Hello, friends. How are you? This is a hard time we are in. The other night, I couldn't fall asleep. I had a hard time breathing and couldn't catch my breath. I couldn't stop shaking. My thoughts went to: "Oh no! It's Corona! Who have I made sick?" I ran downstairs to take my temperature. … Continue reading You are not Alone
On New Year's Eve, I said good-night to my 11-year-old, and the weight of a decade hit me in the chest. Where were we 10 years ago? In another life. Another city, a different house, we only had two kids, neither in school yet. Time and circumstances have reshaped the way we spend our time … Continue reading What Does it Mean to Live Yes? (On Marking Time and Living Forward)
Before I get lost in the to-do list. Before I jot down lists of presents to buy. Before I stock my pantry in anticipation of Christmas baking. Before I get out ornaments and lights. I need to take a breath. I need to take another breath. I need to pull out my journal and sit … Continue reading What Does Your Soul Need for Christmas? (or preparing for a contemplative holiday season with questions)
Have you tried the practice of being? This may be my favorite spiritual practice ever. Find a quiet spot, sit still, and breathe. That's all. It sounds so easy. But I am quick to forget how to do nothing. There is always something to do. Someplace to go. It is easy to fall out of … Continue reading The Practice of Being
"What are the major turning points of your life?" A friend asked me this question about a month or so ago. I knew without hesitation that leaving church and leaving my career in short succession was a major turning point in my life. Everything changed after that. Everything. I know that I've told pieces of … Continue reading When Leaving is Just the Beginning
Sprouts! I've spotted two so far. Tiny tomato sprouts from seeds that I planted 8 days ago. Seeds that are a few years old because last year I had a tomato tragedy and my plants weren't able to produce fruit. I've been checking for signs of life a few times a day since I planted … Continue reading Rejoicing in Sprouts
Hi. How are you doing? Me? Honestly? I have anxiety in me. My body hasn't felt such a fist in my chest or a jaw this tight since my lawyer days. It doesn't feel great. I have a lot of questions: questions about what is happening in our country; questions about what I can do. … Continue reading This is how I want to be
Have I told you that I get to do homework? I get to do homework! I am in the middle of reading a book by Marcus Borg for class. I like him. And on Tuesday evenings, I get to meet with a wonderful group of people, and we get to have conversations about God and … Continue reading News and Direction
"What is your question? Your question for today?" my wise friend asked me gently. "I can only choose one?" I asked nervously. Do questions swirl in your mind like dry leaves on a blustery day, thick and unsettling? Maybe your questions are more blizzard-like--a blinding morass keeping you from moving forward? Then maybe this question … Continue reading What is Your Question? The One You Need Today?
Do you feel like a wanderer? Like someone who is journeying into the unknown--even though that unknown is interior and deep and not really far from home? You're not alone. I think that we might be pilgrims at heart. And it's not just you and me. Others have traveled this road before us and remind … Continue reading For the Pilgrim in the Fog
Jessica Sanborn 