Why the baby?
As Christmas rolled around again this year, I began to wonder why God sent Jesus to earth as a little baby in Bethlehem. We have told and retold the story, and I have pra... »
Personal Accounts
Musings on the magi
One part of the Nativity story that has held particular fascination for me is the visit of the wise men, also known as the magi. Matthew is the only Gospel that mentions... »
Free at last
One by one the prisoners filed into the small meeting hall. Each one wore the same gray outfit and had the same closely trimmed haircut, but their faces showed that each... »
A different Christmas
For many millions of us, this year has been unlike any we’ve ever had. Not since World War II has so much of the world’s population been so affected by the same crisis. T... »
Peace and good will
On the night of Jesus’ birth, angels appeared to shepherds keeping watch over their flocks. “Glory to God in the highest,” they proclaimed, “and on earth peace, good will... »
Christmas reset
Last Christmas I was a few months into a new job. My new office was an hour from my home, my hours were from 2:00 p.m. to 11:00 p.m., and I worked on Saturdays. I was alw... »
My three sons
Dressing my three preschool sons alike seemed sensible at the time. It made clothes shopping easier, for one, and because they were brothers with similar builds and compl... »
God’s imprint on me
Lately, when I have gone to the bank I’ve noticed that I now only have to show some identification and then put my right thumb on a biometric reader. This effortless acti... »
A new lease on life
“That’s not fair” must have been my three most-used words when growing up. It seemed that someone—or everyone—always had it better than me. By my early teens I had a well... »
Feeling beautiful
I looked at the mirrored wall at the gym as I moved through the tai chi motions and had the most surprising thought. I never knew I was so beautiful. Let me explain. I ma... »
A question of perspective
I read a post by Rabbi Evan Moffic the other day that made a lot of sense to me. Here’s the last paragraph: “Life,” philosopher Søren Kierkegaard once said, “is lived for... »
The difference faith makes
My father had profound mental health issues which caused him, my mother, and us seven siblings much grief. I had a very unhappy childhood. When I was two years old, I was... »
Abundance or excess
When I was 19, my then-boyfriend told me that his mother, on a recent business trip, had been in a restaurant where people paid $50 for lunch—which would be three times t... »