Thoughts from My Corner of the World
The Basement A little earlier this morning my sister called and asked what I was doing. I was reluctant to share that I was writing this piece for my blog, but then changed my mind. I flipped my phone camera towards my laptop to show her the photo of her baptism displayed on the screen.... Continue Reading →
Who Defines Normal? I am surprised in my study on disabilities by the prevailing claim that those who desire health, healing, and independence for their disabled loved ones just might be members of a cult of normalcy. Maybe you're familiar with this cult, or know friends who are trapped in it, and desire a way... Continue Reading →
Milking Time I pushed back my laptop so she could see the opened notebook and pen in my hand. “Ok, I'm ready. What is your first story?" "Barn." "Me watch dad milk cows!" It took me by surprise how easily she recounted an event from over sixty years ago. Clearly this was an enjoyable memory... Continue Reading →
"More book!" Her big smile greeted me on the FB screen early in the morning. She was so excited to tell me something, that I barely had time to say hello. "What's going on?" I asked, anticipating a tidbit of gossip about someone at the manor. "More book!" She said, grinning from ear to ear.... Continue Reading →
My phone rang early in the morning about a week or so ago. I knew it was a FB Portal call from my older sister who resides at a Manor in a small town in Nebraska. Around the beginning of the Covid pandemic the manor purchased a Facebook Portal for her room. This device is... Continue Reading →
A few months ago, the rural congregation where my husband and I serve, opened the worship service with the song, Sanctuary. The prayerful refrain is repeated three times making it easy to remember. It goes like this: "Lord, prepare me to be a sanctuary, pure and holy, tried and true.With thanksgiving, I'll be a living... Continue Reading →
Telling Stories. In my last post, A Worthy Life, I wrote about my desire to write my sister Vickie's story -- of her long life from a wheelchair. As soon as I uploaded to my blog, several questions began to swirl in my head. Who has the right to tell our stories?Do I have the... Continue Reading →
The subject of 'disability theology' came up a couple days ago in a FB group I'm in. I had not heard of that specific category of theology. I've done lots of thinking and reading on suffering, all within the category of theodicy—that space where we defend or reject God's role in the evil that plagues... Continue Reading →
Celebrating Jubilee I'm celebrating my year of Jubilee. Fifty years ago I gave my life wholly and completely to Jesus. Peter often reminds me that I belong to "a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, God’s own people." Peter goes on to say, we are called out of darkness for one purpose: to... Continue Reading →
In a recent article in CBE, James Nichols tells of a professor who attempted to give equal time to both male and female pronouns in his lectures. It worked this way, "for each time he used male pronouns such as “he” or “his,” he would use an equal number of female pronouns such as “she”... Continue Reading →