Tag Archives: Nan C. Merrill

My Second Podcast Interview

In this Hints of Gladness podcast, Rod Janz asks me about my new book In the Heart of the Beloved and the Everyday Pilgrim series. It was a fun conversation. I hope you enjoy listening to it. CLICK HERE TO … Continue reading

Posted in In the Heart of the Beloved, Reflections, Seed Cracked Open | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

What I Heard Before Falling Asleep

On the daymy sister ended a Zoom callwith a heartfelt “I love you,” a directee dried her eyes and said, “Thank you,” the warm embrace of a friendstill lingered in my body, the rain stopped long enoughfor me to go … Continue reading

Posted in Lent, Poetry, Prayer, Reflections | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

In the Heart of the Beloved

When readers open my new book, I invite them to open it up and flip it over. In the introduction, I wrote: Look at the whole cover. Take in the beauty of the image: vibrant pink, glowing edges, green stem, … Continue reading

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Release, Receive and Return

For days after I heard how my words wounded another, I was visited with the recurring judgment that I was a bad person, an unsafe person. I was shrouded in shame until God found me through a Lenten reflection on … Continue reading

Posted in Easter, False Self, Poetry, Reflections, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

It’s Your Turn

For the past few months, I’ve been revising blog posts for my third book. I’ve hunkered down to do the grunt work of publishing: formatting, footnoting, acquiring permission from a photographer and poets, and designing the cover. I used to … Continue reading

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Becoming a Loving Presence in the World

May I live with integrity as a loving presence in the world. –Nan C. Merrill, Psalms for Praying, An Invitation to Wholeness, Psalm 10. Prayers come and go for me, but these simple words by Nan Merrill have stayed with … Continue reading

Posted in Creation, Reflections, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Staying the Course

It’s been almost three months since my convergence, and I can feel the difference. I fit into clothes I haven’t worn in years and can now bike up Burnaby Mountain and down again in just under an hour. But the … Continue reading

Posted in Overeating, Prayer, Reflections, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

Fear and Grace

As soon as we gathered on the screen, I felt nervous. Insecurity jumbled my words and hid others. The twelve faces in front of me belonged to the facilitators of Living from the Heart, and I was in charge of … Continue reading

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Stepping into This Moment

To live mindfully in the present, I have to slow down and take deliberate steps. First, there is an awakening to this moment and noticing what is in it and me–what I see, feel, and think. I observe myself and … Continue reading

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Snow Days

“Why don’t we wait until the snow melts and see if your wallet is there,” our daughter said, looking at a snow-covered patch of grass we couldn’t shovel. “I’ll keep an eye on it. No one’s going to find it … Continue reading

Posted in Aging, Reflections, Stories | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments