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Recently, a friend shared a YouTube video featuring leadership speaker and author, Simon Sinek. The topic was about being present and aware in your relationships with others, and he focused on the concept of Eight Minutes. The concept is simple: Eight Minutes may not seem like a lot of time, but based on research, it’s long enough to give someone your full attention, to listen with an open...

Over the past few days, I have noticed something – my neighbors, friends, and family seem alittle…something. Political signs are coming down and being replaced with early signs of theChristmas season – perhaps to bring some light into the world so we can see the stars. I would benegligent to ignore the fact that we, as a country, have just completed a long season of ourairwaves thick with ads...

This is by far, my favorite time of year. The summer heat has finally subsided and has given wayto the colorful falling leaves and the freshness of the crisp air. Late October and early Novembercarry a unique beauty—it’s a season where cultures around the world converge to honor the deadand reflect on mortality. Halloween, All Saints’ Day, and Día de los Muertos (Day of the Dead)each bring...

In 2014, I had the privilege to visit the Holy Land, a dream for so many people of faith. Now, asI look back on it a decade later, I can still feel the echoes of that journey in my life. It’s strangeand wonderful to reflect on how that time left a lasting imprint on my soul. And now, when Ithink of the word pilgrimage, I realize it means much more than simply visiting historic sites. It’sa...

Recently, I found myself in a meeting where the subject of resiliency was introduced. Thefacilitator of this particular meeting used the word in a way I have heard utilized again and again– and it was in the context of being proud of the work of the team and being ‘resilient in the faceof adversity.’ I have long spoken about the critical differences between being resilient andsurviving. While...

Every mid-October, my daughter and I make an early 4:00am date and we head to theAlbuquerque International Balloon Fiesta. We buddle up, drive in the dark, and are welcomed tothe balloon park to the smell of warm breakfast burritos and pinion coffee – nothing beats thiswelcome! This is a special time where the sky over Albuquerque New Mexico transforms into aliving canvas of color, movement,...

I was reminded this weekend of the importance of finding calm and joy in one’s everyday. Mydaughter was away on a retreat of her own and I found myself sitting in silence and gratitude.For the first time in as long as I can remember, I did not have obligations outside of caring for,and tending to my own self. There is a beauty in these moments – and I believe it is up to us tocapture these...

Before worship began this morning, I overhead a conversation from the pew behind me whereone person was telling another: “You know, God doesn’t give us any more than we can handle.”Every part of me went tense and I resisted the urge to turn around and say: “Where in scripturedoes it say that?” To be clear, this phrase is not used in scripture, and I am certain that God doesnot tinker with us...

Every time I return from a Chrysalis retreat, I am left with a sense of awe by those individualswho are willing to be so venerable, expressive, and open to one-another. These are people whodo not always know each other, yet find themselves in a season in which the value of connectionwith those with similar experiences to their own brings a sense of grounding and renewal.In a world that often...

This week, I found myself studying a psychological concept that I have heard of and know of buthad never taken time to dig into. I recognize this week’s blog is a little less personal than some,but I found this topic timely and felt this was a blog that needed to be written.In the realm of psychological wounds, there is a term that often goes unspoken, yet its impact onindividuals,...