One of the hardest things about life with autoimmune disease for me is that when I’m in a flare, I don’t feel like myself. And it’s not just that I’m stuck in bed and get cranky. One of my primary symptoms is brain fog. If you’re not familiar with the term brain fog, it’s basically … Continue reading The most supportive thing my wife has ever said about my illness
Sharing the blessing
Sermon offered at St. Andrew's on May 13, 2018. We were celebrating the Ascension of Christ, the readings for which can be found here.
41 things I’ve learned since my diagnosis
The pros and cons of pretty much every EWG approved sunscreen. What SPF actually indicates. (Hint: it is NOT the amount of time you can safely be in the sun. Though hard and red experience had already taught me that wasn’t true.) How freeing sun-protective clothing can be. What a nephrologist is. (I should have … Continue reading 41 things I’ve learned since my diagnosis
A pit stop called Supposed-to-Be
I spent the first 25 years of my life plugging my ears and singing “LA LA LA LA” whenever my body had something to say. I had no interest in hearing its thoughts. Partially because its thoughts were occasionally, “Hey, you’re gay!” That was terrifying, because where I grew up, gay was pretty much the … Continue reading A pit stop called Supposed-to-Be
Waiting for resurrection
On Holy Saturday, we are waiting. Waiting for resurrection, for Easter, which we will begin celebrating tonight as the sky grows dark. But during the day on Saturday, there is no resurrection yet. Just waiting. On the first Holy Saturday, when Jesus was in the tomb, his followers were waiting, though perhaps they didn’t know … Continue reading Waiting for resurrection
Reviews from a Sunscreen Snob
It’s the first day of spring and pouring snow outside so WHAT BETTER TIME TO WRITE A BLOG POST ABOUT SUNSCREEN? I’m quickly becoming a sunscreen snob. Maybe I always have been. I’m pretty finicky about the texture and smell of things on my skin, so even when I was a kid trying to get … Continue reading Reviews from a Sunscreen Snob
We are seeds
"Very truly, I tell you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains just a single grain; but if it dies, it bears much fruit." This sermon was given at St. Andrew's on March 18, 2018 (the fifth Sunday of Lent). You can find the full readings for the day … Continue reading We are seeds
Embracing life as the slow gazelle
Here’s the thing: we’re trained to keep pushing, keep working. We’re taught our whole lives that we can master our bodies, that if we just ignore the pain or the fatigue or discomfort or whatever, it will go away. In my experience, that is almost never true. Like, the only thing I can think of … Continue reading Embracing life as the slow gazelle
Learning my body’s language
When did you learn to pay attention to your body? To listen to it carefully, interact with it gently, tend to its needs with the care you’d offer any other creature you love? I’m working on this in my life. I occasionally comment to my therapist that it’s been easier for me to do this … Continue reading Learning my body’s language
The wilderness is not as advertised
Probably Jesus didn't head off into the wilderness for 40 days to roast s'mores. This is my sermon from Lent 1, on Mark's account of Jesus's time in the wilderness, which can be found along with the other readings for the day here.
