Life Challenges
Reflections and poetry inspired by life’s many challenges with some articles about how to navigate through difficulties with hope and grace.
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Journaling as a Path
Journaling can be a wonderful path to increased inner health, a way to be heard, a way to forgiveness for yourself and others, or a road out of…
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Wisdom from Dekker in Autumn
As I, Dekker the observer, lie with my nose near the door and my paws outstretched like a proper gentleman, I can tell… something is changing. The air…
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Memory as Both Gift and Grief
Have you ever tried to recall a story only to find the edges blurred, the details slipping away? You can almost see the scene, almost hear the voices,…
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Wisdom from Dekker
When the Days Are Slow and the Heart Is Full, As I, Dekker the ever-faithful, stretch out beside my person’s feet (finally!), I must tell you something: she...
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The Music of Rest
Where is the rest in your life? Not the vacation kind. Not sleep, exactly. But rest as a rhythm. As part of the music of your days.
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WHERE GRACE HIDES
What does grace look like when our bodies betray us? It’s an uncomfortable question—one we often avoid. We speak of grace as if it always arrives clean and…
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ALL LIFE HAS MEANING
All Life Has Meaning. First in a 5-part series. from The Reflective Pen Manifesto. Suppose for a moment that all of life—not just the “good parts”—had meaning.
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When Everyone Is Dying
What do we do when everyone seems to be dying? Lately, that question has followed me from week to week. I’ve been to six funerals in the past…
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Wisdom from Dekker
As I, Dekker the Service Dog, settle in with my nose tucked under one paw and the other stretched out just far enough to feel the cool tile,…
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A Reflection on Aging
There was a time—long ago—when carrying groceries wasn’t even part of the conversation. At 26, I was learning to carry something far heavier: a diagnosis.
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The Story We Carry and the Ones We Let Go
The Story We Carry and the Ones We Let Go - What If Memories Had Weight?Not the kind you can step on a scale and measure—but something else.…
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The Beauty of Boredom-Embracing Slow Days as Spiritual Space
What if boredom isn’t a problem to solve—but an invitation? We’re taught early on that boredom means something’s wrong. We should be doing more, moving faster, staying busy.…
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Wisdom from Dekker: What Our Pets Leave Behind (and What They Don’t)
Wisdom from Dekker: What Our Pets Leave Behind (and What They Don’t) As I, known by all as Dekker, lie in my favorite sunspot by the window, I…
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Old Pets, New Lessons
I had a dog once who waited for me to come home from the hospital, even though no one had explained where I’d gone. He simply waited. On…
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Prayer – How Does It Change With Age?
Some mornings, I sit with my hands wrapped around a mug of tea and realize I haven’t spoken a single word. Not to another soul. Not even in…
