Advent Commitments: Letting Go of Control
Henry, my husband, first started getting directly involved in border ministry when we lived in Silver City, New Mexico. Then, and now, we live just a 90-minute drive from the border with Mexico. Henry has begun to volunteer his time, going down to Nogales (both the...
Advent Commitments: Letting Go of Frustration
I’ve made quite a few commitments on this blog over the years. I’ve committed to not eating sugar (that lasted almost three years). I’ve committed to creating a series of online retreats (there’s one up and active right now, with a dozen people signed up). I’ve taken...
My Sister’s Keeper: A Window on the Immigrant Reality
Last weekend, friends of mine came from the east coast to southern Arizona for the School of the Americas Watch Border Encuentro. Over three days and dozens of miles, hundreds of people gathered to witness against “border imperialism” and speak for the voiceless and...
NaNoWriMo and the Perspective of Others
Are you familiar with NaNoWriMo? It’s a virtual challenge group that encourages and supports people who want to write a 50,000-word novel over the course of the month of November. Last year, over 400,000 people around the world participated. It’s mindboggling! The...
On Civic Duty, “Politics,” and the Spiritual Life
Seldom do I struggle to write for this blog, but this week I have struggled. There’s a part of me that wants to reflect on the US midterm elections. There’s a part of me that wants to avoid writing on anything that sounds like politics—even if the focus is more on the...
All Souls, One Community
Today many churches celebrate All Saints/All Souls day. While the actual days are November 1 and 2, most of us do not attend church each day of the week, so many of these smaller feast days are transferred to the nearest Sunday. I’m pondering all souls in a rather...
Bread and Circuses, a Distracted Populace and the Vote
On my morning walks through the neighborhood over the past few weeks, I’ve watched various homes get dressed up for Halloween. I can well imagine the fun children (and adults!) are having as they come up with the scariest, funniest, and most unusual decorations. But...
Being Open to God’s Gifts
I was on retreat last weekend and the retreat leader said this: We can tire of receiving God’s gifts before God tires of giving gifts to us. Do you think that’s true? How frequently do you notice God’s gifts to you? How frequently do you manage to turn...
Wrestling in the Light and Growing in the Dark
Two weeks ago I reflected on twilight. This week I’m going to venture into the dark—but probably not in the way you’re expecting. Tucson, Arizona, where I live, theoretically has the darkest night skies of any city its size in the US. Light-pollution ordinances were...
Receive a complimentary download of Shirin’s latest e-book, Lakeside Lessons when you sign up for her enews!