Our worship theme for Lent is “Repent. Repair.” The word REPENT, as defined by Merriam-Webster is “to turn from sin and dedicate oneself to the amendment of one’s life.” Definition 2 (a) reads, “to feel regret or contrition.” I am a REALTOR® and I am here for the repentance. I “feel regret and contrition” for the role that my chosen industry has played (is playing) in systematically keeping our thumbs pressed firmly down on certain populations. Many REALTORS® would say that they just operate their business within the system that is laid out for them. We in the industry have become skilled at justifying behavior by proclaiming that we are just “small business-people trying to put food on the table.” We are “just doing what is in the best interest of our clients” and are doing so within the constraints of the law. We invoke the REALTOR® Code of Ethics,

A few weeks ago, Lora in HR where I work, shared an upcoming 21-day Racial Equity and Social Justice Challenge with YWCA and encouraged all our staff to participate. The program started March 1st and is aimed to create awareness and habits around race, power, privilege and leadership. The topic of the first week is ‘Reparations.’ Since that is our Lenten topic, I decided to notify Mark and Joel, who suggested the link be shared here. Each day, there are a variety of videos and articles to delve into. Day one focused on the history of reparations in the US and around the world. To participate, go to this site: https://www.ywcaofcleveland.org/eliminate-racism/21-day-racial-equity-challenge/. This program is free to all and I encourage you to share it as well. I’m learning so much from my participation. Rise up and take the challenge!

Last month I wrote about not beating ourselves up for Lent this year.  Now that we’re two weeks into the Lenten season, I hope that has held true for you.  One of the ways we can end up beating ourselves up is by thinking that if we don’t do something perfectly from the beginning we have missed our chance and might as well not even try.  This is something I am often guilty of, always waiting for the perfect time to begin and not realizing the time is always right to move toward greater love, joy, peace, patience, etc… It’s a good thing God’s grace is new every morning and every moment. Even though we’re two weeks into Lent, I want to offer you the “Lent at Home” resource put together by Mennonite Church USA.  It offers suggestions for scriptures and short rituals for each week of Lent as well as

If I were asked to choose a personal theme for this past year, mine would be The Naming of Things. Over and over, this theme has presented itself within and around me, and this push to name what I am learning and experiencing has led to life-changing transformation. In late 2020, I sought out an ADHD assessment, after identifying lifelong patterns that had gone misunderstood and unaddressed. I kept thinking, I wonder if there is a name for what is happening in my brain and body? Rather than feeling constricting, being offered a name and a paradigm freed me. Between this new self-understanding, a bit of medication and the gift of counseling, I have noticed a releasing, an unsticking and a season of transformative growth within myself, helped along by a sense of self-compassion I’d previously struggled to access. Around the time I received the diagnosis, or name, of ADHD,