I wrote this prayer for my hospice team as a way to re-center in the midst of the day-to-day challenge of working with people in their darkest times. This prayer is for all healthcare workers. My prayer is that you not just read it but trust its truths and allow it to bless you, as you are a blessing to so many. May you always … Continue reading My Prayer for Healthcare Workers
My stepmom, Cha Cha, always ended her voicemail message with this: “Enjoy today, it is a gift to you.” I can still hear her voice saying those words, but now I hear them on a deeper level, as a simple but profound call toward learning to live in the moment. In my view from the edge, I find learning to live in the moment is … Continue reading Enjoy Today
One of my favorite things about God is that we (humans) are created in the image of God, three in one – body (physical), mind (thoughts, will, emotions), spirit (the life breath of the body, the essence of who we are, and how we interact with God). There is a lot of emphasis on the importance of taking care of our physical body to stay … Continue reading Therapy and Chaplaincy
Every day, during our morning “huddle” (pastoral services department daily briefing) we are reminded of the “behavior of the month.” These behaviors are reflective of the core values of the hospital. Back in February, the behavior of the month was, “We tell the truth with courage and with empathy.” One of my peers asked me what I thought that meant. As I explained to her … Continue reading To Tell the Truth
The phrase “Where is that coming from?” is one I hear a lot these days. I believe the general understanding is that this is a statement made in judgement of another, as if they are the crazy one and the speaker has no idea what prompted their crazy response. If it is used this way, then it is judgmental – especially if done with an … Continue reading Where is That Coming From?
I started my first unit of chaplaincy in January 2020. The pandemic had already hit in other parts of the world, but we were still mostly naïve enough to think that such a thing could never hit our shores. By March 2020, the country was in quarantine and my first unit of CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) was being done remotely. So, I finished that first … Continue reading Chaplain VS Pandemic
Morning is my favorite time of day. I love to get up early so I can soak it all in – the newness, the quiet, the possibilities – there is hope and promise in a new day. For me that feeling of new possibilities also extends to the new year, as it does for most people. A new year just naturally feels like a fresh … Continue reading It’s My Year of Jubilee
As I finished up my first of three units of study for my chaplain in residence program, I was required to write a “theological position paper.” This was one of the hardest papers I have written, but one I am most grateful for having suffered through…literally. It made me think about how I think about God. That was the easy part. But more importantly, it … Continue reading My Theological Dilemma
So how many of you are ready for 2020 to be over? I feel like I hear that a lot. As if in 10 days life will be exponentially better.Think about it.2020 began as every new year begins, with new hope and new promise – with the bonus of being a new decade with a catchy phrase: 2020 Vision. Remember that? Every pastor preached the … Continue reading Hindsight is 2020
Just when you were beginning to think chaplaincy was all sunshine, roses, and holy moments… (or was that just me?) I am about to talk about taking offense. Do we have a right to take offense? Or is it a choice to take offense? Let’s start with a definition of what it means to be offended. Dictionary.com says, it means to be resentful, annoyed, or … Continue reading No Offense
Goodenough in Christ 