I’m conflicted about the holidays, but not for the reasons you’d expect. I’m not stressed out about holiday cooking and shopping; I gave most of that up years ago. I’m not anxious about holiday travel; I’m not doing that anymore either, thanks to COVID. I’m not...
Spoiler Alert: I wasn’t one of the popular kids. I went to a small Catholic school growing up, and there were only five girls (including me) in my class. The upper elementary girlfriend dynamics played out rather harshly with so few girls. There weren’t enough of us...
I hung up the apron for the last time. If you’re tracking, I quit working at Starbucks just six weeks after starting. I’ve had many jobs, but I don’t think any of them lasted for such a short time. The primary reason Iapplied to and went to work for Starbucks was...
In recent social media posts, you may have noticed that I recently started a part-time job at Starbucks coffee. The position offers me benefits and a little steady income while starting this coaching, training and organizational development business. (Being a single...
In my 20s and early 30s, envy would rise up like bile in my throat whenever I opened another calligraphy-covered, heavyweight envelope inviting me to yet another wedding. In my 30s and early 40s, envy weighed on my shoulders when I saw others’ careers progress and...
Complicated feelings have been part of Memorial Day since its inception. Being a church nerd who loves ritual, I searched for the origin story of Memorial Day recently. Within seconds, (Thank you, interwebs!) I found a fascinating article about how David Blight, a...
As more and more people get vaccinated for COVID-19, the rumblings (or directives from on high) about returning to office workplaces are in full swing. After a year of breakneck change, the tempting lure of comfort will be overwhelming. You will want to simply return...
Inadequacy covered me like a smothering blanket. Typing up the description to our first-ever foray into teaching a Mindfully Embracing Anti-Racism series, I heard the whispers of nagging voices in my head saying, “Who are you to do this?” and “You don’t know what...
When I was in seminary, I took a class on theologies of atonement with Rev. Dr. Joanne Terrell. She introduced us to the many Christian theologies of how humanity and God are reconciled through Jesus Christ. (I know. I know. This post is getting a little theologically...
I had been combatting the habits of white supremacy for years, and I didn’t even know it. When I first started working as regional church denominational staff, I got called by churches to help them figure out what they needed to do to attract young people. I’d take a...
Like this post if you (white people) have thought in the past several months, “I’m not THAT kind of white person.” (i.e. a bigot, white supremacist, racist) Yup. So have I. Underneath this instinct to push away the racism that may apply to us is a desire not to...
After the murder of George Floyd, I felt like I was caught in a trap that pinioned me back into thinking that there is only one right way to do antiracism work. This notion itself is a racist trap, causing me to believe that I should have one brilliant “right way” to...
One of my first ministry jobs was as a chaplain at a residential treatment facility for young people with mental illness and behavioral disorders. I worked each week with groups of these young people to prepare and lead our chapel service. Those young people, full of...
They started talking about Julian of Norwich. As people do. In a casual conversation one day over Zoom, Rev. Nicole Pickens reminded Rev. Nicole Havelka about Julian of Norwich – a 12th - 13th century monastic and mystic who lived in times shockingly similar to our...
One of my favorite teachers in high school was Mr. Wirth, a history and social studies teacher. Long before multiple intelligences techniques were regularly employed in education, he handed out colored-paper packets for each study unit that had hand-drawn cartoons on...