Category: Spiritual

  • To love, to forgive and to need

    To love, to forgive and to need

    Have you noticed how your feelings warm up towards the people who occasionally ask for your help? They show vulnerability and they elevate your position by asking for your help. A parable comes to mind: a man forgives the debt of two debtors. To one he forgives a little. To another he forgives a lot.…

  • ART

    ART

    Chiseling is messy.The beauty of the sculptureis vaguely in the artist’s headWho ought to trust their own CreatorFor how a sculpture will turn out. Painting is messy.Stains and splashesCloudy murky waterFingerprints aroundthe apron of life. The final paintingHas a life of its ownThe shapes and shadowsThe light and the voice in itIt speaks, it sings.It…

  • Idealizing the past

    Idealizing the past

    I visited ivy’s foster mom this week. I promised to stay in touch and I’m a woman of my word. This year has been busy with the new house, with medical appointments and with school, online and in person. I don’t know when and how much time flew by. Ivy even forgot to ask to…

  • Faithfullness

    Faithfullness

    Growing up, my church community and Hollywood presented conflicting messages about romance and dating. The tension at least provided me with a broader view. And I felt I could forge my own path. My inexperience flirting during adolescence has saved me a lot of grief later in life. I didn’t like games. I still don’t.…

  • Crikvenica ROM2021

    Crikvenica ROM2021

    It’s the morning of goodbyes.  Two weeks ago many of us were complete strangers. In such a short time we became lifetime friends. We’ve learned together, played together, sang, shared and cried.  The meals we shared provided interspersed extraordinary connecting time. We hiked to old castles through snake trails, crossing rivers, pushing our limits. We’ve…

  • Morning prayer

    Morning prayer

    For three weeks I got used to waking up before sunrise, walk up to the office to get some coffee, take a walk on the beach. Enjoying the silence, the calm sea, the fresh cool air. Camilla was my faithful companion. Alan too, while he was there. Then others took his place. We read a…

  • Peninnah

    Peninnah

    On Empathy Night I shared part of my story of forgiveness. I frankly couldn’t think of any story of reconciliation in my life, well-defined enough to make sense. But as we heard about what forgiveness is, a journey, a decision, it is not for the other person but for our own freedom. Forgiving is not…

  • Grumbling in the desert

    Grumbling in the desert

    Nothing like a dose of humility served with ingratitude by your daughter in front of all your friends. As we give her the stage (because she like to talk or be the center of attention, but she doesn’t have all the filters in place, because she is still a kid, she is still 7, going…

  • The order of things

    The order of things

    What comes first? What base relationship influences all the others? The way we related to our parents or to God? Subconsciously I still relate to God the way I related to my parents before I could articulate my opinion or preferences. I feel seen, safe, and I am obedient. I don’t take Him for granted,…

  • Therapy with friends

    Therapy with friends

    After 37 years life I receive with awe and open hands the genuine love of friendship. I’m so aloof, I can barely understand the sustainability of such friendship. But I’m grateful for it. It is pure grace. when you are exhausted and not daring enough to leave your comfort zone even after it became uncomfortable,…

  • Community Friday

    Community Friday

    This large space in our new house inspired us to start a journey of social healing after a year of solitude. Liviu loves to cook, and we provide the spices, the comfortable space and the drinks. It took us a year to sink, slide, tumble. It should take us just as long to steadily and…

  • My take on depression

    My take on depression

    As an adolescent I had no time to be depressed. I used every opportunity I felt weepy to cry to God. No wasted tears. I didn’t rebel. I spent ample time reading and introspecting. My husband makes fun of me for being a perfect child. Laugh all you want. But my demon was fear. Most adults…