My Apologies

...for my "sabbatical"! Things here have been busy, and I have been very interested in hibernating, as I am wont to do this time of year. My daughter, my fiance, my graduate studies, and other writing projects taken up much of my attention-gladly! :)

I've found, though, that losing focus on my spiritual writing does no one any good. Writing about my faith grounds me, puts me in the here and now, and I'm a firm believer that God dwells in the here and now, not in the past or future. A Christian Buddhist? Sometimes.

Last night I was lucky enough to be able to meet with a group of friends from church. These ladies have been meeting for over a year now, and we have formed a special bond. Somehow, we have all come together in a group dynamic that makes it natural and easy to talk about our faith, or lack thereof. We met at Muddy Waters Coffee Shop in Uptown Minneapolis last evening, shared tea and chocolate cake, books and news, and they let me rant about my current crisis of faith. After letting me get out what I needed to say, they offered their words, most of which came in the form of, "We have doubts too sometimes. It doesn't mean you should stay away. Keep coming anyway." So I will. And today I am grateful for them.

Acts 3:1-10

Some days we are overwhelmed by what life throws at us. It seems everyone wants a piece of us. There is always someone to answer to, something to get finished, the next task to accomplish. I am a person who can be easily overwhelmed. At least, I used to be. I can now usually find respite in my faith, through prayer and contemplation. Usually all I pray for is God's will for me that day and the strength to carry out that will. Often days seem to be filled to overflowing with tasks I have little enthusiasm for, or little energy, or time, or all three. And so I pray to be where I am needed. Where does God need us today? In our neighborhood? Our own home? Our church? A homeless shelter? With kids in need? We cannot do everything that needs done every day, nor are we called to. In my humble opinion, God wants us to be open to where we are needed, to be flexible to go when called, and to be grateful for the opportunity.

Good to be back! :)