Sharia – The Freedom to Follow Your Own Path I have a friend who believes that walking barefoot is beneficial for health, a practice rooted in ancient Hindu wisdom. While he often shares the benefits of this practice during our hikes together, he doesn’t force anyone to remove their shoes. […]

Embracing Getting Older There is a wisdom that comes with age. We gain knowledge and experience, but more importantly, we gain perspective, the ability to hold many viewpoints, draw from lived experience, think beyond the present, and respond with greater compassion and understanding.  There is also a quiet brilliance that […]

I Still Believe in Love A man came by the church the other day in a very emotional state. He asked, “What is the point of even trying anymore?” The man had been working with several mentally ill people who had been set adrift by recent cuts to the social […]

Growing up between India and the United States, my parents taught me to value moral and heart-centered living over material and financial achievement. Our family, our community and our faith traditions all reinforced a simple idea: what you accumulate is never the full measure of your life. What matters is […]

Building Community Conversations in a Volatile Time Four years ago, my husband and I moved to Smithville, Texas, nestled off Highway 71 between Bastrop and LaGrange. With extensive tree canopies, vintage shops, historic homes and a close community of artists, the minute we landed here, we became part of an active, caring community.  […]

What’s Love Got To Do With It Most — if not all — of us in this room have lost someone we loved so dearly. The ache remains as fresh as the day they left us. A little bit of us died with them. We feel that vacuum, that emptiness, […]