Stories from the Summit

It’s a lighter, faster version of A Peace of My Mind. Over the past three days, Karen and I gathered stories and photographed 50 participants at the Sojourners Summit for Change in Washington DC. The pace was quick, but the stories were rich. Not only did we photograph and gather stories, we immediately processed and produced the shots to be projected before the large group gatherings, … Continue reading Stories from the Summit

Just Listen

I am spending the week at the Sojourners Summit for Change  in Washington DC. Jim Wallis is president and founder of Sojourners and also a New York Times bestselling author. His most recent book is America’s Original Sin: Racism, White Privilege, and a Bridge to a New America. It’s my second year at the Summit, a gathering of leaders who use faith as a means to work … Continue reading Just Listen

Maham Khan

“We can find peace together, or we can be left desiring.” Maham Khan was in her first year at Harper College in Palatine, Illinois in 2001. At the time, her Muslim faith was very private to her and she didn’t speak about it publicly. As a new student, she recognized the need to gain leadership experience and decided to join the Muslim Student Association, which … Continue reading Maham Khan

Caught off balance

When the news from Orlando came out, I was caught off balance. Two months earlier, one of my daughter’s best friends took his own life. We knew Danny struggled with some depression, so we tried to keep a caring eye on him when he was around. But he spent his last day with our family at our farm…laughing and singing, lounging in the hammock and … Continue reading Caught off balance

This is my response…what’s yours?

Those of you who know me recognize that A Peace of My Mind has become a labor of love. It is my response to a world that chooses division over unity and anger over compassion. A Peace of My Mind’s strength lies in its ability to amplify the voices of those who are working for positive change and encouraging others to do the same. It … Continue reading This is my response…what’s yours?

again

Words escape me. Many years ago, a man said this to me: “Don’t work against what you hate, work for what you love.” There’s a world of difference between the two. As the chaos of our world swirls around us, and some preach hate while others spew anger, I return to the only thing that makes sense to me. A Peace of My Mind will seek … Continue reading again

Angela Bates

Angela Bates is the director of the historical society in Nicodemus, Kansas, a town that was settled by freed slaves after the Civil War in an effort to experience real freedom. All of the current 16 residents, including Angela, are direct descendants of those original settlers. It is the only remaining all-Black town west of the Mississippi. Angela sees herself as a descendant of people … Continue reading Angela Bates

Some things are hard to find

Nine years ago, in the winter, some friends came out to our farm. We had a big pile of brush to burn, so we packed the kids, sleds, sandwiches and marshmallows. The gravel road leading to our land wasn’t plowed, so we had at least a mile hike in to where we would have the fire…and kids being kids…we took the scenic route. Nothing was … Continue reading Some things are hard to find