i’ve been trying to make a habit of taking out a certain notebook at 1pm each friday and reflecting on the week. i call it “remedy” b/c that’s the local coffee shop in which this idea first took shape. and the remedy of this cathartic process is it’s ability to not necessarily fix anything that’s…
Tag: growth
together
sometimes my students confirm my struggles, not because they’re causing them but because they’re experiencing them, too. more often than not, it’s unexpected. our age, experience, cultural norms, and basic preferences are typically different. so i’m surprised to recognize their pain, their anxiety, their frustration…as my own. and no, this isn’t the pain, anxiety and…
Rejection
Here’s a terrible “freshman essay” first line for you: Rejection is something we’re all afraid of. Oh really? You’re kidding? Well I’ll be! So seriously, it’s true and I admit that it’s true for me. I recently had an “ah ha!” moment that wasn’t quite as Oprah-exciting as the moment sounds. I was thinking through…
a sanctuary poem
[set to Tenebrae: Second Movement performed by Kronos Quartet] Reminder number one: walk slowly. Steps matter Smoke rises to greet the sky afraid. Is it enough? I sat on the floor today Carpet circa 1995 Tough grey-brown, bland #11 Comfortless reliability stretched for meters around my exhausted frame Lean brown-skinned girl, twisted locks set ponytail-like…
what am i doing here?
sometimes i doubt that i’m doing my job well. the skeptics, the know-it-alls, the stakeholders, their opinions and my own insecurities clutter my mind and i end up overwhelmed. frozen. unable to move on to the next best thing, i find myself in a familiar posture–sitting at my desk, head in hands, eyes leaking. but that’s…
lessons learned
live honestly always so that when necessary the truth can vindicate you whenever someone does something that hurts you, think about whether or not you’ve ever done the same ask the Holy Spirit to guide your day and even the next 2 seconds (when something foolish is about to explode from your lips) live according…
having to think
There once was a time when I just did ministry. Just did it. No deep queries into minds and patterns. No reading up on the experts’ opinions. Just action. Pure action. So what changed? Those I serve are no longer peers in terms of expectation and experience. Expectations will kick you, kick you hard, all…