Embracing Even a Firestorm
This past week I spent some time drafting sample meditations for an Advent series that I’m applying to write for a publisher. (If I get the job, I’ll tell you more about it and where you can, eventually, buy the book.) As I read the scripture passages assigned for the...
Flowering Season
The barrel cacti are blooming here in the Sonoran Desert. They are the latest in a long string of flowering plants that take their turn over the course of the year. The blooming season basically lasts almost all year, regulated more by rain than by temperature. In...
Mountains and Moments
Over the course of my life, I’ve met a lot of people who enjoy moments of being out in nature. They generally fall into two groups: mountain people and water people. That’s a generalization, of course—mountain lakes could feed the souls of both groups, I expect—but...
Harvesting Gratefulness
I’m home after a week of (mostly) vacation time in early August. While I enjoyed time with family and friends in New Mexico and Colorado, it’s also good to be back in Arizona. It’s good to reconnect with routines that work for my body, my soul, and my income(!). I am...
I Am Not in Charge
I cannot remember a time when I didn’t have a fairly hefty sense of responsibility. Perhaps this had to do with a thrifty, Scotch-English upbringing, or being the eldest child, or simply the ethos of my family. Regardless of its origins, I have a well-developed need...
Sometimes, We Don’t Get to Know
This summer, our church has started something new. It’s a young adult intentional community called Beloved in the Desert, which is connected with the Episcopal Service Corps. A week ago, we commissioned the first group of five participants at our Sunday service. They...
Ponds in the Desert and Fires in the Arctic
We had a violent microburst blow through our neighborhood this past week. We got hail, sixty-mile-per-hour winds, and almost an inch of rain in under an hour. We lost electricity for over two hours, and lost electricity again the next day as crews continued repairing...
Dancing in the Dark
Last weekend we were in Boston, attending our granddaughter’s Quinceañera. Henry was the officiant for the religious portion of the ceremony. As I have at other family events, including her parents’ wedding, I took photos of the event. A few days later, I woke early...
Honoring My Sabbath
Next month will mark six years since I began blogging on a weekly basis. Over the past six years, I haven’t missed a Sunday. I’m rather proud of that record, although my intention is not to brag about this accomplishment. On the other hand, I recognize that it takes a...
Receive a complimentary download of Shirin’s latest e-book, Lakeside Lessons when you sign up for her enews!