Author: Michelle Van Loon
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Falling Upward – Introduction
There are some books that demand a re-reading, even before you’ve finished reading the book the first time through. I believe Father Richard Rohr’s Falling Upward: A Spirituality for the Two Halves of Life (Jossey-Bass, 2011) is such a book. Rohr, a Franciscan priest and internationally-known author and speaker who may perhaps be best known…
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The lessons of 2011
2011, it’s been an interesting trip `round the sun with you. Before you turn into something that’s so last year, I thought I’d review some lessons I learned while I was in your classroom during the last 365 days: (1) Shoulder surgery IS as bad as they say. Everyone kept warning me that last…
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What does it look like to travel light?
A true disciple of Christ travels light, right? We’ve all heard messages about how Jesus sent 72 of his first disciples out in his name with instructions that included traveling with only the clothes on their backs. We have Paul’s impassioned description of what his life as a follower of Christ was like in 2…
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One sweet tradition
Twenty-nine Christmases ago, our first child was a little baby girl just about able to sit up by herself for the first time. In the days leading up to Christmas, my husband and I knew it was time to think about one thing we could begin doing that would mark our own Christmas as a…
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In those days at this season
When I was a kid, Chanukah meant eight nights of presents, wrapped in shiny blue and silver paper. It meant treats of Chanukah gelt, foil-wrapped waxy coins of chocolate, and playing the dreidel game while each night’s candles burned. The game featured a four-sided top with Hebrew letters on each side that were meant to…
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Lord, please hear my prayer
Perhaps it is a sign of the times. This month, instead of Christmas carols, I’ve heard minor key songs of lament from so many people I know. I am powerless to do much to alleviate most of the suffering around me. I want to be present, to be honest about my own similarly-broken state, and…