Traveling Thoughts

My brother and I are 15 months apart, practically Irish twins, and you couldn’t get more Irish with names like "Katie and Patrick" and my brother being born on St. Patrick’s Day. While we grew up in the same household and share the same parents, there are more ways that we are different than we are alike. While we share having curly hair, the same nose, and blue eyes - even standing next to each other people wouldn’t believe we were related let alone siblings. When it comes to disposition, we were on opposite ends of the spectrum as children. Being the older sibling, teachers having my brother the next year were often shocked to find out that we were related. Growing up we both shared a love of climbing any and all things but mostly trees! While we both started out fearless in conquering the scaling of branches and seeing how high we could get, our reaction to getting down was much different. Sure, it was all fun and games when we were climbing and looking out into t...

The countdown is on – there are only a few more hours left before the end of the year! Once again, in the last few hours and minutes of the year, I find myself processing what has taken place and looking toward the future with a spirit of hope. This end of year reflection on the power of words is something that I’ve found to be a helpful and meaningful practice.  One of the quotes that I’ve found meaningful when moving into a new season, year, etc. and not wanting to take the baggage that is the past is this "Yearning for a new way will not produce it. Only ending the old way can do that. You cannot hold onto the old, all the while declaring that you want something new. The old will defy the new; The old will deny the new; The old will decry the new. There is only one way to bring in the new. You must make room for it." -Neal Donald Walsch  2018 – Celebrate In thinking through the word I would select for 2018, I was inspired by Colony House’s “Mo...

Outlook at Rising Park in Lancaster The allure of Columbus has been stirring in me since the first time I visited Easton as a senior in high school. It only grew stronger as I went through seminary at Methodist Theological School in Ohio . Thanks to my seminary education, I was able to explore the Southside of Columbus with the Church for All People , met up with many friends and classmates all around the city, and visited different places of worship thanks to an Interfaith exploration class. During this time, I always said “one day I’m going to live in Columbus.” Viola – that “one day” became a reality for two years. While the last two years in ministry was one for the books, so was my time in Columbus. Work hard, play hard. The balance is needed and over the last year, I made it a priority. Whether you live in Columbus or find yourself visiting, here is a list of some of the BEST things this city has to offer:   Apple picking at Lynd’s Fruit Farms ...

“So what are you going to do with all your free time now?” A question a good friend asked after I told her that I turned in my last paper completing my seminary journey. It was a similar question I started asking myself this spring. I am a list person. I am driven by creating and meeting goals. I even make lists in my sleep. Seriously. Fewer things in life give me more pleasure than crossing off something from a to do list. So on a road trip to the Foothills of Ohio with a friend this spring, I made a list of 30 things I wanted to “check off” before December 2017. Why the December 2017 timeline? Well, part of creating goals is to have a time line for when you will complete them. This isn’t a bucket list of things I want to do before I die. It is a list of things that work to live out a meaningful life and story. Looking through the list, I can’t even begin to imagine what kind of stories I will be able to share and people I will meet along the way. I think that’s what is so ...