Well after a few technical imperfections and lots of effort, the new updated site is here! I apologize to those of you who received two newsletters… technology is not my gift, but I’m learning. Check it out and make yourself at home here. I hope you will visit often. Blessings on your journeys friends!
Author Archives: admin
I stalk people (and another important announcement)
Filed under Anecdotes
I grew up before women in ministry were a popular trend. I’m not sure it’s taken off quite yet, but it is more “in” now than it was 15 years ago. Sure the pastors’ wives were around a bit. I even had coffee with them on occasion, but in terms of teaching, I was not formally taught by women in the church. When I left for college, other than my mother, I did not have a strong feminine mentoring presence in my life.
Halfway through college I discovered Anne Lamott. For maybe the first time in my life I learned what honesty was in the form of her short anecdotal stories. She was humorous, crass, vulnerable, and real. I gobbled up every book of hers on the market and over the past five years have been to every venue she has spoken at in Los Angeles County. Read More
Hello Twenty-Ten
Filed under Anecdotes
I am a sucker for bookstores and libraries. The thought of the amount of ink that has been spilled over the course of centuries excites me. The thought of a Kindle petrifies me. I love books. Each bound page is someone’s opus, thesis, or work of art. I sometimes wonder what my life would look like if I just read book after book, only stopping to eat and sleep. How many could I get through?
My family knows this about me, so every Christmas I come home with another armful of books: Cookbooks, literature, non-fiction. It’s marvelous. Then a funny thing happens. I just let them sit there for weeks on end, scared to bend their crisp covers. They are pretty and untouched. Their mysteries yet to be unfolded. I don’t want them to be over with so quickly or to disappoint. Someone’s life work gobbled up in a matter of a month. I want to appreciate it longer. Read More
The Darker Days of Christmas
Filed under Anecdotes
There was a shooting a block from my house less than 48 hours ago. We heard the cracks from the gun in quick succession — bang – bang – bang – bang – bang. Five of them. We wanted to believe they were fireworks. However, the with the cop car shining a light in our front yard and a helicopter spotlighting our backyard, it clearly was not celebratory.
A 22-year-old young man lost his life. It appears that 5 gang members killed him. His girlfriend was shot in the foot and watched him die on the side of the street. It’s the week before Christmas — all is not calm; all is not bright. Read More
Christmas Means
Filed under Thoughts on life
My friend wrote this for a Christmas service we were at last week and surprised me with it. I hope that you will find a piece of what Christmas means to you in it.
Christmas Means by, Bryan Taylor
Over 2,000 years ago, a small child came into the world. This child was born into a family that had just started. They had no significance, no large amount of money and no political power to speak of. Kings and rulers did not celebrate this baby’s arrival; in fact there were only animals to witness His coming into the world. However, when this child breathed His first earthly breath, the Heaven’s opened. God intended for things to never be the same from this point on. Read More
Life outside of lifegroups
Filed under Anecdotes, Thoughts on life
In the last decade a new model of community at churches has taken off – the life group. It disguises itself with other names such as home group, accountability group, small group, cell group, etc. As churches get bigger and people feel more disconnected, they find their connection through these groups. I have been part of at least six groups in the last eight years. There has been great transformation, wonderful relationships built and truly I have called most of these people family. Heck, my whole ministry was birthed out of my living room.
I believe in the smaller gathering of people to do life together. However, in the past six months, my husband and I have started wondering what we are called to in terms of community. As we look at our own church, many life groups are set up by interest and not location, so people gather from all ends of Los Angeles County to meet once a week to discuss God and our lives, but the needs of our communities are not being discussed. Life isn’t happening in neighborhoods anymore. It’s happening online and at churches in another town. Churches are even creating satellite campuses where the pastor is beamed in every week. This is scary when we need help and no one is truly there. Read More
