I’m a stained glass artist. When people ask what I do, I sometimes joke that I "play with broken glass." It’s a flip-sounding line for a deeply intentional art form. The truth is, when I break a sheet of glass, I do so with immense care. My cutter, slick with special oil, scores a precise…
The Tyranny of Forever
Have you ever stumbled upon an old journal entry and felt an immediate, full-body cringe? A desperate urge to travel back in time, grab your younger self by the shoulders, and say, "For the love of all that is good, that poet-sleeve blouse is a terrible idea"? I had one of those the other day…
On Usefulness and Belonging
There is an expensive lesson that life offers, and I wish I’d had the currency to afford it sooner. It’s this: it is a profound waste of your finite time, energy, and spirit to court the approval of people who only value your utility. For most of my life, I have existed on the periphery.…
Don’t Be a Santa…err, I Mean, SPIRIT, Spoiler
A few years back, the former minister of my congregation did a sermon series that has really stuck with me. It was called "Words that Unite, Words that Divide," and for nearly half a church year, we wrestled with all the terms that tend to make UUs twitchy. We dug into words like evangelism, holy,…
Tethered to The Rock
There are places we visit, and then there are places we belong. For me, the journey back to Newfoundland is not a vacation; it is a homecoming. I have just returned from my seventh trip to the island, and with each visit, the tether that binds my soul to that rock grows stronger, shorter, more…
On the Altar of an Iceberg
There are places on Earth that don't just exist on a map, but resonate with the deepest chambers of your being and the longing for that place beats in the ddepths of your very soul. For me, that place is Newfoundland. I am, once again, lucky enough to spend some time on these rugged, breathtaking…
Chronically Extra
Last Friday, I was living my best life, hosting our congregation's very first drag show. I looked FABULOUS. My makeup was gagging. My hair was hairing. And I was, yet again, draped in a cloud of Betsy Johnson designed baby pink tulle and pastel rainbow crinolines – yes, my wedding dress made yet another real…
Bombs, Bibles, and My Closet [Not that Closet]
So, the Middle East is getting spicy again, huh? World War 3 anyone? I mean seriously, can we please knock it off with the unprecedented times? I'd be willing to bet we're all some level of anxious about the Israel/Iran/US/Whoever-decides-to-start-lobbing-bombs war that's happening right now. For some of us who grew up in evangelical Christianity…
The Sparkle Farmer
A Very Ban-able Children's Story Once upon a time, on a farm named Solid Ground, lived a little boy named Liam. The farm was a world of brown. The dirt in the fields was brown. The big, sturdy barn was painted brown. The cozy farmhouse was brown. Even Liam’s favorite overalls were a plain, sensible…
Drag Queens, Unicorn Snot, and Holy Moments
One of the oldest members of our congregation, a wise and wonderful woman in her 90s, pulled me aside after our worship service this past Sunday. Her eyes were bright. “I've always believed the saying that the arc of the moral universe is long, but it ultimately bends towards justice,” she said, her voice steady.…
VoyagersHeart 