Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center has worked for decades within a global learning community to co-create the “more beautiful world our hearts know is possible.” The Covid-19 pandemic and the ongoing global environmental crisis unmask glaring inequalities that must give way to the common good. We mourn with all who have lost loved ones, with all who…
DetailsIn the early morning hours of Feb. 24, Russia invaded Ukraine, putting in danger Ukraine’s more than 44 million residents and our global sense of balance. In the days since, the fighting has been relentless. Hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians have been displaced, while others are watching the fighting surround them in their homes. Right…
Details“Sarah laughed.” A brief lexicographical survey of biblical figures who were said to have laughed is a short list. Many are familiar with a famous matriarch from Genesis 18, Sarah (Abraham’s wife). When Sarah is told by a messenger of the Lord that she will conceive and bear a child in her old age, she…
DetailsYou are so little to be set loose in the wide prairie, your arms no more than twigs, your trunk pencil-thin. As we press earth around your roots, we pray that the sun and the soil will feed you, the rain will enliven you, the moon will watch over you, that you will grow up…
DetailsLike many around the globe, I was deeply moved to hear of the deaths of South African, Anglican bishop and theologian Desmond Tutu (Oct. 7, 1931–Dec. 26, 2021), and Vietnamese Buddhist monk, peace activist, author, poet, teacher and founder of Plum Village also known as the “father of mindfulness” Thich Nhat Hanh (Oct. 11, 1926–Jan.…
DetailsYou are holy and sacred And utterly unique. There are gifts you were born to give. Songs you were born to sing. Stories you were born to tell. And if you do not give it, The world will simply lose it. It is yours alone to offer, No one can give it for you. And…
DetailsMillions of people around the world were saddened this week by the passing of Thich Nhat Hanh. The International Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism, which he founded in 1982, posted this message on their website: The International Plum Village Community of Engaged Buddhism announces that our beloved teacher Thich Nhat Hanh has passed away…
DetailsOne of my beloved spiritual friends emailed me a creative reflection template (pictured above) that invites an artistic way to reflect and journal about the past year 2021 flowing into our newly started year 2022. I love the flowy circular nature of this template and the gentle phrasing of the writing prompts. I find myself…
Details[Image: “A Sunday on the Island of La Grande Jatte” by Georges Seurat (1884)] “White. A blank canvas, his favorite, so many possibilities …” “Sunday, by the blue purple yellow red water!” So begins the entry to Steven Sondheim’s magnificent choral rendition from the musical “Sunday in the Park with George,” an exploration of the…
Details“When someone says to us, as Thich Nhat Hanh suggests, ‘Darling, I care about your suffering,’ a deep healing begins.” ―Tara Brach, Radical Acceptance: Embracing Your Life With the Heart of a Buddha When my three-year-old son tested positive for Covid-19, I felt strongly that I couldn’t panic, or fret, or wring my hands. He’s a…
DetailsThin translucent thread of life and death Spinning and twirling in the slightest and soft held embrace of the earth’s breath Glistening in the sun, awe inspiring chaotic intertwined dance of perfection Viability and ruination front and center, all defining, but meaningless on this gossamer space ride An instance of landing with both grace and…
DetailsA long afternoon of light on the edge of the forest not in the thick of it yet, the door cracked open watching the wind stir the late-hanging leaves, the stems of grasses, the shadows stretching toward me while the sky stretches higher and higher and whatever I had in mind to accomplish is not…
DetailsAs we anticipate celebrating the Winter Solstice, reconnecting with family and friends, and simultaneously search for alternative gifts that address, educate, and impact economic, environmental and racial inequity, you might desire to support an initiative by Families Belong Together. In support of this initiative, we invite you to celebrate this season of giving by writing…
DetailsEach December, as one year winds down and another is just a glimmer of possibility, I try to encapsulate the outgoing year—and how I experienced it—in a single word or phrase. The year I regained my health by losing weight, went skydiving and took a pilgrimage to Italy with my mother, my word was Joy.…
DetailsIn the Andy Williams song, “The Most Wonderful Time of the Year” there is a line that, to many, seems out of place. “There’ll be scary ghost stories, and tales of the glories of Christmases long, long ago …” To understand what the song is referencing, one must remember that many Christmas traditions grew out…
DetailsWhat is it about this time of year— this season of late fall— that invites rest and reflection? I am given quiet mornings among pines and golden grasses Will I accept the invitation? Will I sit and listen? Will I rest and reflect? I might. I might get swept away with business and to-do lists…
DetailsHealing childhood trauma is the vocation of many gifted mental health professionals who I have encountered and collaborated with over the years. Wounds from our childhood stay hidden in our bodies (or not-so-hidden) for the rest of our lives, manifesting as many forms of cancers and blood disorders, headaches, digestive issues, cardio-vascular or neurological dis-ease,…
DetailsNeither Out Far Nor In Deep The people along the sand All turn and look one way. They turn their back on the land. They look at the sea all day. As long as it takes to pass A ship keeps raising its hull; The wetter ground like glass Reflects a standing gull The land may vary more; But wherever the truth may be– The water comes ashore, And the people look at the sea. They cannot look out far. They cannot look in deep. But when was that ever a bar To any watch they keep? —Robert Frost Those of us who identify as seekers know the struggle. Life continually presents the opportunity to awaken to a higher nature or purpose. It takes a conscious effort to combat inertia.…
DetailsDuring the pandemic, there have been many moments of unexpected blessing. For me, one of those blessings was the opportunity to host the Prairiewoods Knitters & Stitchers on Zoom during the months when meetings were virtual rather than in person. I so enjoyed the conversation that goes along with knitting together and stitching side by…
DetailsCOP26 is happening Oct. 31–Nov. 12, 2021! COP stands for Conference of the Parties. The Parties include the 196 countries and the EU who signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) treaty in 1994. That treaty established an international, environmental agreement to combat “dangerous human interference with the climate system,” committing to…
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