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How do I Stand in my Call? Over the past few weeks, "Into the Deep" writers have shared their personal stories about following through on their calling, despite facing challenges. Scripture tells us that the needs of those around us drive our calling. The guidance of...
Responding to the Suffering we see with Jesus “Everything you need is in the room.” “Trust the process.” These are the two sentences I have lived and learned with for the past 12 months of Chaplaincy training. Much of our work with hospital patients is entering a...
Overcoming the Overwhelm: When a Call Feels Like Too Much As people of faith, we have no shortage of spiritual figures to whom we can look as models of hearing and heeding a call from God. There are countless examples (some of my personal inspirations below in “Go...
How Does God Want Me To Use My Gifts? As a high school student, I competed in extemporaneous speaking on our speech team. Most of my classmates were intimidated by ‘extemp’! On the day of a competition, participants had one hour to prepare an original speech based on...
Do I Have a Unique Call to Respond? How Do I Hear it/Find it? In the Gospel of John (7:25-30) Jesus makes a concerted effort to avoid Judea, because that is where the religious authorities are trying to find a way to kill him – and he knows it. His apostles attend the...
I feel guilty each time I drive through an intersection and see someone with a cardboard sign asking for help. I rarely carry cash. While I know that my small token of money will not change that person’s life, I wonder if maybe I should do more. Who are we being...
“Mary Ann, you speak of yourself as a tired sheepdog constantly watching the edges of the field. What would it look like if you were a sheep?” I could feel myself stiffen, my hands clenched. “What would you be losing if you changed roles? What would the gains feel...
How I long for people to understand how their gifts are woven through everything. My gifts work within my personality, my history, my experiences. Your gifts work within your desires and loves. This is the way God created us. On the one hand, gifts are natural and...
Keep Christ at the Center: Why? We can cite numerous theological reasons to put Christ at the center of life. But I find it quite effective to look at the alternatives. Why center my life on Christ? Well, if not on Christ, then what becomes my center? Do I want...
November has had a lot to say to me this year. Light is changing and temperatures are dropping here in Northern Vermont. The iridescent colored leaves of October have surrendered their grip on their branch homes and have fallen to rest together on the forest floor. ...