WHAT'S IN A NAME?
I never knew it would be so hard to name a blog. Just when I thought I had the perfect one, the title was already taken. Again and again, someone had already used my “clever” idea. How do you describe what you write? It’s hard enough just to write. But to characterize my words and give them a theme? That’s probably why many of us—writers and would-be writers alike—try and give up.
But there’s another reason.
Writing a blog is personal. It puts you “out there” for everyone to see, and possibly to judge. It’s risky. Once you press the publish button, it’s there for the viewing. It takes courage to write from the heart and then let the words fly, not knowing where they will land. Or how they will be received.
So why Soul Sanctuary?
Because the soul is the spiritual part of a person that gives life to the body and goes on to live forever. It is a person’s deeply felt moral and emotional nature, the part that is in touch with God, feeling kindness and sympathy for others, and appreciating both beauty and art.
And a sanctuary is a place of safety, and one of rest—a consecrated place.
Put the two together and you have a beautiful image: the deepest, most vulnerable part of me abiding in a place of safety, where spirituality, beauty, art, compassion, kindness and honesty is welcomed and protected.
That’s what I desire. How about you? Tending to our souls while in a safe place is more than a good desire—it is life-giving and eye-opening. We stop the insanity of our pace, the distractions of our days and the angst of our drivenness. It allows us to be replenished and restored, while at the same time being humbled and reconnected to the holy. We allow ourselves to breathe, exhaling the toxic and inhaling the pure.
Walk with me to that sacred place. You, like me, will be blessed, refreshed, and challenged. We will even share a laugh or two amid the tears. Because life is a mixed bag, and you never know what you’re going to get. Just like Forrest Gump’s chocolates; some pieces you savor and delight in, others you eat because they are there and some you taste and throw away.
Everyone needs a place to hide away. Come to Soul Sanctuary and glimpse the joy in the journey, the value in the pain and the absolute life in it all.
The journey may be hard to name, but it’s even easier to miss.
“Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place onwhich you are standing is holy ground.” Exodus 3:5
Worth Saving
And with this simple act, my mother spoke volumes: I was important. What I wrote was valuable . . .
This Strand of Pearls
The pearls whisper their secret; these shiny creations produced to deal with debris inside the shells of their host . . .
Father's Day
I was resigned to the fact that my father’s almost 90-year-old-body was failing, but I wasn’t prepared for his mind to do the same.
Silent Saturday
In Holy Week, one day is hardly addressed and almost seems an afterthought. Saturday the Sabbath, when Good Friday is over . . .
The Dreaded C-Word
Even though I take wise precautions, I choose to live instead of worrying about dying.
Grief, Interrupted by COVID-19
We knew Mom was ready to die. She’d already lived longer than any of us would have predicted. We were prepared for her to go. But not like this.
It Is Not Up To Me
When I am anxious over my children because of their burdens and problems, it is not up to me to fix, to change or to “worry them” into health and peace . . .
Memorial Day
Instead of an endurance test with my Dad, I stole a scenario from the future and made a memory in the process…
New Year's Resolution—or Intention?
By December, I can’t even remember what I so earnestly “resolved” on January 1.
When Rocks Cry Out
Am I a grateful person? Do I easily praise God? Do I say thank you more than I ask?
Little Hands, Little Hearts
Maybe that’s why so many of us as parents and grandparents have a hard time throwing precious treasures away . . .
From Cloud to Fire—Waiting on God
No one likes to wait. Especially when important decisions are on the line . . .
On the Edge of Impossibility
Isn’t this story just like our lives? Faced with an impossibility, we rail against God . . .
"Shutting Out—Shutting In" as a Means of Grace
Has God appeared to “shut you out” or “shut you in” by difficult circumstances or hurtful realities? Do you feel adrift in pain or isolation as if abandoned by God? Look again at your story through the lens of grace . . .
My Father's Hands
When he reached for his special piece, I was shocked by his hands. When had he become an old man?