22
Jan
January 2025 Recipes

By: Karen Webster

Comments: 0

Orange Peel Tea

Prep. Time: 5 mins

Servings: 1 pot

Ingredients:

  • Fresh Orange Peels (of about four oranges)
  • 6 – 6 1/2 cups of Water
  • 1 small Cinnamon Stick

Directions:

  1. Cut the oranges into slices. The flavor this way is better than using the whole skin.
  2. Add everything to a pot and turn up the heat. Wait till the water comes to a boil. Then turn off the stove and let it sit.
  3. Serve the tea cold or warm.

Karen’s Notes:

  • Great on a cold winter day and particularly good when enjoyed with others.
  • Excellent when combined with green or black tea!
  • Example for (8 oz.) tea – 1 tsp black (or green tea) + 1 tsp fresh orange peel (or ½ tsp dried orange peel)

Adapted from: https://ohsweetcultureshock.com/orange-peel-tea-made-at-home/

Sheet Pancakes

Prep. Time: 15 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • 2 1/2 cups Plant-Based Milk (550 ml)
  • 3 TBSP Maple Syrup or 3 Dates (blended with plant-based milk for no added sugar)
  • 3 TBSP Apple Cider Vinegar
  • 1½ TBSP Vanilla
  • 3 1/3 cups Oat Flour (375 g)
  • 3 TBSP Baking Powder
  • 1 tsp Salt
  • 1 Banana (sliced)
  • 3-4 Strawberries (hulled and sliced)
  • ¼ cup Blueberries
  • Optional: Other Favorite Pancake Toppings

Directions:

  1. Mix together your wet ingredients to make a vegan buttermilk.  Let the mixture sit for 5 minutes for the milk to curdle.
  2. If you do not want to use maple syrup, you can instead blend 3 dates with your plant milk then whisk in the remaining ingredients, then let it sit to curdle.
  3. Mix together the dry ingredients.
  4. Add the wet to the dry and whisk until most of the lumps are gone. Be careful not to overmix, as this will produce flat pancakes!
  5. Let the pancake batter sit for an additional 5 minutes. The batter will thicken slightly and become puffy.
  6. Pour your pancake batter into a greased baking sheet, then top with the blueberries, bananas, strawberries, and/or any of your other favorite pancake toppings.
  7. Bake at 425°F for 15-20 minutes until the top is golden!

Karen’s Notes:

  • Less hassle when there are many mouths to feed and customizable to individual preferences.

Adapted from: https://thatveganbabe.com/vegan-sheet-pan-pancakes/

Creamy Spinach Soup

Prep. Time: 40 mins

Servings: 4

Ingredients:

  • ¼ cup Cashews (or 1/3 cup Sunflower Seeds OR 1/3 cup light or regular Coconut Milk)
  • 2 cups low-sodium Vegetable Broth
  • 1 medium Russet Potato (scrubbed clean and cut into large diced pieces)
  • 2 cups chopped Leeks (white and light green parts)
  • 3 cloves Garlic (chopped)
  • ¼ tsp dried Thyme
  • 3 or 4 Bay Leaves
  • 1 bunch Spinach (washed and stems trimmed)
  • 2 TBSP fresh lemon juice (from 1 lemon)
  • ¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
  • pinch of Sea Salt

Optional:

  • Instead of leeks, you can use 2 cups of the following: onion/shallot/scallions, fennel, and/or bok choy.
  • Instead of cashews, you can use: ¼ sunflower seeds (soaked 1+ hours) or ¼ cup coconut milk (light or regular).

Directions:

  1. Place the cashews in a small bowl and cover with 1 cup water.  Set aside to soak for 30 minutes.  Transfer the cashews and their soaking water to a blender and puree until smooth and creamy; this may take several minutes.  Set aside.
  2. In a soup pot, combine the broth, potato, leeks, garlic, thyme, and bay leaves and bring to a boil over high heat.  Reduce the heat to medium, cover the pot, and simmer until the potato is very tender (about 15 minutes).
  3.  Add the spinach and 1 cup water.  Cover and cook over medium heat until the spinach leaves have wilted (about 5 minutes).
  4. Let cool slightly. Remove and discard the bay leaves.
  5. Carefully transfer the soup to a blender or food processor, working in batches if necessary (do not overfill the blender), and puree until smooth (alternatively, use an immersion blender to puree the soup in the pot until smooth).
  6. Pour the soup back into the pot. Whisk in the cashew cream, lemon juice, pepper, and salt to taste and bring to a boil.
  7. Taste and adjust the seasoning.
  8. Serve hot.

Karen’s Notes:

  • Also nutritious and great on a cold winter day, and since it is pretty simple to prepare (day of or ahead of time), you can focus more of your attention on your dining companions.

Adapted from: https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-soups-stews/creamy-spinach-soup/

19
Nov
November 2024 Recipes

By: Karen Webster

healthy recipe vegetable

Comments: 0

Carrot Cake Overnight Oats 

Prep Time: 5 min

Makes:1 ½ cups

Ingredients:

  • ½ cup rolled oats (regular, not instant)
  • ½ cup carrot (shredded)
  • 2 Medjool dates (pitted and chopped)
  • 1 TBSP flaxseed (ground)
    1 TBSP pumpkin seeds
  • 1 tsp ground cinnamon
  • Pinch ground nutmeg
  • 1 cup unsweetened almond milk, plus more for serving

    Optional: toppings such as hemp seeds, chopped pecans, almond butter, and/or raisins. 

    Directions:

    1. Combine the oats, carrot, dates, flaxseeds, pumpkin seeds, cinnamon, nutmeg, and almond milk in a glass jar.
    2. Cover and chill for 2 hours, or up to 2 days. Stir in toppings (if desired) and add additional milk, if needed.

      Recipe from: https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-breakfast/carrot-cake-overnight-oats/

      Carrot Soup

      Prep Time: 35 min

      Makes: 4 servings

      Ingredients: 

      • 2 lbs. potatoes (peeled and chopped)
      • 1 ½ large carrots (peeled and chopped)
      • 1 large onion (peeled and chopped)
      • 8 cups vegetable broth (no oil)

        Optional: ½ tsp Dijon mustard, ⅓ cup nutritional yeast, ½ tsp cracked black pepper. 

        Directions:

          1. Over high heat, in a non-stick large pot, add 2 TBSP of vegetable stock and onions. Sweat until translucent.
          2. Add chopped carrots, potatoes, and remaining vegetable stock and cook until softened.
          3. Bring to a boil, then turn the stove top down to medium-low heat. 
          4. Optional – stir in black pepper and Dijon mustard.
          5. Simmer for 15 minutes, the potatoes and carrots should be very soft.
          6. Turn the heat off.
          7. Stir in nutritional yeast.
          8. Puree the soup using an immersion blender (or regular blender), and blend until a smooth rich texture is achieved.
          9. Garnish as desired and serve warm.

        1.  

        Karen Notes: 

        • The basic soup has only 4 ingredients!
        • I usually add a few more carrots (about 1 cup)  and a pinch of turmeric, so that the color of the soup is a more vibrant orange (and also gives it an antioxidant boost).

          Recipe from: https://plantbasedfolk.com/4-ingredient-potato-soup/#recipe

          24-Carrot-Gold Dressing

          Prep Time: 10 min

          Makes: ¾ cup

          Ingredients: 

          • ½ cup carrot (cut into discs or small chunks)
          • ⅓ cup water
          • 1 ½ TBSP red wine vinegar 
          • 1 – 1 ½ TBSP tahini 
          • 1 TBSP pure maple syrup
          • ½ tsp chickpea miso
          • ½ tsp fresh ginger (roughly chopped) or 1/4 dried ginger*
          • ¼-½ tsp salt

            Directions: 

            1. Using an immersion or regular blender, puree all the ingredients until very smooth.
            2. Serve (or refrigerate).
            3. Will keep about 4-5 days in the fridge.

            1.  

            * Note: Fresh ginger has a better flavor than dried (but it will due if that is all you have).

            Recipe from: https://www.forksoverknives.com/recipes/vegan-sauces-condiments/24-carrot-gold-dressing/

             

            19
            Oct
            Change Is In The Air

            By: Karen Webster

            burnout clergy compost evolution reformed church stress

            Comments: 0

            Change Is In The Air

            As I write this, it is one of those brilliant mid-fall days where the whole creation seems sharp and clear.  The sky is deep blue, with no visible clouds; the air is warm, but there is a pronounced undercurrent of coolness betraying the frost that is quite likely to come tonight; the sun is lighting up red, orange, and yellow foliage as a fresh wind sends jewel-like leaves skittering across the grass, which has begun the process of fading from intense green to washed-out brown.  

            Autumnal change is in the air.  Perhaps it is fitting that Martin Luther was moved to post his 95 theses on the door of the Wittenberg castle church in October of 1517.  As surely as nature was transitioning from fall to winter, his theses opened a debate that shifted the world, ultimately leading to the Reformation and the birth of the Protestant Christian church. 

            Those of us in the Reformed tradition understand that the church is still called to change.  This is summed up in the expression ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda: “the church reformed, always reforming.”  

            The Word of God is alive and dynamic; the Holy Spirit is like the wind, blowing where it will, calling us and challenging us to biblical, faithful change in a world that needs a vital, active church now more than ever.  

            And remember: vital, active churches are made of vital, active Christians, who are called to realize that true life in Jesus Christ means having the freedom to love and serve God by loving and serving God’s people.  

            As Luther himself wrote, “Behold, from faith thus flow forth love and joy in the Lord, and from love a joyful, willing, and free mind that serves one’s neighbor willingly and takes no account of gratitude or ingratitude, of praise or blame, of gain or loss.” ¹

            As a pastor currently serving in parish ministry, I am well aware that many congregations are wondering what church looks like in a COVID world.  Ours certainly is! 

            I believe that, pre-pandemic, many faith communities were already facing these questions, as they took account of recent and dramatic shifts in the cultural religious landscape; however, COVID has accelerated and exacerbated this trend.  

            A lot of what believers took for granted about church before COVID no longer seems so solid.  The volunteers aren’t there; the funds aren’t there; with remote worship, even the old metrics for measuring meaningful involvement aren’t there.  

            Although there has long been a crisis in clergy health, the pandemic era has seen a marked increase in clergy burnout, which may be indicative of this profound change in the ecclesiastical landscape. 

            According to Barna, the percentage of pastors who have considered leaving full-time ministry was 42% in March 2022, up from 29% in January 2021. ²  Leading reasons cited include “current political divisions” and “I feel lonely and isolated,” but the primary impetus is “the immense stress of the job.” ³ 

            It is hard to imagine that the reported stress behind this significant increase, 13% in just over a year, doesn’t have something to do with the accelerated discernment of both purpose and method that COVID has forced churches to undertake.

            As we go forward, two broad ways of framing this reimagining that have given me hope come to mind.  One is compost.  My spouse and HSHC co-founding partner, Karen, is working in the garden today; she told me earlier that all of the kitchen scraps we have put in the compost pile throughout the summer have become rich, loamy soil, which she has worked back into the beds.  What a miracle!  This means that the otherwise unusable peels, skins, and ends have become the nutrients that will feed next year’s plants.  Likewise, it is not as if what we, as the church, have done in ministry before is now useless.  Rather, it is the soil in which tomorrow’s discipleship grows, creating the structure for meaningful future work.  

            The second concept that is helpful for me is evolution.  Therapist and retired United Church of Canada pastor Bruce Sanguin writes that “religious traditions are like cellular structures,” elaborating that, while the DNA holds the “sacred gift of our tradition,” the membrane both interfaces with the environment and holds the cell together; thus, the membranes “enable the cell to maintain its unique identity while also allowing new information from the environment to pass through,” which can “override or even change” the cell’s genetic structure. ⁴  Thus, Sanguin observes, “for a religious life and tradition to remain alive and relevant, its membrane needs to be both porous enough to enable new information to enter and reshape the tradition, and at the same time stable enough to preserve its core identity.” ⁵  

            Our current reality has injected a tremendous amount of new information into the cell that is church.  Our tradition, though, is more than strong enough not only to hold it, but to adapt in meaningful ways, forming something excellent and new that is nourished by, and incorporates, all that was good before.  Ecclesia reformata, semper reformanda.  Daunting?  Yes.  Easy?  No.  However, a strong theological foundation, combined with the faithful flexibility to meet a profoundly fluid context, has worked many times before.  I trust it will do so again.           

            Peace,

            Travis Webster

            HSHC Co-founder

             

            ¹ Martin Luther, Treatise on Christian Liberty. 

            ² “Pastors Share Top Reasons They’ve Considered Quitting Ministry in the Past Year,” April 27, 2022, viewed October 15, 2022, https://www.barna.com/research/pastors-quitting-ministry/. 

            ³ “Pastors Share Top Reasons They’ve Considered Quitting Ministry in the Past Year.”

            ⁴ Bruce Sanguin, Darwin, Divinity, and the Dance of the Cosmos: An Ecological Christianity (Kelowna, BC: CopperHouse, 2007), 33.

            ⁵ Sanguin, 33. 

            31
            Aug
            Catching Up With Time

            By: Karen Webster

            busyness priority rest time wellness

            Comments: 0

            Catching Up With Time

            A common theme that others have shared with me recently is their lack of time.  “If only I had more time to…” “There just aren’t enough hours in the day to…” “How do I make the most of the time I have left?” 

            This is certainly not a new issue; people have been wrestling with this since the beginning of time.  I know that for me, even as a young child, I would find myself unnecessarily rushing through things and sometimes making errors (especially when doing my math assignments!) because I felt a certain amount of urgency… time was slipping away, so I’d better hurry. 

            The intensity of this challenge became even more apparent for me personally several weeks ago as I turned another year older.  Thankfully, I had a scheduled trip to the west coast to visit my family, as well as some days intentionally set aside to be unplugged from technology, which afforded me the opportunity to pause time so that I could catch up with it. 

             

            Pause time? 

            You can’t do that. 

            Oh, but I did… although, not in the way I anticipated! 

             

            My natural inclination is that, when a challenge arises, I research what others have to say about it.  No need to recreate the wheel, times a’ wastin’!  Thus, I found myself quickly drawn to New York Times bestselling author Juliet Funt’s book, “A Minute to Think: Reclaim Creativity, Conquer Busyness, And Do Your Best Work.”  As I quickly scanned through the opening pages, the premise of the book seemed solid, and I could see that, in the later chapters, it offered what appeared to be some practical suggestions.  Yet, as I read it, something felt lacking. 

            So, I turned to another book that a friend recently told me about: “No Cure for Being Human (And Other Truths I Need to Hear)“ by Kate Bower, who is also a New York Times bestselling author.  It, too, was intriguing, but something still felt unsettled inside of me as I tried to figure out how to organize my time.  What should my priorities be?  What could I let go?  What should I do? 

            Since my research did not seem to be working, I resolved to press on… actively seeking any opportunity where I could carve out space so that I might gain new clarity and/or insight as to how I should approach time. 

             

            As timing would have it, that very same afternoon, as I walked into my brother’s kitchen in Washington state, my young nieces (12 and 10) and nephew (6) asked me if I wanted to join them in playing with their playdough.  I didn’t waste a skinny minute.  I quickly sat down at the kitchen table with them, hoping that, through mushing the dough between my fingers, I could perhaps get a better grasp of time, or at least have some fun trying! 

            As my nephew busily made a banana and a rolled-up burnt pancake (left image), I wasn’t sure what to do with the blank space sitting in front of me.  So, I decided to start by making a daisy flower because they bring me joy… then two daisies… then three… then grass… and then, finally, adding a berry bush that one of my nieces made for me. 

            As I worked on the final pieces of my now “art” project, I was only marginally aware of how much time had gone by, other than I knew that dinner would be coming soon, so I’d have to finish up.  Yet, I wasn’t quite ready.  In order for my playdough time to be “officially finished” in my mind, I needed to add some sort of word or phrase to my picture, but what was fitting? 

            Peace?  Joy?  Love?  As I visualized how each of them would look, none felt right. 

            Then, suddenly, “Abide in Me…” popped into my mind, and I found myself filled with a great sense of peace… “Abide in me as I abide in you.  Just as the branch cannot bear fruit by itself unless it abides in the vine, neither can you unless you abide in me.” – John 15:4 

             

            Prior to my playdough time, I knew that I could not slow time or regain time.  However, it was in that moment when I was humbly reminded that I had been trying too hard to control time on my own terms rather than abiding (also translated as continuing, staying, remaining) in God.

            Once I invited God back to be my “time management partner,” I was able to return to the two books I had started, both offering me new insights as well as practical suggestions (I commend them both to you!).

             

            Praise be to God for providing me the space to catch up and re-establish my relationship with time.

             

            May all be well,

            Karen H. Webster

            HSHC Cofounder/Executive Director

            01
            Jun
            From The Ground Up: Digging Deeper Into Our Body-Garden Connection

            By: Karen Webster

            body connection garden health

            Comments: 0

            From The Ground Up: Digging Deeper Into Our Body-Garden Connection

            Over the last several years, there has been a significant increase in the number of articles that discuss the health benefits that people can gain through gardening – opportunities for movement and relationship development, improved mental and spiritual wellbeing, chances to grow local/sustainable food, among other things – which is wonderful.  As a gardener myself, I can attest to some of the health benefits I have personally received.

            As a result of this recent attention, I have found myself increasingly drawn towards reflecting on our body-garden connection, particularly because I find that so many articles (not all) touch only on the surface-level health benefits of gardening, thus missing the richness that can come from digging more deeply into why there is such a strong connection.  

            So, why is gardening so good for our health?

            1. I think it’s because what both our bodies and plants need to thrive are essentially the same!  And, really, this shouldn’t be any surprise given that our lives started in a garden: 

            “And the Lord God planted a garden in Eden, in the east; and there he put the man whom he had formed.  Out of the ground the Lord God made to grow every tree that is pleasant to the sight and good for food, the tree of life also in the midst of the garden, and the tree of the knowledge of good and evil.” ~Genesis 2:8-9

            Because people and plants share the same basic needs, and since humans and gardens have such a long-standing relationship, it should be no surprise that there are notable theological parallels that illuminate this connection.

            I have read that Jesus used agricultural illustrations because this is what people knew.  However, equally important, and not frequently discussed, is the fact that there is, indeed, a fundamental link between people and plants.  I believe this chart, which is far from an exhaustive comparison, is a case in point of this deep connection!

            2.  People and plants are both deeply impacted by what season of life they are experiencing.  Spring, summer, fall, winter… new growth, maturation, flower/harvest, dormancy.  Plants and people alike experience different seasons, and each season presents different needs.  Paying attention to these changes, and the needs that come with them, is crucial for how we attend to the wellbeing of both our gardens and our lives: daily, weekly, monthly, yearly.  

            In the midst of this familiar rhythm and shared commonality of each season, then, there is also a uniqueness in the needs each season presents and, thus, how we are called to tend to ourselves in each season that plays a vital role in our collective wellbeing.

            As we move through different seasons, it becomes important for us to consider some important questions, such as:

            • What was used up in the previous season?
            • What do we need to be particularly mindful of during this season?

            For example, some plants have especially intense nutrient needs – such as nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium – at particular times, while others use up lesser amounts.  Thus, proper fertilization and crop rotation are essential for a healthy garden.  As people, we, too, have certain needs at certain times.  Family expectations, work obligations, health/medical challenges, celebrations (graduations, weddings, reunions), experiences of loss and/or difficult transitions (jobs, retirement, moving, death), all may bring with them different requirements, meaning how we tend to ourselves in them may change.  

            As such, it is important for us to make an assessment  of how we are doing on a regular basis.  What aspects of our wellbeing (physical, mental, emotional, spiritual, relational, etc.) are feeling parched or malnourished?  What are we pleased with?  What needs might require attention soon?  Just as a garden needs regular care, so do we!  (Click here if you would like to utilize our wellness assessment.)

            3. Both people and plants need others to thrive!  

            In a garden, there are certain plants that get along well with each other.  This is the concept of companion plants.  Each has a role in the garden’s collective wellbeing.  Some attract pollinators, others suppress weeds, others ward off “bad” bugs, while others provide shade.  Essentially, companion plants grow well together, each contributing to the good of the other.  Thus, intentionally increasing the diversity of plants increases the health of the garden.

            Likewise, we need people in our lives who will help us to enrich our experience, show us new ways of thinking, expose our blind spots, and generally round out our human experience.  Moreover, we also need to be willing to do this for other people, too.  As with a garden, “mono-culture” is also detrimental to humans as we move through life’s various seasons.

            As we enter into the summer season, I want to challenge you to do some digging around in your figurative and/or literal garden and ask yourself:

            • Which of the basic elements do you feel called to tend to this season?
            • What sort of companion (plants) do you need? 
            • What are you uniquely able to contribute to others?

            May all be well,

            Karen H. Webster

            HSHC Co-founder/Executive Director

            13
            Apr
            3 Ways to Spread Good Health in Our Communities of Faith

            By: Karen Webster

            church healthy ministry

            Comments: 0

            3 Ways to Spread Good Health in Our Communities of Faith

             

            • Be contagious in worship by designating particular Sundays to highlight and explore various aspects of health (mental, emotional, physical, relational, spiritual, environmental, and more!).  There are many health-awareness calendars online that can help guide you.  For some examples specific to the United States, click here.  For some international options, click here.  

             

            • Be contagious in educational opportunities by offering health-oriented studies.  Something we have discovered, both in our research and through leading classes in congregational settings, is that there is a general lack of understanding of the body from a biblical and theological perspective, which significantly impacts how we treat our bodies (individually and collectively).  Since Christianity is rooted in the embodiment of Christ, and given current social movements as they relate to body image, body positivity, body shaming, etc., we think this topic is extremely relevant and foundational for congregation health ministry initiatives.  Here are a couple of books that we find to be helpful in exploring this topic:

             

            • Be contagious in mission and fellowship events.  Does your congregation already provide yoga classes?  Exercise groups?  A food pantry?  Fellowship opportunities?  A lot of times, it is easy to think of these, and similar pursuits, simply as events that take place at the church or ministries supported by the church.  However, many of these activities are already improving the health and wellbeing of the congregation and/or the community.  Therefore, one strategy we want to encourage congregations to consider is exploring and defining a theological basis for health (in your context) and then tying these already existing health ministries into that theology.  Your congregation may find that they don’t necessarily need to add many new programs and/or events; rather, it is simply a matter of being more intentional about the why of what you are doing.

             

            Would you like some more ideas?  Have stories about what has been successful in your congregation?  We’d love to hear from you!  Click here to contact us.

            Peace,

            Karen and Travis Webster

            HSHC Co-founders

            * Please note: following any of the links in this post will take you to sites containing third-party content.

            07
            Mar
            A Few of My (Newest) Favorite Ministry Tools and Online Resources*

            By: Karen Webster

            church education ministry tools

            Comments: 0

            A Few of My (Newest) Favorite Ministry Tools and Online Resources*

            While January is sort of a let-down month for some people, I, personally, find it to be one of my favorite times of the year. With all of the hopes and possibilities that lie before me, I experience it to be quite energizing! Since, over the last several years, this has paired up with the beginning of the 16-week marathon training plans I began each January, I need all the energy I can get.

            This year, however, I chose to take on a different kind of “marathon training plan.”

            Rather than physically train in order to run a marathon, I decided to register at the beginning of January for a 15-week intensive online course focused on “Digital and Collaborative Teaching and Learning.” Plus, just to make sure I wanted to commit myself to such an undertaking (one in which I would have never imagined enrolling… kind of like when I signed up for my first marathon), I took a free, one-week online course on “Transforming Digital Learning” and loved it.

            In other words, this year, I decided (God called me) to take on the challenge of 16 weeks of intense sitting (or standing) in front of my laptop and persevering through each and every mental “workout” (homework assignment) so that I could become  better equipped to serve in the ministry (vocational marathon) to which God has called me… despite the numerous hours I had already spent in front of my screen due to COVID! 

            So how is my training going as I’m about to enter week 7 (almost halfway done)?  My brain and body are exhausted, but I am loving the experience every step of the way… most of the time!

            As a result of taking the class, I have found some new favorite ministry tools and resources, and wanted to share 4 of them with you:

            Audacity: a free, easy-to-use, multi-track audio editor and recorder.

              • Great for creating podcasts.
              • Compatible with Windows, macOS, GNU/Linux, and other operating systems.
              • For a quick overview on how to use it, click here.

            Canva: featuring a SUPER user-friendly interface, this free resource allows you to create flyers, social media posts, videos, cards, presentations, photo collages, and more.

              • Prior to taking this class, I had used Canva for a variety of different projects, but I hadn’t previously realized:
                • Nonprofits can gain free access to all of their premium features, including amazing pictures and graphics.
                • They have some amazing templates.  If you haven’t taken advantage of those, I highly recommend it!

            Padlet: an online digital bulletin board (and so much more!)

              • It is used by teachers, students, professionals, and individuals of all ages and all around the world.
              • It has a free basic plan (more tools and resources require a subscription).
              • It makes collaborating fun and easy, especially because it supports any file type you can imagine, from Spotify Playlists to Excel Spreadsheets.
              • The app is compatible with Windows, Android, iOS, and Kindle.
              • To see Padlet in action, click here and let us know what your newest favorite ministry tool is! 

            OpenShot: a free, open-source, easy-to-use video editor.

              • Compatible with Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chrome OS.
              • For a quick overview on how to use it, click here.
            •  

            And, another result of participating in my online course “marathon training program” is that, despite my best efforts, I’ve found myself having to be even more mindful of my screen time and lack of movement (again, COVID had already made that challenging enough).

            Here are some resources that have helped me address both of these health challenges:

             

            Again, since there are so many wonderful tools and resources available for us to use in our various ministries (whether it is serving in churches, nonprofits, as chaplains, or something else), I hope that one or two of these will be helpful for you.  Please take a moment and share your favorites via the Padlet link! 

             

            Peace be with you wherever your ministry takes you!

            Karen H. Webster

            HSHC Co-founder/Executive Director

            * Please note: following any of the links in this post will take you to sites containing third-party content.

            •  
            feet in fall leaves wearing brown boots
            13
            Dec
            Leave It To Leaves

            By: Karen Webster

            church fall stress wellness

            Comments: 0

            Leave It To Leaves

            This past spring, my husband and I moved to Pennsylvania after having lived in the South for the past eleven years.

            One of the changes I found myself recently needing to take advantage of was a forecasted warmer fall day to finish preparing our garden for the upcoming winter months.

            Up until that point, I had already pushed off the task of laying a blanket of mulch on our garden to protect our newly established fruit bushes and other perennial plants for several weeks, in part because I didn’t feel like working outside in the cooler weather, but even more because I had been constantly feeling the pressure to get my work done – deadlines were looming, and I was already anticipating the stress that comes from the busyness of the holiday season.

            However, between the gift of a warmer day and the extended weather forecast, which was projecting some very cold upcoming nights, I found myself no longer able to… Click to Read More

            2021 Lenten Challenge Reflection

            By: Karen Webster

            faith lent wellness

            Comments: 0

            April 2020 – Here is what one of our Lenten Challenge participants shared about their experience this year…

            “I signed up for the Lenten challenge because for me, it helps to have structure to my spiritual time. The reflections each week that were sent helped to center the topic for that week. During that week, each day presented a different way of looking at the topic.

            For example, the week on “honesty” included questions directed about honesty and God, honesty and self, honesty and loved ones, honesty and my community, honesty and creation. Some of these were extremely personal for me, like, how honest am I with God?

            Some were not as pertinent, such as honesty and creation, although I’m concerned about creation and environment, that is not a priority for me right now. I really had to think about some of the questions posed, which was good during the Lenten season, as we can use that time to reflect.

            The topic of forgiveness was most personal for me, as I question whether I have truly forgiven those who have hurt me. I think I have, but I need to reach out to God and ask for help if I have not been able to forgive. I also need to forgive myself constantly, as most people say, “you are too hard on yourself”. Funny to be thinking of forgiveness in relation to me; may God help me in this area. The Lenten reflection ended with a “bonus” week, that of Holy Week. I was so glad to end the Lenten challenge with “Christ is risen.”

            Reflection by Sue Buchholz from Atlanta, GA, Lenten Challenge Participant

            The Mental, Emotional, and Spiritual Impact of COVID: Awareness for Communities of Faith

            By: Karen Webster

            COVID faith stress wellness

            Comments: 0

            Dealing with the physical aspects of COVID has received a lot of attention in media.  However, the mental, emotional, and spiritual impacts COVID is having, particularly among COVID survivors, need far greater awareness than it is currently receiving.  In order to get a better understanding of the impact of COVID on these other aspects of health, Karen Webster, HSHC Executive Director, recently interviewed a community of faith member who shared their COVID journey.  To learn more, check out their Q&A session below. 

            When did you have COVID, and how did you experience it?

            “I had COVID in mid-November, and I’ve no idea where I got it.  I wore masks everywhere.  I started coming down with COVID symptoms right in the midst of celebrating my husband’s mother’s 90th birthday with a very small gathering of close family members, followed the next day by our daughter celebrating her 16th birthday with a very small group of her closest friends in our front yard with everyone wearing masks and socially distancing themselves. 

            Since we had visited family out-of-town, my husband’s boss had said, ‘I want you to get a COVID test before you come back to work.’ My husband’s result turned up negative and, for a moment, I thought I would be ok, but mine, however, turned up positive.  And I just remember thinking to myself, “What? How can this be?” I was shocked and mortified.

            My husband immediately called his 90-year-old mother, and he, too, started panicking because it was his side of the family we had just visited – his brother, who’s over 60, sister-in-law, his niece, and nephew.  I immediately started having a shame panic attack.

            The first person I called was my mom, and she said to me, “Well, did you get tested before you went?” She immediately made me feel even worse than I was already feeling about myself and all my regrets, the guilt.  I hung up and cried. What did I just do?  I just endangered all of these people. The people I love the most could die now. It’s my fault. I’m sick… That was the worst hour.

            Whom did you feel comfortable telling/who was your support network?

            “I’m a private person, so normally I would not have told anybody else.  However, in this instance, I had to share the news with my husband’s family and the people who attended my daughter’s birthday party, which included telling my four closest friends who had been at the party… crying.  In terms of my support network, I told my friends because I had to, but really it was only my husband and daughter.  COVID is very isolating.  First, you’re told to quarantine, and then, if you’re feeling shameful about it, it is a super isolating disease.”

            What messages were you receiving that impacted how and with whom you shared your diagnosis?  How did those make you feel about your diagnosis?

            “Internally, I thought, ‘How could I have done this to people?… holding on tightly to shame and regret.  Externally, my friends said to me, “You know, you didn’t do anything wrong.  You were careful.” Through the process of sharing with my four friends, I felt cared for.  And then, because they interacted with other people I knew, they would tell me, “Oh, I told so-and-so, and they’re really concerned about you,” and my first reaction inside would be, “You told them!?” I really didn’t want anybody outside of my super tight inner circle to know because I was afraid I was going to be judged.  And the thing that surprised me and I did not anticipate is anyone being concerned about me and my health.  Rather, I had been thinking, “I’m bad.. Are they going to be mad at me? They’re judging me…Who did I almost kill?”

            What could your faith community have done to support you while you were sick?  Is there any support you would like from them now?

            In terms of my faith community, I emailed my two pastors because I knew they were safe people to tell and that they were there for me.  They wrote back, “Oh no, let me know if there’s anything I can do.” And that was it.  Looking back, I think what would have been helpful was to have received a phone call from one of, or both of them, to help me discern what I needed because at the time, I did not know what I needed!

            I also serve on one of the congregation’s leadership teams, and, at first, I didn’t tell them because it didn’t occur to me.   However, at a meeting shortly after my illness, someone started asking about how those in church could “help those people.” This upset me and, without having planned through what I was going to say, I immediately jumped in and shared my experience as a COVID survivor.  

            COVID is challenging enough physically, and then to add the stigma… you must have caught COVID by not wearing a mask or doing something you shouldn’t have done or going somewhere or not washing your hands or not doing something you should have done… I’ve even caught myself thinking, “Well, of course, that person got it, because they…” From a cultural-global-spiritual perspective, COVID is really highlighting our biases, stereotypes, judgments, and hypocrisies.  The committee appreciated that I brought this awareness to them while, at the same time, I experienced being cared for.

            Any final thoughts?

            “I grew up in the eighties during the AIDS epidemic.  My immediate reaction after having gotten the positive test for COVID was a deep, new compassion and empathy for people who had AIDS.  In the eighties, we heard about them, and we judged them.  Having COVID, I realized that they not only had to deal with being physically sick, but they also had to deal with mental and emotional pain from being stigmatized… guilt, shame, “Who got sick because of me?” It would be interesting to talk to someone who also had coronavirus and AIDS and see if it’s any kind of similarity.”

            Reflecting on my experience spiritually, the only thing I can compare having COVID to is all of the grief, despair, and complete brokenness I felt when my dad was diagnosed with cancer and died, a six-week process from diagnosis to death.  Through the experience of the brokenness I felt after my dad died, I learned that I was loved not because of how much I do and who I am (type A, high achiever, successful athlete), but I learned that people loved me, and I was lovable even at my worst, my most broken.  And my experience with COVID was learning that lesson again, on another level.  So, actually, it has been a very cool spiritual period.”

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