The Hummingbird and the Wasp
I am afraid of wasps. They, along with snakes, are the two creatures that can lead me to reroute my path. I can handle spiders with no problem, a product of my summer as a camp counselor. Bees aren’t too bad; I appreciate their role in the world enough to leave them be. And I’ve […]
Me, My Invisible Popemobile, and Wild Goose Festival
This post was written by Charlotte Donlon, writer and spiritual director. Learn more at charlottedonlon.com or spiritualdirectionforwriters.com. I was invited to attend the Wild Goose Festival last year somewhat last minute. A writer friend whom I trust and respect invited me to co-facilitate two sessions on the intersection of art and faith after the person […]
Everyday Sacred
When people ask me, “What do you do?” I’m honestly not always quite sure what the best answer is. I usually reply something like, “I’m a writer and preacher, and I work with a community center in Costa Rica.” All of this is true; but it’s just the places or ways I do what I […]
Today I Flew Southwest
Today I flew Southwest. Not the direction, the airline. I’ve flown Southwest Airlines many times before. When I lived in Chicagoland, they were the cheapest and most accessible airline for my travel needs. But that was over a decade ago. When I lived in the Quad Cities, Allegiant was my airline of choice. But in […]
Today I Moved
Today I moved. Matt and I moved to Charlotte, North Carolina. While I don’t love the “unload the truck” part of moving, I quite enjoy the packing and unpacking. I don’t think I’m alone in the experience that seeing everything I own, all at once, makes me sentimental and reflective. Like opening the box of […]
Today I Can’t
Today I can’t. These are words I have found myself saying often in the past few months. My husband and I have been living in a transitional time since October. We hoped and expected this season to be shorter–we thought by January we’d have a clear next step. Nearly seven months later, we finally do! […]
Writing What Matters
Sitting down to write this blog, I have so many ideas in my mind. What ought I write about today? I could recap the week’s events, my time visiting friends in South Carolina and preaching at Bloom Conference. The theme was based on Esther 4:14, “…for such a time as this.” The first speaker asked […]
Today I Saw a Capybara
Today I saw a capybara. A real capybara in the wild! Well, kind of. It was at a Garden and Home store in Costa Rica, something similar to the Garden section at a Home Depot or Lowes. Does that count as in the wild? It wasn’t the store’s pet, to my knowledge. And the store […]
In Honor of Gabe
Then Written in the days following Gabe’s passing, in August 2025. I’m not quite sure where to begin. So here’s a list of memories, plans, expressions, ideas, and other thoughts about Gabe, whose life ended too soon and in an unimaginable way. I expect this will not be my easiest-to-follow blog. Instead, a collection of […]
Global Entry
I finally did it! After years of saying, I really need to get TSA Pre-check, I enrolled in Global Entry for that perk and more. If you aren’t familiar with Global Entry, it’s kind of like TSA Pre-check but for entering the country. It’s an expedited route through customs and immigration. During my first return […]