Beautiful Things… God Moments

Daily Gratitudes – March 2022

Mar 1 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

Perspective … reading Wendel Berry… who had scathing things to say about our corporate, capitalistic, war culture… comparing the natural rhythms of nature… “The wind of the Fall is here… Green leaves / grow weary of their color… The bright hawks of the day / subside. The owls awaken.”… to our human rhythms… “How superior to this / human confusion of greed / and creed, blood and fire.” … a needed word in these days of escalating war… reminding me to go outside… breathe deeply of Creation… notice the hawks… listen for the owls… turn toward the breeze… look for the emerging buds of Spring… this the eternal rhythm… and will outlive the folly of our human strivings.
Barnyard Friends… Mac the alpaca… taking an interest in our new little piggies… feeling protective of them… staying close when Holly and Ez come down to feed them this morning… letting the humans know… Mac considers these girls his charges.
Signs of Spring… the daffodils poking their tips up through the soil… like the chickens starting to lay their eggs again… signs new life is emerging from the womb of winter.
Yoga Beginnings… a lovely grounding start to the day… Tiffany’s soothing voice… leading our Tikkun staff to notice our breath… to release what we no longer need… to create space in our bodies… and in minds and souls… for new energy to flow… makes it easier to step into whatever the day brings… we have made space to receive it.
Sunbathing… Max soaking up the sun… stretched out in the hay… under a clear sky.
Americana… visiting with the St. Simon’s ladies… setting up the altar for Ash Wednesday… noticing the amazing boots one of them was wearing… so perfectly coordinated with her red, white and blue outfit… love this woman’s spirit and style!
A Late Night Meal… Emily and I cooking up one our Hello Fresh meals… long after everyone else had retired to bed… grateful for the opportunity to visit with her one-on-one… her interest in what Spirit had to say to me this January… while praying in North Carolina… her tender witness to some of my hard stories… leading us into thoughtful reflections on theology… what we are really here for in this life… “to learn Love” I say… grateful for a chance to say out loud … some of the thoughts rattling around inside my mind… to hear how they sound outside of me… in someone else’s ears… and spirit.

Mar 2 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

Manifesto of a Mad Farmer… Wendell Berry’s words… on how to live… what to value… in a world consumed by greed, violence and consumerism… “every day do something / that won’t compute. Love the Lord. / Love the world. Work for nothing. / Take all that you have and be poor. / Love someone who does not deserve it. / Denounce the government and embrace / the flag.”… found his words re-orienting… in a world watching the war… moved by his embrace and attention to the tender places… “Ask yourself: Will this satisfy / a woman satisfied to bear a child? / Will this disturb the sleep / of a woman near to giving birth?” … made me think of the young president of Ukraine… telling people not to put his picture in their offices… not to make an idol of him… look instead at your children’s pictures… think of them… every time you make a decision… grateful for poets and leaders… who offer us an alternative lens… to live by Love instead of Fear.
“It is Stronger and Braver to Love”… Charles Mackey … the artist and writer of the book I love… “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”… sharing his wisdom today … right up there with Wendell Berry…. putting these words about Love in the mouth of a child… telling Putin he’s taken the path of the coward… so grateful for the poets who keep reminding us … of the deepest truths of the human story.
Unlikely Friends… Mac the Alpaca… connecting deeply with our little piggies… snuggling one under his neck today… and then picking up woodchips with his mouth… and dropping them in front of her… as if to feed her… Mac has been separated from the other alpacas … for safety reasons… I think he’s been really lonely… and these little piggies have found their way into heart!
Sunbathing… the little piggie girls stretching out in the barnyard on a sunny day… so content.
“What are We Doing Here Tonight?”… reflections on Ashes… with the good people of St. Simon… noticing all day the importance of this ritual… even for folks who no longer worship in the churches that taught them about Ash Wednesday… what it means differs for folks… repentance… hope… a reminder to reflect on deeper themes… some not really sure… but knowing it draws them… connects them to an holy mystery… grateful for this night… that reminds me of my mortality… my vulnerability… my limits… therefore inviting to draw closer to Love… who accompanies me through this tender, fragile life… considering what practice I will take on this season … that will lead me more deeply into this Loving mystery.

Mar 4 2022 – Tikkun Farm Beautiful Things… God Moments

Caring for the Caregivers… those who often forget to meet their own needs… the wonderful way every member of our team came together… to prepare for the Hospice Renewal retreat… Jeff and Tess and Darby chopping and mixing and cleaning up… Morgan and Ez and Nathan setting up tables and chairs… running things in and out of the kitchen…. Jeanne leaving all the menu items in the fridge … so Mary just has to set them out… deeply moved by how fully our folks wanted offer a beautiful welcome … to those wearied most COVID… true living into the spirit of Tikkun Farm 💙
Life on the Front Lines… Whew! … inviting our hospice guests to share a moment that left a imprint on them … from their work in the midst of COVID… oh my… what holy ground … the loss… heartbreak… and brilliance … as they learned to offer the love and compassion that brought them into nursing… under severe restrictions… in ways they could never have imagined… deeply grateful for the vulnerability of these courageous folks… as they put words to their experience.
Cold Frames… Caroline and Xavier… building lids for raised beds… to keep the seeds warm… celebrating the fruit of their labor… as we noticed tiny seedlings pushing up through the soil… Caroline showing me the germinating seed trays of broccoli… spinach… snow peas… “our greenhouse is really acting like a greenhouse!”… so, so excited!
Ez Pounding Away… noticing him bent over some project … as I pulled into the farm… his report later in the day… all our chick brooder now have screen lids!! … wow!! … they are organized… packed up … ready to go… to classrooms in Mt. Healthy City Schools… with day old chicks later this month… I’m not sure what to do with this much preparation ahead of time! … it feels miraculous.
The Hive…hours spent in the kitchen … volunteers and staff… busy as a bee hive … humming with chatting and laughing… as veggies get chopped for all kinds of meals.. a communal space that always fills my heart.
Passing Through… a ZOOM meeting … Rejoyce and Nathan (a UC intern)… talking with the Hamilton County Waste Management folks… about recycling containers… to assist us in our efforts to reduce waste… finding out they will donate to us… our help us get grants… for all the containers we need… I’ve barely cross paths with Nathan… but he’s doing big things here… to create systems to manage our waste in the kindest way for planet… so excited to have him sharing his gifts with us.

Beautiful Things… God Moments

Things I Didn’t See… bible study with the good people of St. Simon’s… welcoming a new guest… from Detroit!… a friend of a St. Simon’s member… loved how she jumped right in… as we each reflected on some small part of the story of Jesus’ temptation… how she noticed the repeated phrase … “If you are the Son of God”… shining a light on a theme I had not paid attention to before… part of what’s being “tested” in this exchange with the devil… is how fully Jesus owns his new identity… fresh from his baptism… before his baptism he was Joseph’s son… now he’s God’s son… what does this mean to him… how does he live this out… such an important exchange for Jesus… to get clarity… before he heads out to begin his ministry… love how I learn new things… from the folks who pray and reflect with me… we all teach each other!
My Beloved and I… being interviewed about Tikkun Farm… I say all the things I usually say… plus a few new reflections… the Spirit gave me in the shower… as I got ready… but what a gift to listen to my beloved… hear what he sees … the way he celebrates our volunteers… and the community they create among one another… as they serve on the farm together…. to hear him reflect about what motivates me… “it’s her call”… and what doesn’t’… “external recognition doesn’t mean much to her”… thinking as he said that… “that’s right”… I don’t think I’ve thought about myself through that lens… but as he said it… I knew the truth of it.
“Let’s Meet at the Dairy Bar”… a lovely visit with a parishioner… at the newly opened for the season Mt. Healthy Dairy Bar…. loved this suggestion… how it reminds me… God is everywhere… Spirit is everywhere… spiritual conversations can happen anywhere.
Dreaming Again… meeting the Zoe… Tikkun Farm’s architect… she’s been with us from the beginning… designing beautiful spaces … helping us manifest our vision… today she returned… we finally have enough money… to move a dream off her page… into the world… so grateful for her beautiful mix of challenging questions… keeping it real… and dream questions… inviting my vision and hope… so glad to be working with her again.
Holy Ground… my first night with the Hospice Team… here on the farm… for a renewal retreat… deeply moved by their vulnerability… their heart breaking stories… of caring for families … with so many restrictions on how they could offer compassionate support … in excruciating circumstances… so grateful for this sacred time.

Mar 4 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

Early Arrivals… a retreat guest arriving an hour early… usually challenges me… I’m still getting things ready… coffee wasn’t event made… became a blessing… she hadn’t been able to come the night before… gave us time to liminal space… and other topics we discussed the might before… her deep gratitude for one-on-one time… “I was supposed to arrive early” she tells me… and so she was… it was all good.
Deep Peace… watching hospice workers… who’ve been working full on … since the pandemic started… sit by the fire… take time to reflect… color… create… listen… sink into a deep chair and rest … the gift of a sabbath day… such deep gratitude … that Tikkun Farm could offer them these gifts… so grateful they allowed themselves to stop … and receive them.
Weaving In and Out… Tess… Ez… Nathan… Darby… Morgan… moving between their work in different areas on the farm… tending to the new piggies sutured eyes… welcoming Free Market guests… and the sacred space of the milkhouse… stepping into the kitchen for lunch… love this image of going out… and coming in… overlapping one another’s paths across the farm… creating a sacred tapestry of connection.
Releasing… what we no longer need… ending the day… burning the pages… naminglllllllmmc what the hospice nurses will not be bringing into the next season… releasing all the energy that has gone into these moments… back to the Universe… trusting Love to recycle that energy… to offer it back to us.. in new, creative ways.
Fish Fry Season… St. Simon’s first Lenten fish fry… one of our chefs who’s been out sick most of the year… well enough to take his place by the fryer tonight… the woman who does much of the cooking… shining in her element… so much interest we sold all we had on this first day!… grateful for their energy… and the community’s support.
Departures… sharing a beautiful movie… with my housemates… so fun to have all of us gathered for movie night… my beloved grilling for us all… Tonya and Meghan making the veggies… settling in for a Japanese movie… with English subtitles… my beloved stopping the movie once in a while… to comment on Japanese culture… all of us swept in the tragic … and funny… story… of a young man learning who he really is… taking a stand for what he believes is good… despite pressure from others to abandon his work… such a tender ending… reminding us of the healing power of forgiveness.

Mar 5 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

Birdsong… greeting me as I stepped outside … for an early morning walk… the air alive with the morning chorus.
Waking Up… with the sun… watching it rise out the lake… casting it’s golden glow over the water… setting the trees on fire like burning bushes… as light cascades through still naked branches.
A Baker’s Dozen… Tonya making 10 recipes of scones… me adding 4 recipes of carrot bread muffins… a little more than a baker’s dozen… in preparation for 75 volunteers … to Tikkun Farm’s Volunteer Day… adding our contributions to Jeanne’s hospitality plan to feed the crowds… every surface of the kitchen island a baking station… grateful for Tonya’s dedication to feed good things to our volunteers… glad to join her in the kitchen.
Meaningful Work… a beautiful day… 75 degrees… to welcome beautiful people… to join us on the farm… for a morning of chores and projects… students from UC grateful to spend the morning working together… families from Bethany School showing up in multiple generations… to meet the animals… trim the bushes.. clean out the barn… pick-ax their way through piles of dirt… returning friends clearing out the gardens for Spring… finishing up the greenhouse heating system… planting seeds for Tikkun Farm’s first ever plant sale… so much goodness.
Inaugural Burn… my beloved and Paul… a dear Tikkun Farm volunteer… who can build anything… and helped us build a thermal mass heater for the greenhouse… lighting the first fire today… and it worked!!… making it possible for us to keep the greenhouse heated using wood … dropped off by the tree trimming guys… who bring us woodchips.
She’s Back… my daughter Evelyn and her wife… returning to the farm for visit… so glad to see them both… looking forward to hanging out together for a bit.
Fried Rice… Tonya’s recent passion…she taught herself how to make this … creating a great dinner snack … on a night we did not feel up to cooking.
Blown’ in the Wind… a breeze all day on the farm… blowing fresh air through the house… creating a concert of wind instruments… swishing through the branches… dancing the windchimes front and back… tapping out a rhythm with the gutters… a beautiful lullaby… as darkness envelopes the house with windsong.

Mar 6 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

Remembering Who We Are… reflecting with the good people of St. Simon’s… on the story of Jesus’ temptation… after his baptism… before he begins his ministry… 40 days of transformation… three times the tester asks Jesus… “If you are the Son of God…” … considering how Jesus has to grow into this identity… son of God… he’s always been the son of Joseph… discerning what it means to be God’s son… and what it doesn’t mean… we have to wrestle with this too… we grow up with all kinds of messages about who we are supposed to be … what kind of daughter… husband… parent… what kind of body… job… education… etc. … at our deepest reality… we are all children of Love… learning how to live into this identity… is our life long work.
“Mary, We Got This”… Emily and Tonya… the great cooking team for our Tikkun Community Meal… working together wonderfully getting our meal together… still I chime in… offering input about the rice… suggestions about the vegetables… I know I’m being annoying… the big sister in me will not be quiet… she always wants to be in charge… thinking she’s just “helping”… so grateful when Emily said kindly… and firmly… “Thank you, Mary. We got this.”… it helped me shut down that big sister part of me… let me focus on my own work… and let these lovely women prepare our meal with grace… it was delicious!
A Good Good-bye… Rejoyce and her family moving off the farm… needing a bigger home for their family… sharing our last community meal with them tonight… everyone taking a turn… sharing how they’ve contributed to our community… what we hope for them… oh my… what a sacred, beautiful experience… some of us not sure what we’d say… until we said it… all of deeply moved by the way the spirit moved us… naming the healing that our life together made possible… the incredible power of witnessing others on their journey… we cried… we laughed… we emptied ourselves out in love.
“Remember What Love Can Do With Ashes” … gathering with the Tikkun Community … my daughter Evelyn join us … for our monthly spiritual gathering… each of us taking time to share where we are on our spiritual path… noticing how many of us shared about belonging to a tradition that blessed us deeply… but now when we go back… it’s not the same… and we are looking for someplace new to belong… feeling tonight like I finally found my spiritual community and home…blessed by a level of vulnerability and intimacy that I almost given up on experiencing… and then we reflected on ashes… what remains after a fire… how it reminds us of what has died… and what Love can do with dust…. to birth new life… smudging one another with ashes… naming our gratitude… blessed beyond words by this intimate spiritual time with people I love.
What Love Can Do with Ashes II… deeply moved by the picture of Ukrainian citizens… finding a Russian POW… separated from his group… feeding him biscuits and tea … helping him call his mother… to let her know he is safe… the Ukranian government… calling all Russian mothers… they can come pick up their sons if they become POWs… a different way to wage a war… digging deep… to connect with our deeper humanity… that unites us… rather than the propagandized hate seeking to separate us.
Closing the Day… with laughter and fun… Emily and Meghan laughing at who knows what… but laughing hysterically… their joy so contagious… a great way to end our day together… happy.

Mar 7 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

In My Element… so, so grateful… invited by the Diocese of Indiana… to help clergy process what happened during the pandemic…leading a retreat in a place with no cell service… beautiful sharing about their experience of liminal space…. It’s been awhile since I’ve led retreats… remembering how much I love this kind of work.
Praying with a Picture… leading folks through one of my favorite prayers… “Visio Lectio”… long before I’d heard of Soul Collage… knowing how beautifully Spirit can speak through images… sitting with my own image… praying alongside others… hearing Spirit tell me what I’ve sensed… it’s time to offer my gifts in other spaces… it’s why I’m here with the Diocese of Indiana… sharing my gifts with a larger community.
“Thanks for Asking about what’s Blooming”… a pastor sharing that COVID didn’t impact their ministry the way it hurt others… “we’re really thriving… but I don’t feel it’s OK to talk about that”… grateful for his beautiful reminder that beauty and brokenness co-exist… and some of the most beautiful moments are born from the tragic ones.
Breakfast Buddy… Evelyn coming down to keep me company as I packed up for my retreat… “I want to hug you good-bye” she tells me… holding me in a long embrace… such a gift to hang in the kitchen with her for a bit.
Co-Creating… talking with Robyn on the way to the retreat… going over our next grant project with her… listening to her type and update her draft … as we talk it through together… so grateful she supports Tikkun Farm in this way.
The Beautiful Tiffany… joining me on the clergy retreat… leading them through yoga… and mindfulness… grateful she is offering to this community … the lovely gifts she’d been sharing in the farm all these years.

Mar 8 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

Winter Sentinels… the brown, taupe, beige remnants of Summer… standing tall… in beds that will soon be filled with color… but today they greeted me… welcoming me into the building… offering nature’s hospitality… until the next season blooms.
Greeting the Day… from my yoga mat… so grateful Tiffany joined the leadership team for this event… talking me softly and calmly through my morning stretch… waking my body up… as I begin the day.
Looking Back… inviting the clergy of the Diocese of Indianapolis… to look back over the season of COVID… name the people… places… events… ideas… gratitude… lessons… losses… that shaped, supported and hurt them …. as they shepherded their congregations and families through the pandemic… awed by the beautiful way they engaged these hard themes… their gratitude to be given time to sink into this level of reflection… grateful for their Diocesan leadership… creating this time and space for such sacred, healing work.
Table Talk… the joy of sharing meals with fellow clergy… hearing stories of how they came to ministry… reflecting on what’s next for some of them… as they consider new calls… retirement… shifting from pastoring to spiritual direction … usually I find it hard to join in this kind of conversation… grateful for the ease in connecting… and the collegiality of this community.
Pauli Murray… first African-American woman to be ordained a priest in the Episcopal church… first African-American woman to receive a Doctorate in Juridical Science from Yale Law school… sat in the white section of a segregated bus … and refused to give up her seat… years before Rosa Parks… argued as a lawyer for civil rights for women … and African-Americans… created the phrase “Jane Crow” to describe the rules that kept her from attending Harvard Law School because of her gender… a hidden figure… I’d never heard of … until today… when someone shared her story … as part of International Women’s Day.
Sacred Fire… completing our reflections… on the season of COVID… by releasing what we no longer need to carry with us… worries… griefs…. resentments… relationships that have served their season… ideas that no longer work… naming these … writing them down… offering the energy they took from us… back to Love… in an evening fire… lighting up the night…. making room for what comes next.
SING!… ending the day a cappella… circling up with fellow clergy… calling out favorite hymns… their harmonies rising up … like waves of beauty… hearing myself sing better than I’ve sung in my life… reminding me of what’s possible when we join together… being with them brought forth music from me… I could never create on my own.

Mar 9 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

A Beautiful End… to my time with the dear clergy of Indiana Diocese… loved their delight … to discover the book “The Boy, the Mole, the Fox and the Horse”… loved that the diocese gave them frames… so they can frame a page… take it home as a gift from the retreat… loved the way my friend summed up the gathering… “Thank you for helping us find our way home to each other”… such goodness… the love and support these dear souls have for one another… what a privilege to be in their midst.
A Lot of Catching Up… visiting with a friend… we usually meet monthly… haven’t seen her since before Christmas… grateful for a quiet afternoon… to hear her news… share mine… so much has happened in 3 months!
Found Time… a last minute cancellation in my day… creating space to cook dinner before Wisdom Wednesday… love it when that happens.
A Quick Dinner… and yummy… Tonya, Meghan and I … cooking up to Hello Fresh! meals… enough to share among with Evelyn… so good to be home… back in the kitchen… learning that a little Harissa spice goes a long way… discovering we really like bulgur bowls… with Greek salad.
“Live Like A River”… lessons learned from water… reflecting on John O’Donohues poem… during Wisdom Wednesday… what does it mean to live in flow? …. to be carried by surprises… to unfold like a river?… considering how we can let go of controlling the outcome… bracing for the bad… trust that we are held by a larger Love… grateful for these pilgrims… also needing a more expansive spiritual community… grounded in nature… it’s rhythms, seasons and lessons… comfortable with silence and contemplation.
Rivers of Refugees… holding the Ukranians in Love… lighting candles for them… that Light may lead them to safety… imagining corridors of peace opening up before them… providing safe passage … to Love meeting them at the border… humans waiting for them with food, medical care, and warm beds… imagining rivers of mothers and grandmothers… flowing into Kyiv… in search of their Russian sons and grandsons… as the Ukrainian gov’t releases these young men … swept up in war… back into the Loving embrace of their family… holding onto their humanity … in the midst of violence… imagining all the Love… WINNING.
Sing Our Way Home… Meghan and I delighting … again… in the lovely chant that ended Wisdom Wednesday … singing it as we cleaned up… as we crossed the parking lot… sereneding Tonya with it… then Emily… as we did the laundry… hearing it drift up the stair from Meghan’s room… “Go now in Beauty / Peace be with you / Until we meet again / in the Light”.

Mar 10 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

In Sickness and in Health… witnessing the loving care … given by one partner to another… after long years of sharing life together… the level of great kindness… in the face of deeply losing a partner’s presence… due to illness or dementia… always unravels me… so much gentleness given … in the most vulnerable moments … and so much regret … when exhaustion calls forth a less gentle response… still remember the beautiful, elderly man… in my first parish… who shared in the hospital hallway… where we waited for news about his dying wife… how he would help he get into her stockings every Sunday morning… because she could not go to church without them… imagining the tenderness of this gesture made me weep then… and still does… so grateful for these elders… who have learned to love well… showing me how it’s done.
Speaking in Symbol… unpacking Jesus’ cryptic message to Herod…with the good people of St. Simon’s in our bible study today… “I complete my work today… on the third day I will be perfected”… letting his disciples know… he’s in the final season of his ministry… he’s about to complete the work he was born to do… and then he will be “perfected”… not what we think … when we hear the word “perfect”… instead of being without error… he will have finished his life’s work… his will be at the end… but he does not bring himself to the end of his work… he is brought there… so intrigued by this revelation… Spirit / God finishes Jesus’ work in him… he dies… and that is not the end of his work… his perfection is that he lives on the other side of dying… he is brought through his dying into something more… that is what it means to be perfected… what is true for Jesus… is true for all of us… grateful that I too will be perfected!
The Will to Live… witnessing the incredible courage… of pilgrims in the second half of life… … unwilling to allow their old wounds to remain unhealed… instead wrestling with ancient stories… until fears and losses… betrayals and critics… lose their grip… and these warriors are free to truly live.
Gaining Momentum… visiting with the counselors at the high school… about our summer job training program… asking for their help… referring students… yesterday they passed out flyers out at lunchtime… today I had three calls from parents or students wanting to sign up!… so excited to hear their interest and enthusiasm… so grateful for the counselors… helping us connect with students!
Stations of the Cross… telling the story of Jesus’ last day… together with the good people of St. Simon’s… grateful for the woman who asked… if we could start this Lenten tradition up again… love how this ritual is shared… everyone takes a turn leading… reading… praying… keeping it a community story.
The Great Coleslaw Caper… Tonya and I up to our old tricks… making food late into the night… this time coleslaw… for St. Simon’s Fish Fry… so grateful Bea shared her secret recipe with me… and Tonya helped me chop the veggies… and taste tested… until we got it as close to Bea’s secret sauce as we could… love our late-night kitchen adventures.

Mar 11 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

“The Story I’m Telling Myself Is…” … a thoughtful conversation with a friend… who’s traveled through the COVID season with me… we’ve navigated many uncertain and challenging moments… creating hurt sometimes without meaning too… making assumptions other times that were not accurate… while continuing to love and support one another… grateful for a reflective conversation today… allowing us to clear the air… name our stories… listen for the more accurate interpretation.
The Chart of Accounts… really not my jam… the list that allocates expenses and revenues to particular categories… we created it back in the day… when we first created Tikkun Farm… as we’ve grown… it felt like it wasn’t working for us…. meeting the bookkeeper and accountant… this kind is of stuff is totally their jam! … surprised to discover the system we have still works great!
Beautiful and Broken… “The Zookeeper’s Wife”… a luminous movie … shining a light on how we hold onto our humanity… and stay connected to the humanity in others… when the world goes dark… based on the true story of the zoo owners in Warsaw, Poland … as the Nazi’s invaded… telling how they saved over 300 people … in the midst of cruelty and violence… grateful for their courage… and showing what it looks like use the power we have … in the circumstances we find ourselves in.
Recovery… sharing this movie with my housemates… who felt bombarded by violence and cruelty… when they expected a more hopeful story… based on my recommendation… an important lesson on perspective… totally understand why the movie felt so dark to them… it was … and the light I saw in the darkness…. did not shine as brightly for them… as it did for me… grateful for their grace… and love for me… even though they were not happy about our movie experience.
A Cozy Fire…. filling the room with warmth and welcome…. as we watched the snow fall over the yard… grateful for the beauty of the snow… and the flame.

Mar 12 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

A Beautiful Team… Morgan, Rejoyce, Jeanne… getting all the details set for Soul Collage… Rejoyce, Xavier and Caroline… getting the greenhouse in order… lighting up the stove to warm it up… Xavier splitting wood to feed the fire… so grateful for these beautiful people… a contributing the dreams of Tikkun Farm.
Fix-it… no water in the barn… no fan to draw the fire… my beloved getting up early … to solve the problems… trips to the hardware store… looking for the frozen pipe… got everything fixed by lunchtime… he’s a pretty good guy!
Letting Your Soul Speak… a lovely gathering of soul seekers… many of them trying Soul Collage for the first time… creating beautiful, wise cards… to give voice to their unconscious wisdom… grateful for their commitment to themselves… and traveling their inner road.
Gathering the Threads… of the many pieces of Tikkun Farm’s work… updating Tikkun’s Board… on grants…. awards… staff… programs… amazing when I put in all on paper… to see how much has happen…. it’s been a busy, beautiful season!
Hitting the Wall… sitting down for dinner… and a show… with Tonya and my beloved… grateful Tonya cooked… while I finished my board report… realizing I had not energy left in me… noticing my head nodding … grateful for quick clean-up…. and an early bedtime!
Accompaniment… a fire all day… welcoming cold guests… all afternoon… as I wrote up what’s been happening on the fire… into the night… keeping the room warm and cozy for a quiet rest.

Mar 13 2021 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

Groundwater… reflecting with the good people of St. Simon’s… on the way Jesus sees the world… and how it releases him from fear… he’s getting close to the end of his human journey… close to Jerusalem… home of the powerful people… the bullies who use their power violently… to control others… and the outcomes they want… his followers warn him… “Herod wants to kill you”…. Jesus responds by saying he will continue his work… he’s nearly done… and Herod can’t control him… because for Jesus… Herod is not the most powerful force… there is an unseen power at work in the world… like groundwater… always present… and sometimes visible when it gushes up in springs… Jesus is the visible expression of this power… and this is what directs his days… when his human journey ends… it will seem like Herod killed him… or Pilate… but no… Jesus’ will die because he completed what he came to do… and it’s now time to return home… his death is not the outcome of Herod’s violence… but the portal from his human life… home to Love… knowing and trusting in this unseen force… leading him through his days… releases Jesus from fear… even fear of death… which makes him free… may it be so for me… may I see more and more clearly the groundwater of Love in the world… and may it set me free from fear … to flow whereever Love leads me.
PRAY… pondering the practices of The Way of Love… with the good people of St. Simon’s… today we considered PRAYER… what does it mean to pray… how do we pray… when do we pray… realizing we can pray anywhere… anytime… it does not need to be formal… or from a book… it can be ‘on the go’… remembering how my prayer life has changed over the years… I used to sit in my ‘prayer chair’… light my candle… read my scripture… write in my journal… those prayers healed my life… and then Spirit sent me out to walk… and pray… didn’t think it would work… prayed that way for years… it healed my life too… those conversations with God led me home to Love… these days I sit in silence… conversation has been replaced with presence… love how this practice changes… and each turn in the path leads more deeply into Love.
Grippos… discovering Cincinnati has homegrown BBQ potatoe chips… taking a friend to the airport… we had to pick up bags of Grippos for her daughter and grandchildren… a BBQ chip made in my part of town… everyone who moves away wants someone to send them Grippos care packages… love learning about these local loves… like Grateer’s Ice Cream… Cincinnati has some great orginal recipes.
A Date… with my beloved… late afternoon lunch… a bit of a shopping trip… helping him pick out some blazers for work… grateful for an afternoon together… dreaming about how we want to celebrate our 10^th Anniversary this year… maybe a walk through France… town to town… tasting wine… visiting villages… getting to know the culture up close… in the off the beaten path places… not sure what we’ll decide… but it’s fun to be planning… and celebrating our first decade together.
An Afternoon Nap… it was a short night… and we lost an hour leaping forward… glad to find it in the cozy couch… warmed by the fire… my daughter had been tending all day… grateful for sabbath moments.
Groundhog Day… my beloved and I discovering my daughter had never seen this iconic movie… she knew all about it… but not actually watched it… loved listening to my beloved chuckle in almost every scene… as we watched it together tonight… like every part was his favorite part… for different reasons… such a spiritual movie for me… I believe Spirit invites us to repeat experiences again and again… until we learn the Love lessons they have to teach us… once we learn it… we move on … to learn something new… it’s a beautiful thing… when we grow into our best selves.
An Open Window… grateful for cool night air… filling the room… as we snuggle under the covers… ready for the long night nap.

Mar 14 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

A Walk in the Park… glad to be back around the lake… walking in nature… as I listen to the author of “The Hidden Life of Trees”… teach about the incredible complexity and interdependence of plants and animals in natural systems… again and again humans “help” one species or plant… only to disrupt ten others in the ecosystem… grateful for this forester.. his love of nature… and the way he shares what’s he’s learned about “The Secret Wisdom of Nature”… I had no idea salmon had such an impact on the growth of trees!
A Late Lunch… with my daughter… feasting on Bhutanese cuisine at “Bridges”… shopping for art supplies to feed her creative side… learning more about her spiritual awakening two years ago… amazed and grateful that a book could shift her perception so profoundly… this girl who refused to be confirmed … because she believed in “Science”… now shares spiritual beliefs … that sound like the way I talk about Spirit… grateful for Eckhart Tolle and how his book “A New Earth” became the teachers my daughter was ready for.
“Cat’s Eye”… written by Margaret Atwood… my daughter asking me to read this book… to understand her better… and what she’s thinking about these days… turns out the book is about the impact our childhood experiences have on the choices we make later in life… how the emotional process we inherit as children… becomes the blueprint for all future relationships… sounds like a great narrative … reflecting what I’ve learned over the last 20 years.. from Bowen Family Systems Theory… grateful my daughter is finding her own language to talk about concepts and ideas that have shaped my way of living, working and loving for so many years… looking forward to great conversations after I’ve read this book.
Thoughtful Support… Tikkun Farm’s board … listening to all the updates… wading through our 2022 budget… asking great questions… helping me find creative solutions to places I felt stuck… so grateful for these good people… volunteering their time and wisdom… to shepherd Tikkun Farm through a growing season.
Late Night Preparations… Tikkun Farm’s grant writer… and my beloved… working late, late, late.. to pull together… and format … all the documents needed to submit one of our biggest grant applications… we thought we had it all ready to go… grateful we discovered tonight… the unknown challenges … in time to sort them out… and still meet our deadline.

Mar 14 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

SUBMITTED!… the text from Robyn… who got up early… to upload all our documents… for the Impact 100 Grant… it was a late night… and early morning… but it is finished… grateful for all her support and love for what we do.
Naming our Challenges… every week as we check-in for our Tikkun Fam staff meeting… naming our gratitudes… and our challenges… inviting support for our challenges… grateful for all the creative ideas from my team… as I shared my wondering… how to accommodate two programs this summer that both need to use the Milkhouse… we don’t have it sorted out yet… but love that they are helping me think it through.
Good-Bye… for now… hugging my daughter good-bye… before she headed back for Illinois… her promise she’ll be back in April… for her birthday… so enjoy her company… and thoughtful conversation… look forward to her return.
Burning Bushes… talking with the folks at First UCC… about what comes next… after the wilderness of COVID…like Moses wandering along… focused on the work he knows… where do they see burning bushes? … calling them to notice sacred spaces … loved listening… as they named the places within their church… and in their community… where the energy is high… where folks are interested … where things are buzzing… these are places Love calls us to … where we discover sacred ground.
SURPRISE… my dear friend Ruth Anne… stopping by with gifts… new cutting mats for Soul Collage… wool for our fiber arts projects… and maybe the best gift… besides her beautiful presence… pink grapefruits… and her asking me if we could broil them with brown sugar… I love broiled grapefruit… never met anyone else who prepared it that way… so much fun to share that treat with her.
Phil’s Back… our wonderful Gospel Choir Director at St. Simon’s… he’s been sick a long while… and COVID kept us from singing… but this week that all changes… he’ll be leading the good people of St. Simon’s in our Gospel Choir Sunday…so excited this faithful man will be back in church with us!

Mar 16 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

Speaking Shame… encounters with people I love today… triggered into shame storms… by events or conversations that tapped on tender places… grateful for their courage to explore the tender places that got pushed on… to bring into view what usually stays hidden… so compassion, grace and understanding could be spoken into the shadows… washing away shame with love.
Beautiful Men… visits with two wonderful leaders… Tony at the FreeStore Foodbank… runs their Cincinnati Cooks! program… giving us a tour of his kitchen… sharing the way their program works… offering to help us upgrade our kitchen for our job training program… so much light and energy radiating from this generous Italian man… loved his passion… later in the day… welcoming Owen Thompson to the farm… Dean of the Episcopal Cathedral… moved here from New York City… loved listening to this street preacher share his vision and hopes for our city… loved hearing about the richly diverse community he came from… hearing embedded in that experience… the wisdom and experience that will bless our churches and our city… such a grace to sit in the gentle, confident, clear presence of this African-American man… grateful for these leaders… grateful our paths have crossed.
Getting Closer… meeting with my writing coach today… the beautiful Donna Wallace… grateful for her prodding questions… “how will your audience engage with your book?”…”will they just read it?”…. “will it inspire them to take action in their own lives?”…. grateful for her patient listening I talked “out loud” about the possibilities… giving this extrovert a chance to know what I know… ending our visit with a great road map… writing I can do in manageable chunks… creating excitement in me about sitting down to write… rather than fear and dread about where to begin.
Baby Chicks!!… ‘tis the season… picking up our Spring chickens from the Mt. Healthy Hatchery… they are always so cute… chirp, chirp, chirp… the amazing work Ez put into getting their brooder ready… so when we brought them home… their new nest was ready for them… we have them for a week… and then they move into three classrooms in Mt. Healthy Schools!
A New Bed for Max… upgrading his pig house… with a more solid floor… to keep his legs from falling through the slats… Holly and Ez getting to work first thing this morning… they love that cranky pig so much… Holly putting in new straw bedding for him… when he came out for dinner tonight he tail was wagging… the first time in months!… so grateful for their love for him… so grateful he seems to be getting happier.
Growing Up!… our house dinner meeting… a monthly opportunity to check in… hear how one another’s doing… what we’re celebrating… what is hard right now… and talk through life together… what’s working… what’s needing attention… folks finding their courage tonight… to name some challenges in our life together… speaking honestly and gently… but finally feeling safe enough to say… “Could we please not slam the door?”… or “Can we have quiet hours?”… “Can we find a better way to share our common gathering areas?”… feeling so proud of us… that we trust each other enough to not stay silent… felt like a milestone in our life together!
A Spring Day… the joy of walking around the farm today… gentle breeze…warm sunshine… visiting on the back porch… our Bhutanese farmers showing up to dig in their gardens… the daffodils about to break open… so glad to turn my face into the coming season.

Mar 17 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

A Good Good-bye… missing our staff lunch to say good-bye to Darby last week… grateful she had time to meet me today… before heading off for Utah adventures… listening as she shared the impact her time on the Farm had on her… sharing the imprint she will leave on the farm… her gentle, quiet presence… creating safe space for so many others… the ongoing relationship with Mt. Healthy schools that she cultivated and nourished… sorry her time with us ended sooner than expected… grateful for the time we did have.
A Mid-Morning Nap… on the airplane… after a short night of sleep… made the flight to Philly rejuvenating … preparing me for a lovely visit with dear friends.
Patrick’s Day … in the airport… walking behind a mother and daughter… traveling somewhere… decked out in shamrock green… love this splash of spirit!
ReUnion… gathering with pilgrims… who traveled through Ireland with me… it’s been to long since we gathered to remember… to connect… a friend flying me in… so I could join their reunion dinner… oh my… so, so good to see each one… to hug… and then to listen… settling in for a night of storytelling… as each one shared what’s happening with their children (all grown now!)… themselves… such a gift to dip back into one another’s lives.
Ready to Go Again… sharing what we still carry with us… from our pilgrimage together… for some a particular place in Ireand… for others a sacred, mysterious moment… for others a shift in perception that sent us home changed… talking about pilgrimaging again… this time we visit Scotland… and let Scotland visit us.
The Way the Spirit Moves… receiving an email … as I waited to board my plane… from the travel agent in Ireland… who made all the arrangements for that pilgrimage 11 years ago… reconnecting with me after many years… know better than to think this is a coincidence.
A Grandmother’s Love… a short but sacred visit… with a dear Philly friend… sharing her concerns about her grandchildren… who faced deep loss at a young age… are struggling now… how can she help? … the answer never changes… LOVE… especially the love of grandparent… there is something sacred and deeply imprinting about the love from the generation beyond our parents… it settles into deep crevices… and finds the shadowy places in us… accompanying us through the struggles… and sometimes building the bridge … between lostness … and being found… “just keep loving them,” I speak softly into the dark that has settled over us… “that’s the greatest gift you can give them”… as she remembers her relationship with her own grandmother… I feel her fears diminish…. she can do this.
The Places that Hold Us… ten years ago … I left this place… but it’s never left me… coming back… it’s changed on the outside… but the love and belonging remain steadfast… so deeply grateful for these people… the season we shared… all I learned with them… all Spirit did through us … and among us… so grateful to dip back in… for a cool drink of sacred connection… to remember and give thanks… for the gift of our pilgrimage together.

Mar 18 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

Car Time… to and from the airport… opportunity for longer conversations with dear people I love… time enough to hear what their heart harbors… grief, work, retirement… grateful for these moments of deeper connection.
Short and Sweet … the line to go through security… at Philadelphia’s big busy airport.
Fog… so thick you couldn’t see the plane right outside the window… couldn’t see to land it either… my beloved hoped I might find a way to stay an extra day… hang out with my friends… I did not order the weather… but I’m grateful for the gift of a day… when they canceled my flight.
Trains… coming right to the airport… making it possible for me to get back to my friend’s house… without a car… or a pick-up… loved sitting … watching the world zoom by… flooded with gratitude for all the humans … engineers, construction workers, designers, conductors… contributing to this moment.
Partners in Crime… following yesterday’s nudge… about returning to Celtic lands … calling Dawn… who pilgrimed with me in 2011…. and has helped with me logistics and details in the past… inviting her to visit with me … to plan a new pilgrimage… Dawn calling Mona… who helped me plan the last one … the three of us huddled around my laptop… as I share my vision for a pilgrimage… following the story of St. Columba’s life… through Ireland and then Scotland… I’ve known for almost a decade… Spirit wanted me lead folks back into Celtic places… just did not have the bandwidth to plant it… Mona and Dawn agreeing to handle the logistics and details… for a pilgrimage in 2023… flooded with joy and gratitude … for these two retired women… willing to partner with me… to make this experience possible.
Communion… an impromptu dinner… as Mona suggests carry out… from a great local Italian restaurant… she and Dawn picking it up… bringing it back to my friend Julie’s … all of us gathered in Julie’s kitchen… sharing news about the pilgrimage… checking in about the day… as we pass the bread… drink the wine… savor the ravioli… Mona telling us her new boyfriend (at 85 yrs old) … will join us on the pilgrimage… Julie’s boyfriend sharing stories of his life… all of us full to the brim with sacred joy… the presence of Love flowing among us… this is church.

Mar 19 2022 – Beautiful Things… God Moments

0’Dark Thirty… rising even earlier… 4am… for a 6:30 flight… my dear friend Julie rising with me… to take me to airport… second time around… thinking at this hour it can’t be too crowded… WRONG!… oh my… heading to security… realizing my specially printed out boarding passes… for my rescheduled flight… are sitting on Julie’s kitchen… no way to get them from a kiosk… my heart sinking… realizing I have to get in the super long line of folks checking bags … just to get a printed pass… thinking I may not make this flight… and the rest of the day is booked already… grateful to get through all the lines… and to gate as the last folks were boarding… whew!
Sleeping Through… amazed how fast the flight time goes… when you’re sleeping… and it didn’t even feel uncomfortable sleeping sitting up… when you’re tired enough.
Sittin’ Time… arriving in Boston for a 5 hour layover… getting comfortable… and getting work done… grateful for a quiet space… to browse and plan… send emails… meander through the internet… playing in a way… that I rarely have time for.
“You Have a Lot of Tabs Open”… observes my young seatmate… next to me on my flight to Cincinnati… “I always swipe up and close my app when I’m done playing my game,”… he tells me… showing me his screen… “Why do you keep all your apps open?”… he asks with the authority of a generation more versed in screen protocol than I will ever be… “It saves me time,”… I tell him…”I don’t have to go open it every time I use it”… “And they help me remember what I’m working on”… he seems mildly convinced my system might have merit… returning to his animated game… whew!… grateful I passed his technology interrogation.
The Grocery List… texting it to my beloved… long enough to gather ingredients for two meals.. so grateful he gave away his day … to run these errands… so I could come right home from the airport.
Long Overdue… dinner with our dear friends Sandi & Owen… the kind of dinner where they come in… open a bottle of wine… start chopping the veggies… and we all cook together… as opposed to kind of dinner… where they show up… and we have it all ready for them… and we sit down to eat right away… grateful they enjoy cooking with us… as much eating as with us… feels more connecting … when we create it together.
Spring Equinox Drum Circle… so grateful for our drum leader Steve… he knows we’ve been focusing on the element of water… as it relates to the Spring Equinox… so he brought a number of rain sticks tonight… leading us through a musical meditation … on water… along with a lovely evening of drumming together… so grateful for this meditative interlude in my evening… every time I do this… I discover more rhythm and flow in my body.
Scotch & Ice Cream… a sweet end to a lovey day… the men drink scotch… and a bit of ice cream… I stick to the ice cream… but the sweetest part… is reminiscing about how long we’ve been friends… so grateful for the way this relationship has become as smooth and warm and scotch the men enjoy.