.” We…

It works. One evening scrolling through Twitter, a comment from a young, distraught priest caught my eye. He was feeling torment from a childhood molestation. As I read the comments to his words, an outpouring of comfort was strangely lacking. Words of comfort came to me and I couldn’t understand…

Faith shouldn’t feel like giving a cat a pill. I remember sitting in Sunday School gluing cotton balls on my paper sheep, feeling good about being in a room where my teacher had the truth of the world. I felt protected and special, if not flabbergasted. God loved me so…

It’s meant to be. This morning I looked out at my back yard through a sliding glass door that I’d waited nineteen years to add to my house. The door had a screen door. On the screen door, stuck inside, were four flies. The door was open! …

Celebrate your growth. Go easy on yourself. Photo by SpaceX on Unsplash “Here is the test to find whether your mission on earth is finished: if you’re alive, it isn’t.” -Richard Bach, “Illusions: The Adventures of a Reluctant Messiah.” Still alive? Yes. Guess we’re not done on planet Earth. It’s challenging to embrace the awfulness of a collapsed opportunity caused by your own handiwork. The…

A 10-year-old Ohio rape victim is prevented from having an abortion in her state. Love can be a challenge to maintain sometimes. A serious struggle. Every bad word in the book might be coursing through your brain. Yet maintain it, we must. A ten-year-old Ohio girl and rape victim is…