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
As a child and into my teen years I experienced the trauma of abuse, abandonment, and neglect. While the circumstances of those words may look different for everyone, they are real experiences that leave their mark on each one of us. For me, it led to an underlying, deep, and haunting sense of shame that affected every area of my life. Shame is not something … Continue reading Shame-less
There is a new buzz-phrase floating around out there, maybe you have heard it, or maybe it is just the new circles I am traveling in these days… the buzz-phrase is holding space. The phrase originates in the therapy realm, but it accurately describes what I do as a chaplain… for those of you who were wondering. Your first question might be, what does it … Continue reading “Holding Space”
My Apple watch keeps reminding me to breathe. I am aware; I need to breathe, it sustains my life. But what is really annoying is that my watch prompts me to breathe when I have the least amount of time to stop and breathe. Do you ever find yourself with no time to breathe? Life can feel like that. Ministry can feel like that. As … Continue reading Just Breathe
As a youth pastor, I used to think, “I only have this short window of time, 7 years, if I am lucky, with these students.” Such a brief time in their lives. I felt it was my job to pour into them as much Jesus as possible, before they are gone. As a chaplain, I recently had the privilege of visiting a man on the … Continue reading Keep Me in the Moment
Goodenough in Christ 