“My whole life I’ve been the “nerdy” kid who was too much into Star Wars and had no concept of what it meant to be “cool.” In high school it was especially difficult to be who I was, and I struggled with not fitting in or feeling like I was like everyone else. It didn’t help being the preacher’s kid who moved around all the time and never felt quite settled where I was. As I grew older, it became less of a struggle, and in large part because of one of my favorite pieces of scripture, Psalm 139:13-14.
Stories
An Encouragement for February
A few years ago, I sat down with the director of a $1M+ nonprofit and asked what she ate in a day. As her health coach, I waited—pen in hand—to take notes.
“Well, I usually have black coffee while I answer emails at 6 AM,” she said. “I’ll have a peanut butter sandwich at lunch (if I remember to eat). Then I grab dinner out with a friend before more evening meetings until 9 PM.”
An Encouragement for January
One of my favorite verses from the Bible is John 1:14 and I particularly love the way that the Rev. Eugene Peterson translates this verse in The Message: “the Word became flesh and blood and moved into the neighborhood.” The first time I read that translation of this familiar text, I was instantly transported back to being a preschooler at the rapt attention of Mr. Rogers through my grandmother’s television screen. In my mind I began to hear him singing, “It’s a beautiful day in the neighborhood!”
An Encouragement for December
A few weeks ago I attended a retreat at a Catholic center along with other clergy women. The moment I stepped into the building my eyes caught a picture frame on the wall with the words: “Be still and know that I am God.” As I read these words in my mind, I let out a deep sigh. I sensed my shoulders drop, and then I inhaled and exhaled one more time. As I went from one room to another, I noticed that the space was filled not only with beautiful images of saints but also every room had a picture frame with the phrase “Be still and know that I am God.”
An Encouragement for November
A few weeks ago I attended a retreat at a Catholic center along with other clergy women. The moment I stepped into the building my eyes caught a picture frame on the wall with the words: “Be still and know that I am God.” As I read these words in my mind, I let out a deep sigh. I sensed my shoulders drop, and then I inhaled and exhaled one more time. As I went from one room to another, I noticed that the space was filled not only with beautiful images of saints but also every room had a picture frame with the phrase “Be still and know that I am God.”
An Encouragement for October
On her final day as our Resident Bishop, Bishop Hope Morgan Ward shared with Bishop LaTrelle Easterling in a conversation about their work together regarding race reconciliation and the Cabinet of Bishop’s Anti-Racism Task Force. Two groups of clergywomen hosted this conversation, Clergywomen of Color and White Women Doing the Work (WWDTW) of Antiracism. The invitation for this conversation was open to all clergy women, and a few men joined us as well.
Bishops Ward and Easterling talked about the relationship they had developed with each other, and the trust they shared.