Embodied Existence

Last week, I took a few days away from my normal life and found myself eating my way through one of my favorite cities.

While it was fun to have some space from the rhythms of parenting, cooking and housekeeping, the primary reason I was in Harrisonburg was to spend some in-person time with Gwen working on a number of (exciting) upcoming projects for Some Comfort and Joy. 

Over lattes and pastries, we put the finishing touches on our upcoming series. Drawing from our experiences as women raised in the church in North America, we have been processing what we have been taught about our bodies, reckoning with the realities of illness and aging. 

With our signature mix of reflections and invitations to practice we are excited to share this tender and sacred series with you beginning April 13th. 

If you are subscribed to our blog at www.somecomfortandjoy.com, the twice weekly posts will come directly to your inbox. 

It is such an encouragement and joy when you share our work with others. Please invite your friends to follow our work as we begin our new series of exploring the good gifts of an embodied existence. 

Thank you!

Last week on Monday was the final post from our series about time. Sherah-Leigh and I hope you had a few chances to take a deep breath during the past series and acknowledge the gift of the present moment.

For me, it is hard to imagine that we are already part-way through March of 2023. Today I am enjoying the beauty of an unexpected snow shower and smiling faces on daffodils all at once! So, in each present moment new things unfold.

As we are finished with our series on time, we wanted to take a moment to say Thank You! We are grateful for you and appreciate the time you take to reflect, read, and respond to each theme we write about. We are thankful to have a space to share our writing.

You might be wondering what’s next. Sherah-Leigh and I are putting the finishing touches on our next set of reflections which will begin arriving in your inboxes the week after Easter.

More information about our next series will be coming your way soon, so stay tuned!

This sunset graced the Shenandoah Valley recently turning the fields a new color in the evening glow.

A Blessing (Matthew 6:25-37)

Our lives and our problems will continue to unfold in this beautiful progression we call time.   In the gospel of Matthew these words of Jesus are retold and written as prose.  I’ve taken the liberty to turn them into a more poetic format.  

May the words of Jesus offer you comfort today.

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, 
what you will eat or what you will drink,
or about your body, what you will wear. 
Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?

Look at the birds of the air; 
they neither sow nor reap
nor gather into barns, 
and yet your heavenly Father feeds them.

Are you not of more value than they?

And can any of you by worrying 
add a single hour to your span of life?
And why do you worry about clothing? 
Consider the lilies of the field, 
how they grow; they neither toil nor spin, 
yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory 
was not clothed like one of these.

But if God so clothes the grass of the field, 
which is alive today and 
tomorrow is thrown into the oven, 
will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith?

Therefore do not worry, saying, 
‘What will we eat?’ or 
‘What will we drink?’ or 
‘What will we wear?’ 
For it is the Gentiles who strive for all these things; 
and indeed
your heavenly Father knows that 
you need all these things. 

But strive first for the kingdom of God and 
his righteousness, 
and all these things will be given to you as well.

So do not worry about tomorrow, 
for tomorrow will bring worries of its own. 
Today’s trouble is enough for today.”

Amen and Amen

Time for Joy: Making Peace (Jeremiah 29:11)

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” Jeremiah 29:11

Take some time today to listen to a song that brings peace to your soul.  Remember, accepting that the list is unending, can be a step towards making peace with yourself and the world around you.

We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! You can spread the joy by liking, commenting and sharing this post with others. Be sure to subscribe and never miss a post.

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.

Time for Comfort: Making Peace (Jeremiah 29:11)

“For surely I know the plans I have for you, says the Lord, plans for your welfare and not for harm, to give you a future with hope.” -Jeremiah 29:11

I have spent so much time and energy in planning mode: rewriting to do lists, juggling calendar requests, running from one event to the next. And no matter how efficient I am, how quickly I move, nor how early I rise, or how much multitasking I do, there is always more– more opportunities, more chores, more books to be read, more connections to make.

In the book that inspired this series, Oliver Burkeman writes, “Once you stop believing that it might somehow be possible to avoid hard choices about time, it gets easier to make better ones.”

How freeing to realize: there will always be more that could be done. Accepting that reality allows me to invest my energy in discernment and into the commitments I do make. What if living at peace didn’t require resolving all of life’s problems, challenges and tension, but instead embracing that it is all part of the journey? 

May I be at peace, O God, trusting in your good future for me, which unfolds one day at a time. Amen.

We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! You can spread the joy by liking, commenting and sharing this post with others. Be sure to subscribe and never miss a post.

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.

Time for Joy: Responding with Compassion (Psalm 23)

“Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I fear no evil, for you are with me.” -Psalm 23:4

So much pain in our lives comes from trying to control things that we have no control over. Ultimately we can only control our own behaviors. While we can’t choose what happens to us or even how we feel about the things that come our way, we can choose how we will respond. 

As you navigate the day, pay attention to your responses to problems and stressors that arise. What emotions are stirred? What is your impulse? In these moments of consideration, pause with compassion for yourself. Before responding to the person or email, consider your response. Who do you want to be in this interaction? 

In the midst of fear and frustration, may I find compassion and peace, O God. Anchor and guide me showing up as the person I long to be. Amen.

We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! You can spread the joy by liking, commenting and sharing this post with others. Be sure to subscribe and never miss a post.

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.

Time for Comfort: I’ve Got 99 Problems (Psalm 23)

“The Lord is my shepherd, I shall not want.” Psalm 23:1

Not unlike the list of things to do in my life, the list of problems is unending. But this is the stuff of life. Our lives are full of problems to be solved, or not solved as the case may be.  Problems, and the desire to solve them, actually bring meaning to our lives.  In his book 4,000 Weeks Oliver Burkeman points out that it is not the existence of problems that should trouble us but instead our drive to solve them immediately.

This can all get heady pretty quickly!  But we can probably all agree that problems are a part of life.  Additionally, some problems may benefit from thoughtful reflection more than from quick, forward action towards resolution.

Psalm 23 reminds us that God is with us for the journey.  The faithful shepherd will guide whether we are in throws of a tough problem or in one of life’s more gentle spots.  This Psalm doesn’t promise no problems, instead it gives the sure promise of God’s abiding presence.

Good Shepherd, Thank you for Your guiding and sustaining presence.  We believe you are with us despite the problems that surround us.  We ask for wisdom as we seek resolution to the struggles we face today.  May we permit Your good timing and Your Holy Spirit in the midst of each day.  AMEN

Time for Joy: In the now (James 4:14)

“Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring.”  James 4:14

This week make some time to focus on being present in the moment.  Try out one of these practices:

  • At a moment when you have space to think slowly, review your five senses.  What do I smell right now?  What am I touching and how does it feel?  What noises surround me?  Is there a taste in my mouth/what is it?  What do I see?  Take a little time to be grateful for this moment and your body’s ability to enjoy it!
  • At a stressful moment in your week try some box breathing. 

Picture drawing a box in your mind.  As you draw the first side of the box, breathe in slowly.  Draw the second side and hold your breath.  As you draw the next side, exhale slowly.  On the fourth and final side, wait.  Then start again with a slow inhale, redrawing the first side of your square.

Remember, God is with you in this stressful moment.  Repeat as needed!

We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! You can spread the joy by liking, commenting and sharing this post with others. Be sure to subscribe and never miss a post.

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.

Time for Comfort: Tomorrow, Tomorrow and Tomorrow (James 4:14)

“Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring.” -James 4:14

“Anticipation is half the realization,” my grandma once told me when I inquired why she was so opposed to surprises. My maternal grandmother was a wonderful and warm woman. A hard worker and prayer warrior, I don’t think she knew a stranger! While many decades and miles apart, she always made the effort to connect with me and my sisters. We still giggle about the time she asked if we had read anything that “really pinned us down” lately. 

“He’s so heavenly minded, he’s no earthly good!” was another saying of hers. While perhaps intended as a softened insult, we all know people who are so focused on things outside of the present moment, they miss the gifts and opportunities of the now. 

Whether trying to protect myself from anxiety or because I am saddled with a “type a” personality, I can so easily get wrapped up in running scenarios about future possibilities and preparing for the next thing that I miss out on the goodness of my immediate circumstances.

In her journals, my Grandmother would jot notes about the meals she ate or the people she saw on a given day. While she had 93 years of anticipation and realization, she lived each day with joy and gratitude for what it was. She understood we are not guaranteed any amount of time or ability on earth. Each day is truly a gift. May we embrace it as such.  

 Generous God, May I anticipate with hope a joyful future while being grateful for the goodness of this day. Amen. 

We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! You can spread the joy by liking, commenting and sharing this post with others. Be sure to subscribe and never miss a post.

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.

Time for Joy: Soul Care (Luke 10:38-42)

“…you are worried and distracted by many things, but few things are needed…” -Luke 10:41-42

Any number of tasks and to-dos vie for our time and energy. Often the things that bring us joy, sustain our hope or even meet our own basic needs get pushed to the bottom of the priority list. Making space for things that seem luxurious may seem impossible when showering, sitting down to eat a meal, or finishing your coffee when it is still hot is a rarity!

Today take time to do one thing that connects you with the Divine. Whether it is bundling up for a nature walk, taking extra time to journal or meeting up with a spiritual friend, prioritize the needful thing today.

We hope this brings you some comfort and joy! You can spread the joy by liking, commenting and sharing this post with others. Be sure to subscribe and never miss a post.

Some Comfort and Joy was developed as a devotional resource that follows the rhythms and seasons of the liturgical year from an Anabaptist-Mennonite perspective.