The Raising of Lazarus

March 28, 2020 / colleen arnold / 5 Comments

Dear friends, if our churches were open this weekend, many of us would hear the Gospel about the raising of Lazarus. It is one I’ve reflected on often, and I’d like to share one of my meditations on it with you.

Just click below and let the Holy Spirit guide you. Share it with as many people as you think need it, and if you can’t get it to work, shoot me an email and I’ll send it to you directly

Out of the Darkness

PS: If you see this on Facebook, it crossed over automatically. I gave up social media for Lent so I won’t see your comments there – leave them here instead so I am sure to get them!

A Tale of Two Miracles

November 20, 2019 / colleen arnold / 4 Comments

My daughter, Jordan, recently ran her first half marathon. As with her sister before her, I planned to cheer from various vantage points along the course.

“See you at five miles, ten and the finish line!” I called, dropping her off as close to the starting point as I could. The early morning air was chilly and brisk, full of excitement as other runners were dropped off and other families wished them good luck.

Only after she got out of the car did I realize two important problems. The first was that many streets were closed that morning to accommodate the runners. The second was that I do not know Richmond at all. My GPS did not acknowledge the closed roads, and the detour signs were inconsistent. I gave up the plan to cheer at the 5^th and 10^th mile markers and decided instead to head out of the downtown area to a park the course passed through. I figured at least there would be parking at a park and said a quick prayer for God to help me find my way.

Unfortunately, all the roads that accessed the park were closed, and there was no easy go-around. I drove around aimlessly for a while, in and out of charming neighborhoods, where people were still asleep or at least warm inside enjoying their coffee. I pulled in front of a little bungalow, just as a couple and their dog came out. I rolled down the window and asked if they knew where the marathon route was.

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The Camino Trail Part 3: What I Brought Home

July 3, 2019 / colleen arnold / 4 Comments

Last month I had the incredible experience of hiking the Camino de Santiago in Spain. Here’s the third installment about the adventure!

People talk about leaving something behind on the Camino: grief or anger or other emotional baggage that weighs them down. I wondered if my walk would uncover something I needed to abandon in order to happily move forward. Oddly, I don’t think I left anything behind, but I did bring something back: fresh eyes for my everyday pilgrimage.

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