Releasing the “Should”

When was the last time you told yourself you “should” do or be something because you saw someone else doing or being that particular something? You can read my reflection for today’s “Practicing Families” blog that centers on that topic by clicking here. About a year ago, I learned of “Practicing Families” – an online…

There is enough time…

When I became a new parent, I no longer thought I had enough time. I’ve always been an anxious person, bent on productivity and intent on efficiency. Improving something was a thrill, and a completed to-do list a gold star. More done = better. And done perfectly was even better (as though this exists). A terrible motto, and yet,…

“What’s in a Name?”

“Have you thought about names?” My friends asked. My parents asked. Kind church members offering hugs in the receiving line asked. Pregnancy invites all kinds of advice, but it also ignites curiosity and questions. I was surprised last year how many people asked me what baby names we were considering. I was also surprised by…

Weekly Prayer

One of my favorite things to do in the two churches I most recently served was to write a weekly prayer that went out to the congregation via our “e-news” on Fridays.  I incorporated the prayer requests I received from church members that we might hold one another in our hearts throughout the day. While the…

“Ash and Starlight”

Last August, my beloved father, Dr. Tom Braithwaite, died after an eleven-year journey through cancer. Dad loved to sing. It was a passion he shared with his brother. They regularly sang as a quartet at church, and after Dad’s death, my uncle commissioned a musical piece for the quartet.  He did not seek to memorialize…

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