Michelle DeRusha's Blog, page 6

Practicing Presence: Preparing Your Heart, Mind & Soul for the Holidays {a free audio series!}

I know! I totally get it…who in the world wants to think about the holidays in October? Egad!

I hear you, I really do. But hear me out for a minute…

I’m the first to admit straight up that I always dread the holiday season. I mean really, is life not busy enough during “ordinary time?” And then we go and add baking, decorating, card-writing, shopping, wrapping, Elf on the Shelfing and socializing to the mix. It just about does me in every year.

Typically, by the time Christmas Day rolls aroun...

Community as a Courageous Act of Peace {and a book giveaway}

Truly, I have never seen so much food at a single meal. Not on my mother-in-law’s Thanksgiving table. Not even at my Aunt Maureen’s annual Easter smorgasbord. The feast was epic.

A few weeks ago our friend Azzat mentioned that he and Afia wanted to host “a feast,” as the Yezidis say, as a way to thank all the people who had pitched in to set up their apartment before they arrived in Lincoln as refugees nearly two years ago.

“Invite everyone,” Azzat declared. He and Afia also insisted that no...

How to Find the True Rest Your Soul Needs {and a book giveaway!}

Jennifer Dukes Lee is a stellar writer, and I have been grateful for each of her books and the wise, insightful, funny, real guidance and truth she offers. Her newest book, It’s All Under Control, releases today, and friends, this one resonated deeply with me because, well, I’m Triple Type A, right? I love me some control! Jennifer writes friend to friend, and her insights strike a solid note because they are gleaned from an authentic place of personal experience.

I’m thrilled to welcome Jenn...

How Doxology Can Change Everything

Recently I talked to a friend who was having a hard day. It was nothing catastrophic; simply that the mounting demands of her work had taken their toll, and anxiety had gotten the best of her, leaving her feeling overwhelmed and stressed.

My advice to her was twofold. One: get outside; and two: practice doxology.

A few years ago I learned about a Japanese practice called shinrin-yoku, which roughly translates as “forest-bathing.” In Japan, whole forests are set apart for the sole purpose of...

Find and Be Found

“Find, rather than seek.” When I read those four words in Joan Anderson’s memoir A Year by the Sea, they stopped me short.

I was sitting on the back deck of our family cabin at the edge of Lake Superior. I stopped reading mid-chapter, laid the open book face down on the arm of the Adirondack chair, and stared out over the expanse of gray water stretching like a metal sheet to the horizon.

Sitting in that chair, the sound of gentle waves at my feet, I was at the same time drawn to and trouble...

Raised to Life {a guest post and book giveaway}

I was delighted to meet Patrice Gopo last spring at the Festival of Faith and Writing. She introduced her friend, Kate Motaung, in a little gathering celebrating Kate’s book release, and even though I didn’t know Patrice, I was moved and touched by the beautiful words she spoke in honor of her friend.

When I saw that Patrice recently released a book herself, I went out on a limb and messaged her on Instagram if ask if, on the off chance, she would be interested in guest posting over here, bec...

The Spiritual Discipline of Driving with the Radio Off {and how it might just change the world}

Yesterday, as I backed out the driveway on my way to attend an evening event, I clicked on the radio to catch the last bit of news for the day. I’m not a big music person, but when I’m driving I’ll often listen to the news or a talk show on NPR, much to my teenagers’ chagrin, and during my hour-long commute to and from Omaha once a week for my part-time job, I typically have a podcast playing in one earbud.

Yesterday, though, a few seconds after I’d turned the radio on, I clicked it off agai...

What I’m Reading {Summer 2018 Edition}

When I was a kid I spent most of my summer afternoons on the screened-in porch, tucked into a rocking chair, the vinyl seat cushion sticking to the back of my legs in the New England humidity.

Often my best friend Andrea would fold herself into her own rocking chair next to me, and together we’d while away the day in quiet contentment, each with a book in our hands. It seems funny now that we intentionally got together in order to spend hours without speaking, each of us with her nose in her...

I Wrote a New Book for You Called “True You”!

God never ceases to amaze me. He’s always working in us and through us in the most surprising ways. Just when I think I’ve got him pinned down, he takes me deeper into his beautiful mystery, revealing yet another path to travel.

God has been working hard on me and in me these last two years. Turns out he had a thing or two to teach me about love – specifically about his love for me.

I’ve known for a while now that God loves us. But the thing is, I hadn’t understood that love is personal. I’d...

Why the Plural Pronouns in the Lord’s Prayer Aren’t a Fluke

Not long ago, I took it upon myself to edit the words of the Lord’s Prayer. That’s right: I rewrote the prayer written by Jesus himself. It wasn’t a complete rewrite, mind you; I simply tweaked the pronouns.

I decided the prayer would work better for me with singular rather than plural pronouns. For example, “Our father, who art in heaven,” became “My father, who art in heaven.” Likewise, “Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us,” became “Forgive me my trespass...