The first song I heard by Raffi, the Canadian children’s folksinger, was “Biscuits in the Oven.” Tears gathered in my eyes as I danced with 1-year-old Marshall. I sensed this man was responding deeply to a calling to love, that can only come from God. The words were simple, but his voice and music fed […]
What Would Raffi Do? Read More »
As I try to understand the gospels, I like to think about what rabbis normally said and how they said it. I imagine that listening to one was a bit like hanging out on the streets of New York City, overhearing conversations spoken with vehemence. Rabbis were hyperbolic and maybe a bit brash to make
Mother God’s Parenting: Blame vs. Grace Read More »
For from those divine breasts where it seems God is always sustaining the soul, there flow streams of milk bringing comfort to all the people. –Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle, p. 179-180 Recently, a fed-up dad posted a video on Facebook of him trying to eat and drink at a restaurant while wearing a
Trusting Mother God more is helping me to take risks. I spent time on the Facebook group, Portland Autism Moms, today. One thread was about flying with kids with ASD. Marshall is scared to fly. Anxiety precedes agitation for him and a lot of his peers. The anxiety could unfold into all kinds of melt-down scenarios
Flying High with God as Mother Read More »
Yesterday, Marshall wanted to know about his dad’s experiences of being parented as a child in the 1960s. Behaviorism was the norm back then; a lot of kids were expected to do chores on threat of punishment, and spanked or hit for disobedience. Marshall said, “Is God like that?” His words echoed in the spiritual
God the Lenient Mom Read More »
Women, Children and Sheep Could the Lord be my Shepherdess? The more I find out about sheep, the more shepherds and shepherdesses remind me of God as Mother. Margaret Feinberg writes about her time with a shepherdess in Oregon in Scouting the Divine: My Search for God in Wine, Wool, and Wild Honey. I don’t
The Lord is my Shepherdess Read More »
Marshall has been in the thick of unbelief again. He said on Sunday, “I believe Jesus did miracles, but not that he rose from the dead.” He thinks Jesus was a lucky fluke of evolution. I’ve noticed Marshall’s faith in God’s existence fluctuates with whether I’m reading something inspiring to him daily. We found some
Until Dad Gets His Sweet On Read More »
They disguise God, of course, these odors of earth. But some have noses For underarm sweat when we’ve gone straight to the door From hammering nails; because someone knocked, We invited her in, served her spaghetti. For baby poo from mama’s milk. They say it smells like buttered pop corn, And like love that is
The Secret Odors of God Read More »
The day after the last post, I peeked out the window and saw a western blue bird fluttering around the trampoline. When I went to the door, it flew away. I heard activity high up in the Catalpa tree. I think this was Mama Bird coming down to thank us for saving one of her
Co-creating with Mother God Read More »
I saw him on the trampoline, this tiny human-like creature, his naked wings like flailing arms. He rested as though he had given up, and then he would move his bottom up into the air, or open his beak wide to be fed. His little feathery head spoke of his absent parents. Where were they?
The Weight of Baby Bird Read More »
