“I am determined to have a different ending to my story” Written by Bonnie Black and found by police during her murder investigation My neighbor, Bonnie, was stabbed in April 2015. Her husband was convicted of his estranged wife’s murder and sentenced to two life terms. The judicial system is clear–take a person’s life and…
“Equality of rights under the law shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of sex.” ERA amendment text Just one more state is needed to reach the magic number (3/4 of states) in order for the Equal Rights Amendment (ERA) to become an amendment. Currently, thirty…
Namasté. My spirituality group has been meeting since 2010. While only two of us remain from the original configuration, our membership is stable with group size capped at twelve to foster a level of intimacy, trust, and sharing. The same women have reaffirmed their commitment over the last few years. For our group, we chose…
The #MeToo movement has successfully gotten the winter song Baby It’s Cold Outside banned from play on many radio stations around the country. How ‘Baby It’s Cold Outside’ Went From Parlor Act to Problematic. I am agast. Not that I don’t applaud the group for using this song as a discussion starter to show the messages…
Namaste spirituality group wanted a daylong retreat between Thanksgiving and the beginning of Advent. I volunteered to help with organizing it. While there several choices for retreat centers within a relatively short drive, my collaborator found space for our group at the Benedictine Pastoral Center in Bristow, VA. It offered a reasonable cost per attendee…
In June the American Library Association (ALA) renamed the Laura Ingalls Wilder Children’s Book Series Award. This honor was taken away from Mrs. Wilder because her memoirs honestly and accurately depict the fear and distrust between the Western Pioneers and the Indigenous People — from the settler’s point of view. I don’t want this issue…
We celebrate Thanksgiving once a year, but we can be grateful every day. Even when things go wrong, possibly in a big way, there are things for which to give thanks. Gratitude can be a practice that we repeat regularly, rather than just a holiday or event. Nightly prayers for our grandkids end with them…
says Mr. Z, a high school teacher. He hears it everyday, as schools embrace technology and use it for daily lessons. But this excuse highlights the raging controversy: is eschewing paper and pens and teaching students on computers really the best policy? Studies are showing that now, the most important lesson that must be taught…
Some incidents from chaplaincy are unforgettable. One was watching a woman get cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) — three times over the course of a day. Twice, she was resuscitated. Death won the last match-up, but not without a fight. Before the attending doctor instructed the code team to stop, the woman’s abdominal area looked like a…
Not just the leaves turning golden yellow in the background either! This is the desk of someone who only has one chapter to go to finish writing the first book in a new series. (Don’t get too excited, I still have to keep editing, (hence the big coffee pot) but I only have one chapter…
Are you living authentically? Someday, someone will reflect on that question. However, since the person will be speaking at your funeral, you won’t be there. We often wait until someone dies before we tell them how much they have meant to us. The word eulogy derives from Greek and means praise, although people generally associate…
I just can’t wait any longer. I have been slaving away, writing this book for oh–about ten years, TEN YEARS! (At least now the book is a three book series – but is that justification for how long this is taking? no!) These past few months I have been frantically trying to meet my publisher’s…
