Lately, I’ve noticed something delightful happening at the protests around Portland—frogs. Well, actually, it started with a chicken costume. Then frogs showed up. Then two people in inflatables got married. But now I’m seeing frogs all over the place. Not just one or two, but a growing collection of inflatable frogs, stuffed frogs, squeaky frogs, drawn frogs, and frog hats. These amphibian companions have become small, vibrant symbols of something much deeper than whimsy. Wh

The start of something beautiful - I've been tasked to make a stole - one that will be shared among the Elders in our Annual Conference. I rounded out my renewal leave this week with an Order of Elders gathering in Hood River, OR. I found myself throughout our time together, sitting in that familiar space between conviction and questioning — that tender tension where God’s Spirit tends to do some of the best work. For the past few months, I’ve been wrestling with some vocatio

A Christmas Tree Farm in Silverton, OR I grew up believing my calling was to be a teacher. I was the kid who lined up her stuffed animals and gave spelling tests. (They were excellent students, by the way.) So when I switched course in college and said I was going into ministry instead, people who only nominally knew me were slightly puzzled. “Why not teaching?” they’d ask. I usually smile and say, “I am still teaching." Because honestly, I never stopped teaching. Most Sunday

The world feels so big and overwhelming right now. Some mornings I wake up and wonder what fresh headline will undo for the rest of the...