From Mary Mark — 3/15/23

FIRST UU RETREAT 2023: BEYOND THE BINARY Friday May 12 & Saturday May13 – Escape the realities of a normal weekend and join your UU friends and acquaintances for Friday evening at the beautiful grounds of the Transfiguration Spirituality Center in Evendale. We will gather around the fire pit on the patio for appetizers and … Continue reading From Mary Mark — 3/15/23

Very Poorly Today

Paper in the Wind I’ve spent the better part of this morning thinking, wondering, wordsmithing what to write for this week’s edition of “Tools for the Journey.” Thoughts swirl around my head like torn slips of paper in the wind. I grab at them in hopes of finding the ‘right words.’ One slip of paper … Continue reading Very Poorly Today

SJ/PW — 3/25/2023

Sunday – This Week From 2:30 to 4, The SW Ohio Action Team of ACLU Ohio will meet at the Reading Public Library, 8740 Reading Rd. We will create subcommittees and discussing action steps for the issues we developed last month. This is a great opportunity to help create the strategy and plans for organizing … Continue reading SJ/PW — 3/25/2023

Trains and Liminality

All Aboard! Hello Beloved, Here’s something not many people know about me – I watch passenger train videos on YouTube for fun.  Two of my favorites are Solo Travel Japan and Downie Live.  Trains are interesting forms of transportation, if you think about it.  They are designed to be liminal spaces – places where people … Continue reading Trains and Liminality

Religion and Math

Happy Pi Day! Happy Pi Day!  In case you didn’t know, I’m a bit of a math nerd.  In elementary school, I would do mental math at night to fall asleep.  In High School, I competed in math competitions at the national level.  And, in college, I tutored both children and adults in the subject.  … Continue reading Religion and Math

Perfection or Connection

Carpet Tiles and the Purpose of Church Beloved, May I tell you a story?  One Sunday morning, several months ago, I found myself arriving late to church.  Not late enough to miss the service, mind you, but late enough that my to-do list suddenly went from being practical to aspirational – no way was I … Continue reading Perfection or Connection

Reflections on February

How Do You Cope? My husband and I have a saying this time of year, “F*****g February.”  Not that there is anything particularly wrong with the month itself.  Black History, Valentine’s Day, and Lent are all good.  It’s just that IF something is to go wrong for us, it usually goes wrong in February.  February … Continue reading Reflections on February

SJ/PW — 02/19/23

Sunday — this week At 3, what looks to be a delightfully kid-friendly event is taking place at the Interfaith Center in Oxford; learn about the tradition of floating lanterns in different parts of the world! 16 S. Campus Ave, Oxford OH 45056; RSVP here.  Or join Side with Love at 4 for the first … Continue reading SJ/PW — 02/19/23

Valentine’s Day

Happy Valentine’s Day! This may come as no surprise to you, but I love love.  Not gooey, mushy, romantic love… well, okay, gooey, mushy, romantic love, yes, but for the sake of this message I am talking about all kinds of love: the love that drives people to pay for the car behind them in … Continue reading Valentine’s Day