This gothic cathedral was once a spiritual home.
Priests dabbed foreheads with holy water and
incense wafted to high ceilings and
parishioners chewed on wafers and said:
“Peace be with you.”
Continue readingSpirituality
Far from God (a poem)
I must get off this path of sin, and find my
inner-being in God, but I do not know how.
I pray, but I no longer feel the consolation
I once felt – that wholeness and joy, like I was
being held tightly in His arms.
Continue readingPride: My Biggest Character Defect
During the years I’ve been in recovery, I’ve learned alternative definitions to many common words. Take “pride” for example. In most cases, it’s deemed good to be proud of one’s self. In recovery and religious terms, though, pride is seen as one of the biggest sins or “character defects.”
Continue readingOn Anxiety and Choosing Faith over Fear
Rachel has told me many times before of her struggles with anxiety. When I listened to her, I used to not be able to understand it. I’ve always thought of myself as a fairly calm person, and I can remember many moments from over the past several years where I’ve felt very peaceful.
Continue readingWhat Heaven Looks Like (a poem)
You forget there are places like this:
A quiet bay with still water and a wide expanse,
the sun shining in a cloudless blue sky, and
seagulls calling overhead.
From the sandy shore, you watch the old man
cast a fishing net and the teenagers lounging
with headphones on.
Continue readingLove is a Type of Water
As a child, at least as a child growing up heavily in church as I did, you are taught to memorize verse after verse. I remember most of the verses, even if it’s not word-for-word and the exact location. I can hold my own in an intellectual, biblical conversation. Its one of the things I’m most proud of about myself.
Continue readingPray for You
Prayer has always been a major part of my life. I remember kneeling next to my bed as a little girl to pray. I even loved when I was old enough to lead my family in our dinner prayers, which sometimes felt like a sermon because I got lost on tangents and just love talking (even to God)!
Continue readingComplicated Love
I’ve got a thing for love. I love love. And love, the love that is real, typically seems to be complicated.
If you ask me what book I’d want if I could only ever have one book for the rest of my life? It would probably be Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen. If I could only watch one movie for the rest of my life? You’ve Got Mail. Both of these speak to my heart in a way that not much else does.
Continue readingA Blindfold and A Hand
Love and trust go hand in hand. Can you love someone without trusting them? Can you trust someone without at least the smallest bit of love? I think either of those would be hard.
Continue readingThe Light that Always Shines (a poem)
For Mick Dolan
Just when you think you’re going to collapse,
and get swallowed into the abyss:
You fall into God’s arms.
When you think life is too much,
and you’re surrounded by darkness,
and the world becomes small,
God enlarges it.
Continue reading