~ Rev. Elizabeth Dilley “Does Aunt N have a vulva?” Our child, M, was not quite two, and our dear friend N was in town and at our house for supper. The question was not directed at N, but at me. I sighed. I have worked hard to cultivate a matter-of-factness about our bodies, including … Continue reading
—Joanna Harader Scripture Reading: Matthew 5:1-12 (Beatitudes) –The above link will show you both the New International Version of the scripture and Eugene Peterson’s translation from the Message. It is interesting to look at these familiar words in a fresh way. Here is a video of these verses put to song. Prayer: Dear God, We … Continue reading
by Laura Kelly Fanucci He bounced with excitement as he asked me if he could go write our nametags. I had my hands full with his already-cranky brother, wondering why on earth I bothered bringing them to church alone, without any help. So of course, I said, of course. And he took off running. Only … Continue reading
By Sara Wolbrecht “Hold or fold?” The nightly question is asked of our 3-year-old daughter as the final chaotic moments of dinner-prep and table-setting end and we scoot out seats to the table for dinner. This particular night she wipes her hair out of her eyes and clasps her hands together as she resolutely declares: … Continue reading
—Erika Marksbury Scripture Reading Matthew 4:12-23 (NRSV) Now when Jesus heard that John had been arrested, he withdrew to Galilee. He left Nazareth and made his home in Capernaum by the sea, in the territory of Zebulun and Naphtali, so that what had been spoken through the prophet Isaiah might be fulfilled: “Land of Zebulun, … Continue reading
by Janet Treviño-Elizarraraz “Accept- then act. Whatever the present moment contains, accept it as if you had chosen it… this will miraculously transform you life.” -Eckhart Tolle In the fall of 2013, I decided to take the leap into fully embracing unschooling, which in essence is child-led learning with parental accompaniment. I went from being … Continue reading
— Jill Clingan Every child is an artist. The problem is how to remain an artist once he grows up. ~Pablo Picasso One of my goals this year is to explore creativity, both in myself and in my children. I love being creative. I love creative things. But I often do not let myself explore … Continue reading
By Bromleigh McCleneghan Many children attending public schools have the day off in honor of Martin Luther King, Jr. on January 20th, and the occasion can provide an important time to share our commitments around race, justice, peace, courage, hope and love with our children. I struggle with how to talk about the ongoing struggle … Continue reading
I’ve noticed that around the holidays a lot of talk shows and magazines devote a lot of space and air time to the topic of guest rooms. Just exactly what a guest room should look like, what kind of toiletries we should place in the bathroom for our guests, even what newspapers we should be … Continue reading
Back in October or November, I started feeling the presence of Advent and its weight on the calendar despite the fall leaves hanging on trees and handprint turkeys coming home from school. Even though Halloween costumes were still the priority and meal planning for Thanksgiving was first and foremost, Advent was on my mind. What … Continue reading
Practicing Families 