Imago Voices
It seems to me like many of us go through life with a fair bit of anxiety on our plates. This ranges from general social discomforts to genuine panic attacks that can leave a person helpless. But there appears to be a common undercurrent in the lives of most adults I know. There is this nagging question of, “Am I doing what I'm supposed to with my life?”
Read MoreI am a labor and delivery nurse, so the word transition carries a particularly strong meaning for me. In my world, transition is the point in labor when the woman goes from 8cm to 10cm dilated, right before it’s time to push. It is the most difficult stage of labor — when the changes taking place in the woman’s body seem too intense to handle. It’s when even the most composed woman starts to lose control and is ready to give up. Forget all this talk about wanting the baby to just be here already. She takes it all back.
Read MoreI began attending Imago Dei Church about three years ago. I had gone through a difficult time in my life. I had gone through a very long and painful divorce. I had worked at my church for 16 years as a counselor and Recovery Director. My position was eliminated. I also was battling a cancer scare as well — and my Jeep had broken down (again). I felt alone and terrified. I couldn’t think.
Read MoreA phrase that’s popping up in my everyday vocabulary more and more often is, “I’ll figure it out.” My roommate and I don’t know what to make for dinner? “We’ll figure it out.” Not sure which cabinet to put the new groceries in? “I’ll figure it out.” Having difficulty scheduling the events of my week? “I’ll figure it out.” It’s a very efficient way of saying, “I have absolutely no idea what I’m doing, but that’s okay, I’ll know soon.”
Read MoreI am a five.
For those who speak Enneagram, you know that I’m not the likely choice to write about community.
Read MoreIn August of 2016, our little family considered moving from Minnesota to Peoria. A job was offered to Mark in a town that I had never been to before, a place where I knew not one person. I wasn’t really worried about that. I have moved (alone) to places where I didn’t know a soul so many times that I’d have to actually sit down and write it out to figure out how many times I’ve done that.
Read MoreEight years ago, I took what felt like a big step into the unknown. I asked an acquaintance if she wanted to have lunch.
Perhaps I was a stunted 27-year-old, but this was a gigantic leap for me.
Read MoreIf there was a catch phrase for our marriage it would be “It takes a village.” From our wedding, which included many talented and loving friends, to finding our daughter through the friend-of-a-member-of-the-church-of-a-childhood-friend-by-way-of-Facebook — take that, Kevin Bacon!
Read MoreGamers and gardeners. Postal workers and poets. Thinkers and doers. Singles and couples. Therapists. Musicians. Runners. Geeks. And advertisers.
Read MoreWhen asked to write a short excerpt for this week's Imago Voices, I did what I do most of the time: say yes, and then think "ah crap, what did I agree to?" When I write, I typically get trapped in my head, leaning on my pensive nature and spending way too long staring at my computer screen trying to find just the right words.
Read MoreIronically, I’m going to begin my thoughts on service and serving others with a brief anecdote about myself. One of the most meaningful service experiences for me was on a trip to Joplin, Missouri in 2012. I traveled with a group to aid in the tornado recovery following a deadly tornado.
Read MoreI would not consider myself a helper. I am married to a helper, and unlike my husband, I am definitely not the first person to volunteer to do something for someone else. There are so many people in our church who volunteer an incredible amount of their time and resources to the various ministries we have at Imago and to other important charities and organizations in our community. I was a little surprised that I was asked to write an article about service, but maybe if you’re not innately service oriented like me, you’ll relate to my perspective.
Read MoreThis is hard. The timing is terrible. I was asked to provide some thoughts on service. The last thing I want to write about at this moment or engage in, for that matter, is service. Recently, a couple of experiences have me shrinking from serving.
Read MoreRecently at Imago, I told a story about a time when I took communion and, when walking away from the station, lost a drop of juice off of the edge of my cracker. I looked down at the spot on the carpet in a moment of guilt, but ended up finding that I was not the only one who had ever made a mess during communion; we’ve been dropping wine and juice on the carpet for a long time. And rather than thinking about the need for carpet cleaning, instead I became aware of a connection to all of the people who had passed that spot and participated in this ritual, the messiness of our humanity, and the community represented by our many drops in the same spot.
Read More"Lord, couldn't we have figured out a better way to connect than me being homeless?" However, if I had asked, "Why me?" about my troubles, shouldn't I also ask, "Why me?" concerning my blessings? We must not forget the blessings Yahweh bestows upon us, like food, shelter, and the love of family and friends. Many are those who are deprived of these things that we may overlook or take for granted!
Read More
