Before I was 5, I could sing and dance and draw with gusto. By the time I turned 10, I had lost the ability to do all those things. In reality, I was told in subtle (oh, isn’t that nice) and not so subtle (keep you day job!) ways that I couldn’t So maybe this new [...]

I have been doing alot of thinking about heretics lately.  Heretics are the necessary leaders of the future. Heretics, challenging the status quo, create new movements. Marketing guru Seth Godin writes in Tribes: “Heretics are engaged, passionate and more powerful and happier than everyone else…. Challenging the status quo requires a commitment, both public and private. [...]

Babies are a threat. Any parent knows that.  My kids came along two decades ago and turned my world upside down. They still do.  I never knew how much love, fear, anger, sadness or joy that I could experience as a parent.  The fact that these emotions come from little bundles of flesh is quite [...]

December 21st, the shortest day of the year, with the longest night of the year, is Homeless Memorial Day. This day throughout the country homeless people who have died will be remembered. These are often the invisible people in our community. Usually the homeless we see on the streets are just a fraction of the homeless in [...]

Our world sometimes seems so alone  and disconnected. Here is a reminder that we need each other…and can be there for each other.

Advent Conspiracy Promo Video The story of Christ’s birth is a story of promise, hope, and a revolutionary love. So, what happened? What was once a time to celebrate the birth of a savior has somehow turned into a season of stress, traffic jams, and shopping lists. And when it’s all over, many of us [...]

Happy Thanksgiving! This is one of my favorite holidays.  Family, friends, food! It is a time to remember–there is so much to be thankful for. Today at some point in the day–simpy pause.  Look around the room, where ever you are and just give thanks to God for good gifts.  Sometime today–simply pause and remember all [...]

We don’t listen to each other enough. Stories are being lost because we don’t the take time to listen. We are a culture with amnesia. A culture with too few memories.  Here is a great project. StoryCorps is declaring November 28, 2008 the first annual National Day of Listening. This holiday season, ask the people around you [...]

When we start to think that we are too important, and when we feel the burden weighing too heavily, it is good to listen to these words from Archbishop Oscar Romero (1917-1980), martyr of El Salvador It helps now and then, to step back and take the long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our [...]

This weekend, the Free Clinic of Simi Valley hosted a fundraising open house. The Free  Clinic serves the working poor and the homeless with medical, dental, legal, and counseling needs. The event was pretty great–wonderful food, an amazing band and wonderful people from the community. The mix of people who attended was quite diverse. One of [...]