This is the fifth in a series highlighting the simple and the sacred. It all started with a curling iron. We were newly married, and funds were tight. I wanted to go away and Bruce agreed. We either could have a few days at a fancy place or go camping. I said I’d go camping if he could get me a curling iron that worked with no plug.  A few weeks later, he came home brandishing a propane one…and that was the start of our camping adventures.  Camping can be dirty, messy and inconvenient. Especially when our kids came along and I found myself nursing in the night, working on potty training, and bathing kids in small bins while camping in a tent. Yet it’s been a life-long, ongoing adventure. We’ve taken short trips to one place, and long trips where we stopped in many places. Our gear has evolved over the years, but we’ve never lost our love of camping. I realize that some of the things we’ve done while on camping trips could have been done at home. But just becau...

This is the fourth in a series highlighting the simple and the sacred. The “sacred” invites us to see something as special, as set apart. The sacred invites us to experience God in a way that speaks to our minds and to our hearts. Today I want to highlight Communion – a sacred act Jesus implemented.  I want to highlight this because I think we all can take this ceremony for granted. And yet, it is such a powerful reminder of what Jesus has done – and will do – for us.  Who were the first people to take communion?  On the last night of Jesus’ life, he and his friends met for the annual Passover meal. As a religious Jew, Jesus had taken the Passover Meal for years. The elements and words repeatedly spoken told the story of God’s angel of death passing over the homes of the Israelites when it came to Egypt. Every year, the Jews re-told the story of God’s promises, deliverance and redemption. The symbolism for the Jews was powerful.  But on this last ni...

Th is is the third in a series highlighting the simple and the sacred. What kind of simple activities do you enjoy? The “simple” invites us to engage in the moment –to place our attention in what is happening right now. The simple can help us lay aside the burdens of yesterday and the tasks of tomorrow.  Have you ever been fruit picking? Until I was an adult, I had little experience in picking fruit. I bought most of my fruit in our local suburban market. Since we moved to Oregon, I have had many more opportunities.  But today I want to tell you about some of my first experiences as an adult: enjoying the unexpected pleasures of fruit picking while traveling.  Several years ago, our family was on the way to a camping spot in Fruta, Utah, and saw a sign for picking peaches. At the entrance it said you only would be charged for the fruit you took out of the farm…not the fruit you ate on the tree. With big smiles, our three kids quickly climbed the ladders i...