Archives: December 2014

When I was eleven, my older brother was killed in a motorcycle accident.  The grief for my family and for me was overwhelming.  Years later, I read this description of grief from Wendell Berry in, The Lost World, that summarized what I was feeling as an eleven year old.  “There was no place where what had happened had not...more

Are you going home for the holidays? Many people find that returning home for the holidays can be very stressful. Within minutes of being home, your mother asks if you are still in that “dead-end job,” your sister makes a joke about your weight, your Uncle Joe challenges your theology and your brother is being his usual obnoxious self....more

Here is the story of Christmas from inside the stable told by two cows:  Elmo and Gertrude. “Elmo, look!  They are bringing a young woman here to our stable.  I believe she is about to give birth to a baby.  Elmo, are you listening to me?” “Yes, Dear, I see them.  Gertrude, are you going to eat all that...more