(This post was originally published on the Baptist Churches of New England’s blog on April 1, 2024. You can find it here.) Do not be deceived: God cannot be mocked. A man reaps what he sows. Galatians 6:7 Spring has arrived with its verdant call to shake off sleep and come alive, and many New Englanders... Continue Reading →
The wind picked up around her, blowing into her empty hands, as she followed her husband to the tent of the Lord. Behind her, she could hear the footsteps of the tiny ones she longed for—and the taunting laughter of their mama, her rival. Every year they made this journey, and she knew the routine... Continue Reading →
My phone screen went dark, but the doctor's words still hung in the air, sucking all of the oxygen out of the room. Each descriptor made it harder to breathe. Rare. Progressive. Genetic. Incurable. We had just received the news, and I needed—as though my life depended upon it—a new journal and matching pen to... Continue Reading →
Pseudomonas aeruginosa is a thick layer of bacteria that grows on still water. It sets up camp and colonizes, sucking the vitality from its host environment. Most people are able to encounter this microscopic predator without much trouble, but it can prove deadly for those with cystic fibrosis. I have been a body of still... Continue Reading →
When we deny our pain, losses, and feelings year after year, we become less and less human. We transform slowly into empty shells with smiley faces painted on them. Peter Scazzero Dear Tired Heart, Can we talk? You put up a brave front, but the weight you carry is too much for anyone to handle... Continue Reading →
(This post was originally published on the Baptist Convention of New England’s blog on May 9, 2022. You can find it here.) Make a careful exploration of who you are and the work you have been given, and then sink yourself into that. Don’t be impressed with yourself. Don’t compare yourself with others. Each of you... Continue Reading →
Imagine something with me for a minute. Let's say you're a mortician. Yup, you work with corpses. The only human beings you encounter from 9 to 5 have no pulse. And then let's say that their being dead starts to annoy you. It's little things at first—the pasty skin, the unmistakable odor, the limp limbs... Continue Reading →
There’s this great scene at the end of Disney’s 1967 hit, The Jungle Book. Mowgli has spent the entire movie fighting to avoid the “man village.” He’s run away from anyone intent on reuniting him with his own kind. Despite his friends’ best attempts to save that scrawny little neck of his from the threat... Continue Reading →
In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. (Genesis 1:1) Ah, Pinterest. The adorable outfits, brilliant party ideas, decadent recipes: they all serve as creative inspiration for when I'm in a rut. Who knows how many hours (days?) I've spent beholding as much beauty there as my eyes could take in, gathering bits... Continue Reading →
(This post was originally published on the Baptist Convention of New England’s blog on April 3, 2020. You can find it here.) "To every person there comes in their lifetime that special moment when you are figuratively tapped on the shoulder and offered the chance to do a very special thing, unique to you and your... Continue Reading →
The Dwelling Place 