Category: Belovedness
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all bodies are good bodies
Maybe instead of lamenting weight changes during traumatic seasons, we could practice saying, “This is the body that carried me through such a difficult time. Thank you.” Self-love and self-compassion can extend to these miraculous bodies we inhabit. Our bodies carry the joys, trauma, and scars of surviving in a beautiful, painful world. When we…
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transformation
Image text: It can be hard to empathize with someone else’s story when you’re drowning in your own. If you’re in survival mode, don’t let shame be piled on top of it all. Let go of the need to perform and instead, try to allow. The lessons of transformation will present themselves. Sometimes the best…
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liminal space
“Much of the work of authentic spirituality and human development is to get people into liminal space and to keep them there long enough that they can learn something essential and new.” -Fr. Richard Rohr “Liminal space” derives from the Latin for “threshold.” It is the space where we are no longer where we were…
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Say Their Names
Breath Prayer: Inhale: Remove my heart of stone. Exhale: Give me a heart of flesh. “Say Their Names” Memorial from Lake Highlands Area Moms Against Racism, displayed at Arapaho United Methodist Church Every morning this week when I walk my two children into church for VBS, we will walk by the Say Their Names Memorial…
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belonging vs. fitting in
Image contents: a poppy in a field of larkspurs. Text says,“‘If I get to be me, I belong. If I have to be like you, I fit in.’ Braving the Wilderness by Brené Brown” I’ve long grappled with a sense of not quite fitting in wherever I go and have always wondered if everyone else…
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certainty vs. clarity
Image text: We can’t always have the certainty we want, but discernment allows us to find the clarity we need. One of the driving needs for Enneagram 6s is for certainty, though no doubt other personality types gravitate toward certainty-seeking, as well. We like to know what’s coming so we can prepare ourselves, even if…
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deconstruction resources: books
Someone recently asked for suggestions for resources as they begin the process of faith deconstruction. As I was thinking over the books and podcasts that have been most helpful to me over the past five years or so, I thought it might be helpful for others, as well. I know deconstruction means different things to…
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nothing has changed, but everything looks different
Four years ago today, I snapped this picture of one small, red suitcase and captioned it, “One tiny suitcase is all you need when you’re packing for one. I had forgotten what that’s like!” I was leaving my 1 year old and my preschooler to go to Houston for two nights. It was the first…
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Being good vs. being loved
I recently got out all of my old journals, the first of which began when I was barely old enough to form letters. As I read this cross-section of different stages of my life, I was struck by what now seems like unnecessary angst and striving to be good. My prayers were so earnest, and…
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judgment vs. compassion
Judgement shuts down vulnerability, but compassion paves the way for connection, which is the antidote to shame. Years ago, I was part of a small group where we were encouraged to share our struggles so we could support and pray for one another. I don’t remember the specific thing I shared (probably my struggle with…
Lindsay L. O'Connor 