God has made everything beautiful for its own time. -Ecclesiastes 3:11

I mark the recent transition to autumn with this poem that Brigid shared with our family last week. We’re in the midst of a flurry of activity, at work and on the home front, so I am grateful for the good weather and the beauty of autumn that awaits. Blessings on your week ahead!

Autumn – by Paul Laurence Dunbar

Don’t talk to me of solemn days
In autumn’s time of splendor,
Because the sun shows fewer rays,
And these grow slant and slender.
Why, it’s the climax of the year,—
The highest time of living!—
Till naturally its bursting cheer
Just melts into thanksgiving.

The very least you can do in your life is figure out what you hope for. And the most you can do is live inside that hope. -Barbara Kingsolver

Over the weekend, I walked our dog on Saturday morning in Golden Gate Park, one of my favorite locations in San Francisco. That I was able to do so after dropping my son off for Cross Country practice brought me such joy. The next day, after dropping my other son off at baseball practice, I enjoyed my morning walk alongside the ocean. I love where I live and hope for each of us that we find joy where we are.

I am happy to share a reflection from a great spiritual writer, Henri Nouwen. Along with this artwork that found its way into my inbox this week, these resources remind us of God’s invitation to serve our neighbor. May we do so with hope and zeal! Blessings on your week ahead.

Henri Nouwen, With Open Hands

When you pray, you discover not only yourself and God, but also your neighbor. For in prayer, you profess not only that people are people and God is God, but also that your neighbor is your sister or brother living alongside you. For the same conversion that brings you to the painful acknowledgment of your wounded human nature also brings you to the joyful recognition that you are not alone, but that being human means being together.

Compassion is daring to acknowledge our mutual destiny so that we might move forward, all together, into the land which God is showing us.

Awe heightens our awareness of being part of a community… of feeling embraced and supported by others. – Dacher Keltner

I am making my through an excellent source for reflection, the book Awe: The New Science of Everyday Wonder and How it Can Transform Your Life. Author Dacher Keltner provides research-based insights into how – when we feel and experience a sense of awe – we are able to “place the stressers of life within larger contexts.” Dacher notes especially the importance of nature in promoting awe. Isn’t this the truth?!?

Today I post two additional resources, a below excerpt from a prayer at our virtual team meeting earlier this week. I also share some music I came across from my NPR Youtube feed. Enjoy and blessings and your week ahead!

On Listening to God’s Voice-
Dennis Hamm, SJ from Rummaging for God: Praying Backwards through Your Day


How do we hear the voice of God? Our Christian tradition has at least four answers to that question. First, along with the faithful of most religions, we perceive the divine in what God has made, creation itself (that insight sits at the heart of Christian moral thinking). Second, we hear God’s voice in the Scriptures, which we even call “the word of God.” Third, we hear God in the authoritative teaching of the church, the living tradition of our believing community. Finally, we hear God by attending to our experience, and interpreting it in the light of all those other ways of hearing the divine voice–the structures of creation, the Bible, the living tradition of the community.

I look to the future optimistically and wish for us all happy and productive lives. -John Coltrane

Yesterday a former colleague texted me this image of a quote from author Toni Morrison. In honor of Labor Day I share it with you in hopes that how you spend your time this week reflects who you are and what you value. I am grateful for the work I do, and the family I have, for allowing me to strive to do the same each day. Blessings on your week ahead!

Prayer awakens us to God’s presence and, at the same time, increases our experience of interdependence with each other and with all of humanity. -Robert Schieler

Today I share a couple nuggets of wisdom provided to me during a few meetings in recent days. I am leading through some instances of change management and I have found these quotes to be resourceful. I find prayer, being out in nature, and community to be so grounding to support these moments of change. Blessings on your week ahead!

“To practice active hope, we do not need to believe that everything will work out in the end. We need only decide who we are choosing to be and how we are choosing to function in relation to the outcome we desire, and abide by what those decisions demand of us.”  [Mariame Kaba] 

“People think of a moment of transition as uncertain and anxiety-filling. Delta means change. But deltas are also the most fertile places, where both the best aspects of land and water are available to us.” [Norma Wong, Nan Stoops, and Rosie Abriam]

God is much larger than our finite brains can comprehend. This God we know and love—this God we have experienced—is big enough to hold it all. The question is, can we put aside our fears and prejudices and get on board with that? -Shannon K. Evans

Yasmin Dodds recently authored this excellent article, Are You A Gracious Leader? , excerpted from her book Graciously Assertive: How Becoming a Better Human Makes You a Better Leader. Over the past week, I have benefited from several robust conversations with long-time collaborators, and I am grateful for this gift of time and space. I have spent time thinking about if/how I practice the important principles outlined by Yasmin. It’s definitely a process, but I am striving toward the better.

Over the weekend we visited an amusement park on Saturday, and spent the afternoon on the beach on Sunday. Watching our kids enjoy the water rides and rollercoasters, and play soccer on the beach together, brought happiness to our heart. This week, summer is over and school is back in session…God is good. Blessings on your week ahead!

“Gracious” Leadership Principles:

1. Value emotional safety. Create an environment where individuals feel safe to express their true thoughts and feelings without fear of judgment or repercussion.

2. Practice radical humility. Approach interactions with humility, recognizing that you do not have all the answers and that every perspective is valuable.

3. Engage in active listening. Listen with the intent to understand, not just to respond. This involves giving your full attention and reflecting back what you hear to ensure comprehension.

4. Practice acceptance. Accept others as they are, without trying to change or judge them. This fosters a sense of belonging and respect.

5. Try being nonjudgmental. Suspend judgment and approach each interaction with an open mind. This encourages honest and open communication.

6. Demonstrate compassion. Show genuine care and concern for others. Compassionate leaders inspire trust and loyalty in their teams.

“Implementing these principles can transform your workplace culture. Start by setting the tone in meetings and interactions, demonstrating these behaviors consistently. Encourage your team to do the same by modeling active listening, empathy and nonjudgment. Becoming a better leader involves becoming a better human being.”

Because of our phones, we are forever elsewhere. – Sherry Turkle

I have spent much time this week thinking about presence and connectedness. Some of this reflection is motivated by the familiar familial whirlwind that is characteristic of our household experience during this time of year. We frantically purchase notebooks and school supplies, update multiple differing calendars and quickly immerse ourselves back into practice and school routines. I count our blessings that our kids are excited to return to their schools and are looking forward to being with their friends again.

I recently read this quote, cited in a San Francisco Chronicle article, and was reminded of the poetic leadership of a Daughter of Charity mentor of mine, Sr. Joyce Weller, DC. She often taught me- and others- of the importance of service and vocation in the midst of the business of our lives: “Sister Joyce Weller of the Daughters of Charity shared with me how in 1993 she came across a beautiful prayer posted on the wall of a hospital in Sierra Leone: When I die and happily meet my Creator, He will ask me to show Him my wounds. If I tell Him that I have no wounds, my Creator will ask: Was nothing worth fighting for?”

Here are a couple resources informing my thinking these days. Happy Back to School time! Blessings on your week ahead.

10 to 25: A Groundbreaking Approach to Leading the Next Generation—And Making Your Own Life Easier.

A life is not important except in the impact it has on others’ lives. -Jackie Robinson

It’s the last week of summer for my kids at home, and unfortunately for (at least one of them!) Covid is back and so we’re responding accordingly. Fortunately we are all relatively healthy and enjoy the support of each other. I share several resources that have come my way this week that have provoked my thinking, including a prayer to honor last Wednesday’s feast of Saint Ignatius of Loyola. Also the thought-provoking Richard Rohr reflection serves as a nice reminder of how God calls us to community. This theme is supported by artist Jon Batiste in his moving commencement address that was recommended to me on Friday night by a thoughtful – and generous – farmer/business leader who supports one of our schools in central Washington state….I was fortunate to be with him last week during my visit to our school there. Check it out when you have a few minutes.

Blessings on your week ahead!

A New Way of Being Community

God calls us to a new way of living, a new way of relating to God, to others, and to the world. It is a way of cooperating rather than competing, a way of giving rather than getting, a way of faith rather than knowledge, a way of relationship rather than anonymity, a way of love rather than animosity.

-Richard Rohr

Life takes you many places. Make the best of any situation. Complaining doesn’t help. You’ve gotta adjust and make it work for you. -Willie Mays

I am working from home today and I moved a plant outside for it to access some much-needed sunlight on this nice San Francisco afternoon. Our puppy, who notices everything, immediately went into a barking fit at the unknown object on our backyard table…despite living alongside the same exact plant, indoors, for the entirety of her life with us! Once I noticed Bingo’s puppy angst, I walked around all corners of our backyard table, re-introduced her to our houseplant, and helped her feel comfortable with change. All it took was my presence and patience with her, along with expanding her perspective to view her new reality, in order for her to be comfortable.

I write about this experience today in light of all the natural change on the horizon in my life. A new school year brings with it much opportunity to adapt, learn, and grow….the same hopes that I have for my houseplant! I hope that I may be able to be as present, patience and supportive of my children, and my colleagues in education, as we all live into the exciting weeks and months ahead.

Happy concluding weeks of summer and blessings on your week ahead!

[The concept of Sabbath] is something to which we are called every day! -Richard Reece

This past weekend I enjoyed a visit with my two youngest children to my hometown outside of Philadelphia. Spending quality time with family, catching up with old friends, and enjoying nice weather and swimming brought great joy to my heart. This trip also concludes my vacation experiences of summer, as I now shift gears toward preparations for the new school year ahead.

I am happy to share a few resources to promote this ideal of taking time on a regular basis to reflect, relax, and practice “Sabbath.” Miriam Webster loosely defines this word Sabbath as a “time of rest.” May your week ahead be a blessed one!

On the Practice of Sabbath

Peace, gratitude, even joy are Sabbath goals that we are called to bring to others throughout the week. We might model these Sabbath virtues through the patience we show with our children, our spouses, our colleagues- and the person who cuts us off in traffic. We might also model listening – the way we expect the Lord to listen to us, with attention and compassion.

Another essential Sabbath virtue is gratitude for family, friends, and the beauty of creation….Today I pray to be a bringer of Sabbath to all I meet.