the remind{h}er podcast

I don't know about you, but typically, if I'm hoping to be hired, if I want to be noticed, if I want to be picked, if I long to be liked, I'm probably going to try to put my best self forward. I'll want you to know all I can do and what I can offer. I'll try to paint myself in a positive light. I'll showcase the strengths of who I am, and I'll make sure you know how I will add value if you choose...

Ash Wednesday is the day the season of Lent begins. It's a season in which we are invited to think about dying and confront the straightforward reality of our humanity—our flaws and frailty and limits and imperfections. We remember and admit our need for God. We accept our mortality.  For me, it's typically a reminder I hold personally. I don't alway recognize the reality of our shared mortality....

How do we greet our souls? Our souls are more shy than we often realize, even for the most outgoing and extroverted among us. More often than not, they are stifled by the burden of daily demands and over-functioning schedules. There is so much noise and distraction, so much vying for our attention. We are pushed and pulled in multiple directions. We are stretched too thin. And in all of that swirl...

"So, what do you do?" It's a familiar question that's often asked, and sometimes it's one we might struggle to answer. And I wonder if, at its core, we so readily ask it because we have been somewhat conditioned to believe that who we are is synonymous with what we do. One of the things I'm learning is that those two things—who we are and what we do—are certainly connected, but they are not the sa...

Typically, a benediction is given at the end of a worship service—after we've prayed and sung and confessed and listened to the word of God proclaimed. It's a way to seemingly seal it all up, close it all out. But what's interesting to consider is that, really, a benediction is a beginning. A blessing. A sending. A gift. It's a way to say, "As we move into what's next, this is what we hope will be...

Our words matter and, if chosen and used with wisdom and intention, I believe they can make a good difference. I'm learning that the practice of choosing words—both for the end of a year and for the beginning of another—can serve us well.  If you could choose a word to sum up your 2023, what would it be? If you could choose a word to help guide your steps into 2024, what would it be? Listen in. Wo...

During the Advent season, we know that the darkness is thick and hope can wear thin while we wait for the arrival we long for. We tend to quickly shift from standing at the door watching on tip-toe to turning our backs and impatiently tapping our toes. So what are we to do? What might it look like to faithfully participate in this Advent waiting? I wonder if it might begin by remembering both God-...

I don't know about you, but for me, it can be difficult to reconcile how both good and heartbreaking experiences are ingredients included in the recipes that make up our lives. Surely there must be a way to eliminate what is less than ideal, to substitute certain ingredients with better, more palatable alternatives. Certainly there is an easier, turn-a-blind-eye, break-n-bake option, yes? That wou...

Each day, it seems we are bombarded by a variety of "voices," numerous options of what or who to give our attention to. The loudest most blatant ones draw us in and, if you're like me, they can distract us from what is true, leading us further away from our deepest identity—the Voice who calls us beloved. This isn't an invitation to escape reality, nor to discount, dismiss, or belittle the experie...

I can't help but notice that there seems to be a spiritual conversation happening when we spend time outside.  Anxious thoughts are met by calm reassurances. A drained spirit is strengthened, lifted, and refreshed. Fear moves toward trust. Despair turns toward hope. And we're reminded of our deepest belonging. We are met by reminders, nudges, glimmers, glimpses of who God is and who we are as a pa...

In the last remind{h}er, I referenced Psalm 136 and the refrain used 27 times in the 26 verses of the psalm. But I didn't get a chance to read all 26 verses, and today, I'd like to take a few minutes to do just that.   Sometimes I think it's worthwhile for me to simply offer words from scripture and consider what God might be inviting us into through these words crafted thousands of years ago. The...

When life feels wobbly, repetition can be a steadying practice. Repeating something helps us recall it. We absorb what we repeat. In many ways, repetition influences who we become. And for me, that means it matters. I'm learning that when it comes to our formation, some things are worth repeating. What role might repetition play as we seek to become the people God calls and invites us to be? Liste...

As someone who loves to write, I believe g rammar is important on a page. But lately I've been considering how grammar might also have something important to say as it translates into our actual lives. M aybe, choosing to use good and truer grammar on the page could be its own sort of spiritual practice for our lives—a practice that reminds us of the way of Jesus. I know it sounds a bit unconventi...

Each episode, I share that we are called to remember. But that call is an invitation, not a prerequisite; and our inevitable spiritual forgetfulness will never be a dealbreaker. Not with God. As John Swinton reminds us, it is God's memory, not our own, that is most important. In today's episode, we're exploring that a bit. I hope you'll listen in! John Swinton The Art of Presence from Everything H...

What are you celebrating? Certainly it depends on the season, the chapter, the circumstance—there are days, weeks, months, even years when answering a question like that feels impossible. And that's okay. We don't have to bypass, rush through or gloss over what breaks our hearts. It's important to acknowledge that. But most days, most weeks, most months, most years, heartbreak isn't all there is;...

Whether it's flipping a house or meeting a goal or living a life, it seems we do our best to avoid being "in-process." We prefer a quick fix, a finished product, a smooth arrival. We want life and circumstances to feel complete, whole, move-in ready. But the more life I live and the more stories I bear witness to, it seems we're fooling ourselves; our experiences are never quite as put-together as...

Sometimes, familiarity can be grounding. Steadying. Sometimes it's exactly what we need. That is true. And yet, i n my experience, a life can become "overly-familiar," feeling stale, monotonous, mundane. The days all run together because the days all look the same. And sometimes, it might be the unfamiliar that helps us remember the life we hope to live. So, what should we do when we start to feel...

Often, I prefer a faith I can figure out. A God I can both know and fully understand. A theology that is set in stone, fitting nice and neat in a sturdy box, where, as author Mike Cosper puts it, "what you see is what you get." But one thing I'm learning is that a sense of mystery and wonder can be an important part of our faith. Maybe the call is not to be a know-it-all. Maybe the invitation is m...

In her book, The Power of Writing it Down , Allison Fallon writes, "What do you want to remember about your life? What we write down is what we remember. It's like a time capsule in a way, a lifeline back to the best parts of ourselves. A little popcorn trail of words we can follow so that we never lose sight of the path we're on. Words help us see ourselves more clearly. They help us remember who...

When it comes to hope, I'd prefer if someone would hand me a metaphorical bouquet of hope-in-full-bloom, something I can point to and easily say, "There's the beauty. There's the color. There's the life." Like a bunch of hope-filled balloons, I want to grab hold and immediately float above the struggle, the disappointment, the heartache, the fear. I want hope in an instant, hope on-demand. And yet...

If we're being honest, we all know the sharp sting of judgement in some way, shape, or form. The way it makes us feel small. And ridiculed. And misunderstood. And yet at the same time, we've all cast many a judging eye. But that doesn't mean passing judgement is what we're called to as followers of Jesus. So what are we to do instead? While I don't have a straightforward "how-to" to share with you...

"If your faith were a color, what would it be?" When it comes to our faith, sometimes, we forget the color. The significance of a faith that is abundant and intricate and vibrant and vast and rich and layered and nuanced. It's not uncommon to experience a faith that, maybe, has faded a bit. I wonder what it might look like to add a little color, both literally and figuratively.  I'm learning to we...

Today, as we continue to settle into the season of Lent, I want to share a prayer based on Psalm 51. Psalm 51 is the psalm with the familiar line, "Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me." It's a psalm that confronts our sin, our shortcomings, and all that might keep us from loving God and others well. The truth is, we often avoid talking about these sorts of thin...

Fasting is a spiritual practice that can often feel intimidating, unfamiliar, and even mysterious. But it can be practiced in many different forms, and today, as we approach the season of Lent, we're considering how fasting might aid us in focusing on the heart of God, deepening our awareness of God's presence and provision, and better attuning ourselves to God's guidance and will. Maybe when we c...

When it comes to getting things done, I am a list-maker. And part of why I find list-making so helpful is that makes it easier for me to prioritize.  Easier to determine how I can best give of my time, energy, and attention. It keeps me focused and track, helping me remember what is most important. As followers of Jesus, then, it might be important to consider what Jesus prioritized. After all, do...