Diamond-Cut Life » spirituality & religion

Making It Real: Barbara’s Story

Alison — Sat, 31 Dec 2011 02:03:34 +0000

Barbara Kutasz penned this post about the unlikely, vibrant venue in which Christmas became real to her this year. Barbara is a friend and fellow member at Lincoln Street Church here in Portland, Oregon. (If you thought us Portlanders are too liberal to embrace church, please think again: some of us progressive folks love God [...]Similar Posts:

The Suchness Of Her

Alison — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 13:31:43 +0000

“Did you get to see the good one this time? Jamie?” I asked Thor, my husband, the other Saturday afternoon when he pulled into the driveway. I’d been gardening; the long taproots of dandelions dangled from my gloved hands. “Yes.” His face looked content, even uplifted. He had just returned from an acupuncture treatment for his [...]Similar Posts:

Um, You’re Thinking Of Jesus

Alison — Sat, 24 Sep 2011 16:01:22 +0000

I found this via Tess Giles Marshall, one of my favorite web writers. Courtesy of Americans Against The Tea Party. Modern Christians tend to forget that Jesus was a radical champion of the poor, and spent much of his time working to heal them. Similar Posts:

Happy Summer Solstice! Unthreatened By Pagans

Alison — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 13:08:26 +0000

Happy Summer Solstice! Today is the longest day of the year. Not only that, but the sun — the life-giving sun — will reach its highest point in the sky today that it will reach all year. To the ancients, such as those who built Stonehenge,

Stonehenge

[/caption] solstice was a holiday that celebrated [...]Similar Posts:

Grief And My Sacred Corner

Alison — Mon, 13 Jun 2011 23:07:55 +0000

I was walking down 12th street in Salem last week when one of the waves hit me, and out of the blue I was crying. I kept walking, pretending all was well, masking the grief even as I welcomed it. Crying lets me feel closer to my mother, who died on March 21. What triggered the [...]Similar Posts:

Who You Calling A Hippie?

Alison — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 14:45:34 +0000

Today’s post is on the lighter side. A reader in Arizona has suggested that I am a hippie. Or, to be more specific, he wrote I am “definitely much more of a hippie” than he himself is. Hmm.

Catalina State Park, Tucson, AZ

[/caption] His tone was friendly enough, but I’ve been pondering this hippie [...]Similar Posts:

Midwifery: The Reverse Journey

Alison — Sun, 17 Apr 2011 14:46:16 +0000

We greet the births of babies with joy. Death we tend to fear and avoid, which I think locks up a lot of our emotional energy. While I’m grieving, naturally, the death of my mother which happened almost a month ago, it was in all honesty one of the richest experiences of my life. I [...]Similar Posts:

Overcoming Hatred With Decency And Courage

Alison — Thu, 14 Apr 2011 14:43:42 +0000

What would you and I do if the law was changed to where gay people could be executed for being gay? Would we distance ourselves from gay people, many of whom are our neighbors, coworkers and extended family? Or would we peacefully march into the fray and identify ourselves as being gay (no matter what [...]Similar Posts:

Kindness And Hearts Cracked Open

Alison — Sat, 02 Apr 2011 23:50:32 +0000

‘Kindness’ is the single word I used yesterday in the subject line of the email I sent to my work-group. I had finally returned to the office after the death of my mother to be greeted by hugs, a sympathy card with personal notes from everyone, and a pot of vibrant yellow daffodils. I thanked [...]Similar Posts:

Is Today A Good Day To Die?

Alison — Fri, 18 Mar 2011 00:02:09 +0000

I’m actually not posting about the tragedy in Japan, although it relates to my topic today. The reason I haven’t posted in so long is that I’m spending my days here in southern California at my 82 year old mother’s bedside, supporting her in her goal of crossing over to the other side. She’s ready — more [...]Similar Posts: