Gage, one of the Philadelphia Quaker Voluntary Service Fellows from the 2015-16 year, has a special gift. He sees the world with child-like wonder. I watched all year as a sensibility fostered in the majestic beauty of the Pacific Northwest struggled to find the glory of God in the cracks of Philly’s decayed, post-industrial neighborhoods.
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My husband Randy first mentioned moving to Mexico to volunteer full-time at a children’s home a little over two years ago. I had long since wanted to volunteer at an orphanage, but the idea of actually doing so seemed impractical, even for someone who loves doing the impractical as much I do.
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Integrity is one of the primary Friends testimonies. For years, I have understood that testimony of integrity to essentially mean, “Let your walk match your talk.” That certainly is a worthy and noble goal. Great damage is done to our witness when we live lives that are duplicitous.
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This growing season celebrates the 15th Anniversary of the Compassion Garden at our Meetinghouse. This garden project will not last forever at Winchester Friends, but I am thankful for the years I’ve had and the lessons I’ve learned from urban gardening in the middle of Winchester, Indiana.
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How have Quaker ideas about leadership changed over time? Do Quakers have leaders? Do Quakers want leaders?
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For the fourth of July, my son and I took a short road trip to Mounds State Park in Anderson, IN. We had put this trip off for far too long. The rainclouds followed us to the park, and we both decided we didn’t care—the rain was warm and the thick forest kept much of the water off of us.
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