Where Faith and Art Intersect

from Fredericksburg Neighbors July 2022 Cycles of Grace by Sheila Kale   What would it mean to have your whole life characterized by grace? Most of us have things in life we want to accomplish. They are good things. Too often we look at what we achieve as a measurement of our worth.  We ask ourselves “How am I doing on my goals?” We may believe, as a friend of mine is fond of saying, “If it’s going to be it is up to me.” When I say that out loud, I feel strong, self-reliant, and in control.  But as I look down, I notice my hands clenched.  [...]

From Fredericksburg Neighbors, January 2023 Choose Your Word by Sheila Kale   Now a new year is upon us, have you taken time to ruminate about the year past and ask yourself what kind of changes do you want in this new year? Just to be clear at the beginning, this article is not a call to make goals or resolutions of some kind. It is about how you may want to show up in the world. When I’m coaching in a group, I will often ask, “How would your life change if you added more….?” Maybe, more joy, mercy, or hope?  These words are intangible. They [...]

From Fredericksburg Neighbors  December 2020 Choices by Sheila Kale   Tufted Titmouse are coming to my bird feeders lately. I seldom see them in the city environment. They dart in, grab a seed, and flit into the shrubbery. Soon they return, looking about with jerky little movements, snatch another, and bolt again for safety. The sparrows come in groups. When something alarms one, they all take flight. The cardinals come with calmness and authority. They feast while looking outward, often with their back to the feeder. I think they sense me watching them when, unwilling to leave until filled, they move to the other side where only their [...]

from Fredericksburg Neighbors March 2021   Celebration of Community by Sheila Kale The ice and snow storm of 2021 changed and revealed who we are in good ways. Children delighted in the cold white flakes, posing for pictures beside their snowmen creations, making snow angels and throwing barely-wet-enough-to-stick-together balls at each other. Adult’s sentiments went more like, “I never thought I would dread seeing snow in South Texas.” What will we remember five or ten years from now? We all have stories. Some have stories of incredible rescues and kindness extended. People opened their homes to those who had no power or water. Nine guests in a two-bedroom [...]

Before we begin talking, if we define what is important, what is foundational, we are less likely to become offended or sidetracked. How can we use love as a guidepost to help us find the big picture in our lives? It can’t be just to do kind things or say only encouraging words, because sometimes hard things need to be spoken as an act of love. It helps to have a clear definition of what we want our life to be about. I can’t think of a better big picture description of the way I live and communicate than, “I am here to love you.” [...]

beauty is an experience that awakens our heart and mind to wonder, hope, and awe. It lifts us from the everyday efficiency of production and creates a spaciousness to exhale the tensions of the days. To soak in the beautiful is to heal. In classical thought, beauty, goodness, and truth form a triad. As such it is the cure for a culture mired in deception that has untethered itself from honesty and absolutes. Beauty is a manifestation of good and truth. Anything less is an impostor. [...]

It is enough for each person to live who they are well. Comparison tries to trim off the edges of our perfectly designed self to fit into some place we think would be better. In that process, we lose hope of ever really belonging or fulfilling our purpose. Enjoy your unique self. God does. [...]

  Our attitudes create the difference between thriving and misery. When I heard a speaker say, “Problems are just an incubator for learning,” it resonated with me. I understand incubators. Two images describe them. Depending on your outlook, they feel like a warm, moist sauna or like a hot, humid day with no reprieve from the stifling atmosphere. When my daughter needed a science project, she and her Granddad made two incubators for hatching eggs. One she kept in her bedroom around our household sounds, the other in an outbuilding isolated from human voices. She rolled the eggs over three times a day much [...]

  I am hearing an increasing hopelessness from many of my friends, family, and clients. But not all share that mindset. What makes the difference? How are some holding on to optimism and faith? Why do they have vitality, motivation, and a light spirit while others appear heavy with the burden of their worries? Is it explained by personality differences? That isn’t my observation. I know people who are very detailed perfectionist who continue hoping for better than they might ever achieve or see others accomplish. Others with the same personality carry a cloud of gloom everywhere they go. I see normally happy, easy-going people [...]

Have you ever been in a conversation and the other person completely misunderstood what you said? It is especially upsetting in a relationship with someone you care for deeply. How and why does that happen? We hear what we expect to hear. If we’ve grown up with criticism, it is hard to receive praise. If you carry unresolved guilt, it’s hard to hear acceptance. If you’ve been in an abusive relationship, it’s hard to trust loving concern. Our past experiences shape our present expectations unless we intentionally leave the past where it belongs—in the past. Some years ago, in a book club with four other women, [...]