I’ve realized, again, that I’m not a verbal processor. I don’t particularly find it helpful to talk through issues I’m wrestling with. I do better going away to my cave and trying to sort things out before I talk with people.
I think most bloggers, at least the prolific ones, are keyboard processors. They think through, [...]

Posted in books, finding myself, this blog/blogging No Comments »

Here’s a link to the message I’m giving today.

Posted in NFC, worship & messages No Comments »

Wish I did. Wish I could be profoundly moving, both for the sake of this blog and the sake of the message I have to finish for tomorrow. Ain’t happenin’. So, have some fun and go here. Talli and Hayley and I wasted a lot of time here today. One mouse click, the penguin falls, [...]

Posted in link fest 1 Comment »

So, it’s last Saturday, and Elaine and Talli are out. I get a call.
“Can we buy a puppy?”
Now, I’ve been known to be impulsive before. I bought the stupid, useless piece of garbage that was SUPPOSED to be a handheld, rechargeable carpet cleaner specifically designed for pet stains, called the Spotlifter. It should have [...]

Posted in comedy attempts, family No Comments »

Ok, so I’m not exactly the blogg-o master of the universe yet. Playing around with some new posting tools. But in the next few days, I’ll write about Jack, secrets, and Minneapolis community. How’s that?

Posted in this blog/blogging No Comments »

Here’s a link to today’s message. It’s based on Acts 9: 10-19.

Posted in NFC, worship & messages No Comments »

I found out last night that someone I knew in college, someone who was in my same pastor circles about 5 years ago, confessed to sexually abusing his 9 year old adopted daughter. He’s sitting in jail as I type, and I don’t even want to think about what his wife and kids are going [...]

Posted in bible/theology No Comments »

I’m reading Reimagining Spiritual Formation, the story of a Christian community in Minneapolis called Solomon’s Porch. At the very beginning of the book, they list their dreams. And I remembered September of 1999, our Yearly Meeting’s Pastor’s Conference, held in the Columbia Gorge. In a 30 hour period of silence, I dreamed my dreams, including [...]

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Last night, Aubrey was jumping off the couch, over a pillow on the floor, over and over again. Talli was doing her homework, minding her own business instead of watching Aubrey, so Aubrey yells, “Natalie! Watch me jump over this pillow! Natalie! NATALIE!! Watch me jump over this pillow, and you try to say, ‘Wow, [...]

Posted in comedy attempts, family 1 Comment »

I feel life and hope in increasing measure today, increasing as the minutes roll by.
Hope that God is up to something in my life. Hope that God will provide what I need to wade through and get clear direction about my role in leadership at Newberg Friends. Life, God’s life, Spirit life coursing in me. [...]

Posted in NFC, finding myself No Comments »