We are in a time of tremendous upheaval since the inauguration of President Donald Trump. For many Americans, including me, the sweeping changes made in federal leadership and policy have been frightening. The haste and lack of thoughtfulness in these declarations betray the administration’s lack of wisdom and carelessness. Millions of people are at risk due to these changes. Fear is a constant in many … Continue reading Fight, Flight or Freeze, and….
I was asked to record a spot on the local radio station on the day before the national election, but it will air several days later. So please bear with me in this tricky assignment.The atmosphere is charged with the anxiety of this year’s election, and you deserve to hear something that can help you address your concerns. I assume that if you are listening … Continue reading A Pre-Election Essay for Post-Election Anxiety
I’m not fond of this season. The yard displays, the masks, the gore, so much creepiness on TV. Think of what it is teaching our children. I’m not talking about Halloween. It’s mid-term election season. These days elections seem to bring out the worst in human behavior. And it’s not just “those people.” I find myself arguing with campaign commercials, or making snap judgments about … Continue reading Grace for a Scary Season
It’s mid-term election season. Also known as do-not-answer-your-phone season. Or my-yard-signs-cancel-your-yard-signs season. This year promises to be another ‘voting against’ year, like the 2016 presidential election, when everyone I know was voting against a candidate and not for someone they really respected. At this point I know a lot of people, maybe including me–not sure yet–who are voting with the hope of creating a critical … Continue reading Big Small Things, Like Voting
If you love autumn and want to enjoy the loveliness of blazing colors, to settle into the coziness of coming in from the chill of the outdoors, feel content with life, then don’t open your Facebook account. If your feed is like mine, it is filled with some version of fear, despair, or anger. All three probably appear in the same post from one friend … Continue reading You and Francis Give Me Hope
Sometimes we wonder why there has to be pain. What is the point of discomfort or outright agony? Yet pain performs a function that is critical to life. It is a signal, telling us that something is wrong. Pain is like a gauge that warns us, tells us to take care of ourselves. Either you are not functioning properly, or there is a threat from … Continue reading Pain and Curiosity
What is it like to be an Iowan in January 2016? It is to be bombarded with messages of aspiring presidential candidates. Terrorism and migration are hot topics this year, but they are only two examples of the complex issues facing our nation and our world. Those seeking the presidency claim to have answers, but we all know that any U.S. president has limited power … Continue reading No Dead Ends
Quick quiz: Who is called “a man after God’s own heart” in the Bible? Paul said it in a sermon in Antioch, on his first missionary journey. (Acts 13:22) He was talking about David. Is there any more beloved figure in the Old Testament than David? Yet David had feet of clay just like everyone else. As so often happens, his strength ended up being … Continue reading The Cure
saint sinner seeker 