God as Father,
caring, influential,
forgiving always.

God as Mother,
nurturing, challenging,
loving unconditionally.

“Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.” Matthew 5:9

Then he took a little child and put it among them; and taking it in his arms, he said to them, “Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me, and whoever welcomes me welcomes not me but the one who sent me.” Mark 9:36-37

“Truly I tell you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God as a little child will never enter it.” Luke 18:17

“While you have the light, believe in the light, so that you may become children of light.” John 12:36

For all who are led by the spirit of God are children of God. Romans 8:14

We were all children at one time. I invite you to reconnect with your inner child.

Imagine. A gift. You may choose To use this gift To support, Encourage, Soothe, Teach, Challenge, Affirm.

What good is it, my brothers and sisters, if you say you have faith but do not have works? Can faith save you? If a brother or sister is naked and lacks daily food, and one of you says to them, “Go in peace; keep warm and eat your fill,” and yet you do not supply their bodily needs, what is the good of that? So faith by itself, if it has no works, is dead. James 2:14-17

What is faithfulness if we only practice it when it is convenient?

What is generosity if we only share our cast-offs and leftovers?

God, you are my rock and refuge.
(Of course, sometimes I forget to lean on you and attempt to take control…)

Ever-present God, you are with me all the time.
(Sometimes it doesn’t feel like you are with me. Sometimes I forget to talk to you…)

Forgiving God, I’m sorry I was so judgmental yesterday.
(But those people made me so mad! How can they possibly believe what they say?)

Nurturing God, thank you for my family.
(Is it really necessary that the teenage years be so traumatic…for everyone?)

This summer I am growing the garden of neglect. The garden got off to a late start. I was sick for six weeks, just at prime garden-planting time. I almost abandoned the idea of a garden, opting to let the beds lie fallow for the season. But the thought of fresh tomatoes, tasting as no store-bought tomato ever could, spurred me on. Mid-June I finally had the energy to plant the garden, with the help of my family. The advantage of waiting until later to start your garden, is that the plants are on sale. And so the garden was planted.

Yesterday I returned home to the land of rich soil, gentle rolling hills, and fields of corn (i.e. Iowa) after a family “holiday” to the mountainous and rocky country of Scotland. It was a trip we’ve been planning, saving for, and dreaming about for a long time, and I had an amazing experience.

One can’t visit Scotland without being utterly aware of rocks. Essentially, the country is one long series of rock formations, some of which contain a type of rock that is among earth’s oldest kinds. I suspect Scottish children must have to spend a lot more time than I ever did learning about geology, since most of the museums we visited had display after display of rock-related items. In fact, the lower floor of the national museum was almost entirely filled with displays about rocks and items made from or carved into rocks!

The highlight of the trip was a late-night visit to the Standing Stones of Callinish (photo above), a famous site containing human-made rock formations which are possibly older (though smaller) than the ones at Stonehenge. Some 4000 years ago, ancient peoples set up roughly 50 massive flat stones in a circular and cross-like pattern, for reasons that are unknown. Whether they were in some way connected with astrological observations, memorial purposes, battle protection, or religious rituals may never be completely clear. But what was certain to me as I stood there alone, looking out at the surrounding fields, mountains, and loch (lake), was that I was having a profound experience of connection with something much larger than myself. Clearly, those who created and lived in that site considered it to be a place of memory.

A few weeks ago, I was exploring the website of Mary Anne Radmacher. In doing so, I came upon a poster that read, “in every journey may you ask…what is it you will be…a tourist or an explorer?” The words seemed to leap off the page (or the monitor, in this instance) and lodge themselves in my brain. They have been rattling around up there (exploring, I think!) and emerging once in awhile to get me thinking…

Last week, I joined 15,000 or so other cyclists from around the world for a very long bike ride. RAGBRAI®, or the Register's Annual Great Bike Ride Across Iowa, is one of those traditions with which Iowans are well-acquain

ted. We started in Council Bluffs on the west side of the state, and 442 miles and 7 days later ended our ride with a dip of our front tire in the Mississippi in Burlington, Iowa. Describing RAGBRAI in just a few words to someone who has never seen it is quite difficult, but imagine a 60 mile stretch of busy highway traffic in which the cars range from a 1920 Ford to a brand new souped up hybrid and the drivers wear anything from TuTus and feather boas to spandex, and you'll sort-of get the idea.

Unexpectedly, I had the opportunity to cover RAGBRAI for my local newspaper. It was my first real effort in journalism, and it was great fun interviewing dozens of people along the ride. If you're interested in getting more of a feel for the ride, you can read my columns here, and the official RAGBRAI website is here.

It was a wonderful day when I realized that I did not have to answer every question my children asked me immediately. This was a major parenting discovery for me, as I figured out that immediacy on their end did not have to translate to immediacy in my decision making. Yes, my kids always want to know the answer to whether or not they can sleep over at their friend’s house tonight or whether they can purchase the latest computer game right now! But as a parent, I am allowed to take time to make decisions. It is okay to say, “I’ll think about it.” “I will check the calendar and get back to you.” or “Your father and I will discuss it and let you know.” It took awhile for my children to view “maybe” as an acceptable answer, but when the alternative was, “If I have to answer right now, the answer is no,” they learned to view maybe as a hopeful answer.