Exhaling
When we breathe, we inhale and then we exhale. For those of us whose childhoods were particularly difficult or who have survived trauma, the breath is shallow, tentative, furtive, and…
…and…
This is Kai-the dog. He goes with me wherever I go and challenges with his very being this idea of an angry, domesticated God we seek to describe. Kai-the-dog has…
The horse and the rider
With friends at the Santa Fe Grand Prix, I recently watched horses and their riders exhibit the fine connection which makes for great horseback riding. The jumps were high and…
God – trying to communicate
As I get older, I have an increased compassion for God. No longer a “He” and no longer an “old man” on a throne with my file on his lap,…
discretion is not secret-keeping, it is spiritual practice
One Christian practice with which I am slowly and needfully becoming acquainted is the practice of discretion. Now by using that word I do not mean the “discretion” that most…
the fires of suffering and transformation
As a potter, I know how fragile clay is when it has yet to be fired in a kiln. It may indeed be the most beautiful vase, with sweeping handles…
letting God kiss us
"But what happens when we open our eyes and see the face of God looking down at us, smiling, delighted with us, sitting in the lotus position in the…
The Blues
Fortnum and Mason was founded just after 1700 and is one of my favorite ships in London. One of my great loves is stationary, and they have a fine selection. …
honey, venom and community
A stained glass window from The National Cathedral honoring bees. The five bee hives on our cathedral are sometimes a lovely set of colonies on our roof, sometimes…
inside painting
This is a two-inch tall Chinese bottle from the early 1800’s and is decorated with what is called “inside painting.” An artist paints such a bottle on the inside of…