Happy New Year, friends! January is the month of Liberating Love. I don’t yet have a reflection to share yet this month, as I reacclimate from a nice stretch of time off, but here is a quote from Austin Channing Brown to consider: “To practice love is to disrupt the status quo, which is masquerading … Continue reading CFD Director’s Message 1.3.24

Thank you to all who made our recent Intergenerational Christmas Pageant Service and especially to those who brought along winter clothing items as donations! I was surprised how full my vehicle ended up being and am off to the Blue Earth County Library on this Tuesday to drop them off. I appreciate the willingness to … Continue reading CFD Director’s Message 12.19.23

“Life is not a problem to be solved, but an experience to be had.” – Alan Watts Today, I am celebrating 18 months of parenthood during quite the unseasonably warm December. Here in Minnesota, the temperatures in the forecast may be met with bittersweet feelings: joy, concern, relief, disappointment, ease, and anxiety, depending on a … Continue reading CFD Director’s Message 12.13.23

     “I beg you, to have patience with everything unresolved in your heart and to try to love the questions themselves as if they were locked rooms or books written in a very foreign language. Don’t search for the answers, which could not be given to you now, because you would not be able … Continue reading CFD Director’s Message 12.6.23

As we conclude the month of November, here is a Blessing of Generosity from Soul Matters: “When we have plenty, may generosity be our first thought, finding ways to share, to help, to reach out, to pay forward, knowing that all of us are bound together on the interconnected web of existence, and acts of giving create … Continue reading CFD Director’s Message 11.29.23

“When you get these jobs that you have been so brilliantly trained for, just remember that your real job is that if you are free, you need to free somebody else. If you have some power, then your job is to empower somebody else.” – Toni Morrison On this Thanksgiving week, may we remember the … Continue reading CFD Director’s Message 11.22.23

“I have found that among its other benefits, giving liberates the soul of the giver.” – Maya Angelou With the month’s theme being Generosity, last week I wrote about how physically giving, as we declutter and assess what is unneeded, is a kind, relieving, and rewarding act. This week, I have been reflecting on how generosity … Continue reading CFD Director’s Message 11.5.23

“Until we can receive with an open heart, we’re never really giving with an open heart. When we attach judgment to receiving help, we knowingly or unknowingly attach judgment to giving help.” -Brene Brown As someone who spent most of my life focused on the importance of reciprocity, learning to truly receive more openly happened … Continue reading CFD Director’s Message 11.8.23

Today marks the first day of November, and our monthly theme is generosity. Here are some words to reflect on, with that theme in mind: “Daily I am astonished at how readily I believe that something I need is in short supply. If I hoard possessions, it is because I believe that there are not … Continue reading CFD Director’s Message 11.1.23

“We are a collage—a remix—of our ancestors. We have spiritual DNA, as well as physical, and our lot in life is to answer the questions posed by the people who came before us.” Austin Kleon As we conclude the month of heritage, what comes to mind for me are the numerous ways we might carry … Continue reading CFD Director’s Message 10.25.23