Friends for the Journey

If we’re lucky, we discover some friendly people along the path, some friends for our journey.  Having those friends can provide a sense of calm to our waters, and we can experience the still deep waters of our lives settling into something familiar, something we begin to trust.

 Yet, even with our luck of having friends, we all experience upheaval in our lives, when those still, deep waters of our lives are broken by unexpected cha...

2020 surprised the world, taking everyone completely off guard.  The entire world became plunged into the wake of unexpected transition and upheaval. 

 As 2021 dawned across the world, the upheaval of the pandemic continues.  Yet the world, our world that still swims upstream against the upheaval of the pandemic and the unknown, remains united in confusion and the unknown.

 Throughout each of the conversations with Friends for the Jo...

When unexpected change overtakes us, it’s sometimes difficult to tell what’s up and what’s down. After all, when things are happening fast, it’s hard to keep track

After the upheaval has ended, we’re left standing in the debris, still wondering how to go on.

 But you can.  Even if you need to take a beat and take a breath before you take another step. Kathrin shares a gift of wisdom she received from a trusted mentor, which helped he...

Promises made, promises kept: the foundations for friendship and heartfelt conversations.  As promised, Roberta Damon and Kathrin sit down for a meandering dialogue through the forests of thought, feelings, and belief.  Stories are shared, discoveries are made, and they encounter gratitude, generosity, and hope….oh my!

 Some links to share:
Here’s a link to the movie, Pay It Forward 

Roberta’s Four Thoughts about Grati...

You’ve probably heard the phrase, Mind the Gap, at some point in your life. It’s most often associated with the London Underground trains to warn passengers about the space between the station platform and the train entrance. It’s a warning to ensure people don’t slip and fall into the space between the place where they were and the place where they are going to be.

 The events of the past year have been rolling around in my mind no...

A professional aromatherapist, certified lifecoach, and professional weaver for over 50 years with five floor looms in active use, Nancy Lubin understands the nuanced connection between the many threads in the human experience.  

 With insight and humor as her companions, Nancy explores a tapestry of conversation about the meaning inherent to the language we use, the imagery formed from our words, and the connections developed and n...

In the first days of a new year, each of us is faced with a familiar yet unusual quandary: the future that we’ve dreamed into has suddenly become the present.  It may not be what we expected it to be, it may even feel strange, even different from what we thought it might be.

 And yet, the future is now the present. 

 Ultimately, it’s the most human of all experiences, when the future becomes the present, and discovering what feels un...

Kathrin sits down with Dr. Beverley Buston, missionary, psychologist, nurse, helper, and mountain woman.  The conversation ranges across the landscape of thought and faith, yet Beverly keeps us grounded with pragmatism, care, and faith.

 Welcome, friend. It’s great to have you with us for the journey.

 Some links to share:

The full biography and profile of Beverley Buston, PhD., 2013 recipient of the Campbell-Wallace Achievement for D...

2020 has been A Year. 
It’s as if a decade’s worth of events has all been crammed into 365 days.
So, on this last day of 2020, as we stand on the cusp of a new year, here are some thoughts. 

Some links to share:
Ministering to Ministers Foundation Prayer Ministry:  Have a Prayer? Let us know. We will pray for you. 

And, of course, Ministering to Ministers: We Are Here for You

Many thanks to Ministering to Ministers, who pr...

Once upon a time, 
When I found m’self lost 
In a tizzy & a flurry,
I met this person, Laurie. 

Laurie Curtis is happy to wear a collection of hats in her work with her clients and in her life.  In our conversation, we dive deep into the topics of hope and resilience, trauma, and the confluence of them all in the journey in our lives.

 Early in our conversation, I tell Laurie that I just wanted to “dive into the deep ...

There are many different expressions of and words for prayer.  And, I think, everyone has an idea of what prayer means in their own life. 

Regardless of what it means for you, I offer a prayer for anyone who’s listening. I offer it in love and hope for the space between us to be blessed with peace and health. 

Some links to share:
Some Resources from LearnReligions.com about different perspectives on prayer:
Judaism:
    ...

As promised, Kathrin and Roberta sit down for another fantastic conversation, this time diving into the intersection of hope and cynicism, what forgiveness means, and why each person deserves the chance to make their own choice about forgiving someone who has caused harm.

While both Roberta and Kathrin share stories during their conversation, each one humorous and poignant in turn, Roberta reflects on the story she’d shared as a cli...

Traditions are a part of the human experience. Some traditions are passed down from generation to generation. Others appear in our lives as a result of a deeply meaningful experience, either shared with others or in one’s own life. Ultimately, traditions provide a stable place by which we trace the passing of seasons and the course of our lives and relationships.

And occasionally, something forces a fundamental change in the traditi...

Kathrin sits down with colleague and friend Gregory Reinauer, who introduces beautiful perspectives about music, conversation, and actively engaging hope in our lives. A bass musician trained at Berklee College of Music, Gregory shares how good ears support an understanding of the foundation that unites all the different strains of music within our lives.  Together, Gregory and Kathrin explore new possibilities of creativity, music...

How much silence do you notice in your day?  In your mind? One of the most common complaints about the modern world is the lack of silence, and it’s easy to project a longing onto the past and think: oh, the past had space for silence, and there’s no silence in the modern world.

But there’s one constant throughout all of history: people. And there’s nothing silent about people. 

In today’s reflection, Kathrin poses the question: how ...

Kathrin gets to share some wonderful conversation and laughter with her friend, Michael Chittum, who has walked alongside Ministering to Ministers in their service to others and been a Friend for the Journey to many over the past twenty-five years.  Michael’s years as a pastor and leader have culminated in this work as the Executive Director of the National Association of Congregational Christian Churches, which is most often abbre...

At the time of this recording, voting has just ended for the Presidential Election, a pandemic is currently sweeping across the planet, extreme weather events continue to cause record flooding, drought, and wildfires, and hundreds of species of animals of every size face extinction every day.

There’s a lot happening in the world.

And that’s just in the world. What about what’s happening in your own life?  

When an event – any event – ...

Kathrin gets to sit down with Dr. DJ Kinney, a historian who looks into dangerous chapters in history without flinching, to talk about hope and cynicism in a changing world. DJ Kinney researches, produces and hosts The Cold War Vault podcast, which looks at this secretive period of history and peels back the curtain to reveal the humanity within.

There’s a lot going on in the world right now. No matter when you read this,...

It’s that familiar feeling that never feels good: that realization of making a mistake, overlooking something important, missing a deadline, speaking when listening might be the better option…

There we go, being human again. 

I first heard this phrase from a wise woman I met who, upon hearing me berate myself for an oversight, said There you go, being human again...did you think you were immune?

That Oh no! feeling: 

• during those l...