I didn't grow up with icons, being a small-town Oklahoma Methodist preacher's kid. I must have run across my first icon when I was living in Nashville as a young adult. In those days I was involved in justice work through Edgehill United Methodist Church and Nashville's Peace with Justice Center. We were protesting against nuclear weapons and the oppression of the poor in El Salvador. The first icons I remember seeing were contemporary images by Robert Lentz, a Franciscan bro

Gene is one of the group of retired black men who walk at 6:30 a.m. each weekday morning at the Greenway. JJ and I are not that ambitious, so we usually see Gene and his friends in the parking lot as they drink water and finish their conversations. We had seen Gene a couple of weeks ago. He had been sick and had lost about 30 pounds. He told me that he had found a lawyer who helped him get his affairs in order. He asked me if I needed the person's card. I have seen him, thoug

On January 24, 2026, Nashville had an ice storm. Almost half an inch of ice accumulated on trees, and the weight of the ice took down thousands of trees -- and the power lines with them. At the peak of the storm, 230,000 people in the area were without power. And restoring the electricity took 10 days for a number of people. And then the clean-up started. For weeks and weeks, there were piles of branches on the sides of the road. It was only in the last two weeks that the cit

Join me on July 11, 10-4 for "Art Journaling Unleashed!" I'll be one of the leaders for this new offering at Art & Soul studio, 1430 Sidco Drive, Nashville, TN. Let me know if you are interested in joining us on Zoom. Learn more or sign up -- registration is open now. Join us for a creative journaling experience designed for artists, writers, and anyone who considers themselves creative or creatively curious. An art journal can be a low-risk space for experimentation and expl

I'm happy to invite you to a workshop on SoulCollage® that I'll be leading at St. Mary's Sewanee, Tennessee on July 21, 9- 4. I'll be leading this introduction to SoulCollage® with along with the amazing Amy Lyles Wilson. I hope that you will consider joining us! Learn more and register. SoulCollage® is a creative process that combines images, intuition, and self-exploration to create a personal deck of collaged cards. Developed by Seena Frost, a psychotherapist and author, i

JJ at the Greenway I am walking JJ at the Greenway. I breathe, "In, out. In, out. In, out." JJ stops. He sniffs. He pees. He kicks. I try to keep my breath deep and even while I wait to start walking again. Let go, don't pull his leash. "Present moment, wonderful moment." I watch him watch and sniff and listen. "Deep, slow. Deep, slow. Deep, slow." We are a fourth of way through the hike. In rhythm together. (Now that it is Springtime, I have to watch out for the poison ivy.)

There was a time in my life when I was a National Public Radio news junkie. My alarm clock turned on playing NPR’s “Morning Edition.” I drove to and from work listening to the news. After work, I caught up with the news of the day. I tuned in on the weekends to hear the commentary about all the news of the week. Often, I was so chill with the news that I would put it on to fall asleep. And then something happened. I don’t know if it was me who changed—or if it was the news.

By Flora Slosson Wuellner This article was on The Upper Room's website for many years but has recently been retired. I'm adding it here to my blog because I hate for us to lose this treasure. - Beth It is vitally important to be aware of, and to honor our feelings, and to let God’s love enfold us as we feel them: whether anxiety, anger, grief, loneliness. Jesus felt all these things and trusted God enough to share them. It is deeply healing also to share what we feel with a t

Dear Diary, Something BIG happened here. There was an ICE Storm. First we started to hear bangs that sounded like firecrackers. I was very afraid and I barked at them. Mom said they were the sounds of the trees cracking. (Poor trees.) Lots of Mom's and Mama's friends lost their power. But we did not. The moms said we were VERY LUCKY. The Best Part was that everyone stayed home for a Very Long Time. (We did not even go on walks to the park!) The worst part was when I ran into

Mixed media piece in my journal My heart reaches Up through the frozen ground, The paralyzed spirit, The hatred and cruelty and lies. My heart reaches For the light of love, Compassion, Truth.

I recently created a play installation in a recent class at Art & Soul Nashville. In the piece, I used bullet casings that I had found at the greenway where I walk with JJ. It was very therapeutic to play out my feelings of sadness and fear. I did this video as the last step of the process and shared it at class this week. Thank you for thinking about your own portals of love and the way that creativity grounds you in times of despair and pain.

I was inspired by Suleika Jaouad's Substack entry this week. She looked at the past year "through sacred lenses." Read her entry here. Looking back on 2025, there are so many sacred moments to remember ... beginning with the privilege of my adventure of retirement. I am amazed at being able to spend as much time on daily rituals as I would like. Drinking coffee, feeding the birds, walking the dogs, meditating, gardening, creating -- these practices that ground me in this pres

I was honored to be featured in The Academy for Spiritual Formation's Podcast in October. Listen here . I highly recommend that you consider how the Academy for Spiritual Formation might be calling you these days. There is another 2-year Academy starting later in 2026 and led by my good friend, Blake Kendrick. I will be one of the faculty presenters for this experience. 2-Year Academies. If you have already attended a 2-year Academy or are just wanting to test the waters, tak

Nashville Friends: Jack's Good Messages will be available at Art & Soul's Holiday Art Market, December 6, 10 - 4. (Art & Soul, 4340 Sidco Dr, Nashville, TN 37204.) I'll be out of town, but my minions will be at the booth with Jack's Good Messages. Come see us! Sometimes I find myself not knowing what actions to take in this world of chaos. So I've turned to my alter ego and furry friend, Jack the Scottie, who has some good messages for all of us. Work for Good (Who would be

With grateful thanks We receive the bounty of this earth. Giver of plenty, You are the source of Plants and meat, Milk and herbs, Clean water and safe homes. Bless this harvest, Its beautiful colors. Bless this bounty, Its nourishing substance. Bless the livestock And those who keep them. Bless the farmers, the workers, The gleaners, far and near. Bless the hungry, Those who have no homes, Those displaced by drought or violence. Give succor to the people in their need. Bless

(For Mary Ruth Coffman, 1927 - 2000) You knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. - Psalm 139:13b-14a God, who flung the far galaxies Who spangled the skies with stars, God, who pushed up the mountains, And hollowed out the oceans, God, who created 150 billion plus galaxies. You sit in a sewing rocker, Needles clicking, Gently rocking, Humming a lullaby of creation. God of the Universe, You are knitting life, Ten

This morning I am aware of so much suffering. The people of the Jamaica awaiting Hurricane Melissa, essential workers who are serving the people of the United States without a paycheck during the government shutdown, everyone who is being targeted by ICE, and those who are losing their federal food aid. My heart is breaking. For me, the way to survive is by keeping my eyes open to the small joys happening right in front of me ... like this noticing from a recent walk down my

On days when the world feels out of control when leaders live out their shadow selves for all to see when hatred, fear, and bigotry march...

Helen leading morning prayer at our last session of Academy #42 Dear Helen, We were supposed to meet today. "Helen. 3:00 p.m., Zoom."...

I cannot witness the suffering of the world without being affected by it. Do I cut myself off from witnessing, thinking I can protect...