books, women, writing

Got build?

"Be patient! The Great Wall didn't got build in one day." today's actual fortune cookie wisdom God certainly has a sense of humor. If otters weren't enough to prove that, my odd career trajectory would. There is absolutely no other way to explain why, almost four years ago, a journalist would sit down to write… Continue reading Got build?

community, spiritual life

Standing with Tree of Life

"Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!" Psalm 133:1 Our city is close enough to Pittsburgh that few people here are more than two degrees of separation away from the Squirrel Hill neighborhood that experienced a mass killing at a synagogue this weekend. One neighbor's sister lives… Continue reading Standing with Tree of Life

community, spiritual life

Looking for a city?

“Earth's crammed with heaven... But only he who sees, takes off his shoes.” Elizabeth Barrett Browning, English poet What do U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren, D-Mass., and the 7,000 or so Central American dreamers who are walking resolutely to America's border have in common? The answer isn't a punchline. It's a universal human condition. They are… Continue reading Looking for a city?

gardening, spiritual life

Enough to face the killing frost

"Listen! The wind is rising, and the air is wild with leaves, We have had our summer evenings, now for October eves!” Humbert Wolfe, British poet There's not much left in the garden. But, it's enough to sustain life through these last days, weeks of the season. A handful of cosmos, a butterfly bush, a bit… Continue reading Enough to face the killing frost

spiritual life, writing

Life 101: 4 lessons from the news

“A good newspaper, I suppose, is a nation talking to itself.” Arthur Miller, American playwright Watching the news in the last few weeks has been sobering. No matter how you look at it, America and, indeed, the world are not in their finest hour. As writing news is what I do for a living, however,… Continue reading Life 101: 4 lessons from the news