Lent falls on Valentine’s Day this year and I couldn’t be more excited. I have mixed thoughts on Valentine’s Day, which I won’t get into here, so I am glad for a day that can be focused on seeking God and considering my mortality. I found this online the other day and loved how perfectly […]
Author: jmanglos@hotmail.com
People Who Need People
I love being around people, but it is easy for me to forget how much I need them in my life. I have become adept at filling in my perceived gaps on my own. In some ways, this has served me well. However, this self-reliance is often my biggest detriment. Because when I am in […]
Guest Post: At Home With the Loverbees
Hi All, A good Monday to you all (don’t trust this seemingly cheerful greeting, I am still waiting for my coffee to kick in). I have a guest post up on At Home With the Loverbees, a blog by the wonderful Nanette Overby. This month, Nanette is hosting a series of posts called Matters of […]
Is Forgiveness Possible?
I forgive you. I used to believe that forgiveness was possible, but over the past few years, my hope has been disappointed. My experience of forgiveness in the past has been hopeful. When I was in high school I had a falling out with a close group of friends. Years later, I reconnected with one […]
Stuck in the Middle of Change
This past November I made my first trip to Washington, D.C. It was a lovely experience and helped to bring the history of this country alive in new ways. Two of the most meaningful museums for me were the African American Museum and the Holocaust Museum. It was painful and humbling to witness evidence for […]
Jen’s Top Ten, No Wait, Eleven
I am like that sports fanatic, whose life revolves around the cycles of seasons of a particular sport. I read the buzz pre-season, I go to lots of games, and I have countless conversations on who is going to win. Except my sport is film and the games are theaters. Christmas is the most wonderful […]
A Retreat for the New Year
Happy New Year! At this time of year, many of us have a desire to reflect on our lives and make new intentions. I created a personal retreat for this very purpose and it is currently posted on my good friend Amy Simpson’s blog. (Note: Amy is a fantastic writer and life coach. If you’re […]
Some Very Spoilery Thoughts on Thor:Ragnarok
I have so many thoughts coming out of my viewing of Thor: Ragnarkok last night. I’m a huge fan of the director, Taika Waititi (please do yourself a favor and watch What We Do in the Shadows and Hunt for the Wilderpeople). Honestly, Thor hasn’t been a character in the Marvel Cinematic Universe that I’ve […]
A Wonder of a Woman
Weighed down by a chorus of no’s, she steps up onto the battlefield. Her disguise falls to the ground and fiercely, she walks towards the gun fire. And instead of being demolished, she triumphs, making it across No Man’s Land. She clears the path so that her men can follow. I cried. I was never […]
Resurrected
This is the moment we have waited for. Life. Life where there once was death. For the final day of our Online Stations of the Cross, you are invited to reflect on these images of resurrection. Which images resonate with you the most? What picture would you take to depict resurrection? What would it look […]
Buried
There’s something about burials that feel so final. I remember attending the funeral of a friend who passed away and watching the dust begin to cover her casket brought a new set of tears. I wonder what it was like for Jesus’ followers, who saw his burial as a death to their hopes for the […]
Died
Death is a haunting word with a stark reality. Today, you are invited to ponder death – the death of Christ, the deaths of those you loved, and perhaps the fact that you also will one day die. (Note: Submit your photos now and tag @OakHouseRetreats #died). It was now about noon, and darkness […]