by Monica A. Coleman | Dec 21, 2012 | Blog, Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
I come from people who visit graves. My maternal grandfather died when my mother was an infant. She grew up going to visit her father’s grave. I grew up the same way. Whenever I’m in the general area of the cemetery, I go to visit, now to the graves of my maternal...
by Monica A. Coleman | Dec 20, 2012 | Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
The third in my four-part series on Advent from the perspective of pregnancy. I draw on the Advent theme of Journeying thinking of the scriptures that discuss Mary’s visit to her cousin Elizabeth, the expectant mother of John the Baptist. “Is your back killing...
by Monica A. Coleman | Dec 20, 2012 | Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
The second in my four-part series on Advent for the religion website Patheos.com. I’m writing about the time when we anticipate Jesus’ birth from the perspective of pregnancy. This second article is following the theme: Accepting I was not a young mother, but I was a...
by Monica A. Coleman | Nov 29, 2012 | Blog, Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
I’m writing a four-part Advent Series for the religion website Patheos.com. The first article is out today. The church year begins with a pregnant woman. Christian traditions have called her theotokos. Bearer of God. Mother of God. Most images of...
by Monica A. Coleman | Nov 26, 2012 | Blog, Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
On November 18, 2012, I spoke at All Saints Episcopal Church in Pasadena, CA in the Rector’s Forum on “Wrestling with God and Depression.” I referenced the story in the gospel of Mark where Jesus meets the man named Legion and casts out the and...
by Monica A. Coleman | Nov 16, 2012 | Blog, Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
I dashed into the small coffee shop to get out of the rain. The sound of the rain echoed around me as I discovered that I had encountered more than a shelter from the weather and more than a place for a latte or espresso. Just behind the coffee beans, pastries, and...
by Monica A. Coleman | Oct 30, 2012 | Blog, Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
“Can your church help out with that? Isn’t this what churches do?” I heard that question on two separate occasions as I planned for the arrival of my firstborn child. Could church members bring me meals for the first week home after surgery? Do any church members have...
by Monica A. Coleman | Oct 14, 2012 | Blog, Monica's Blog, The Beautiful Mind Blog
“Somewhere between my unanswered prayers and the realization that I could not worship myself into happiness, my faith died. I stopped believing that God only loved me if I was happy and peaceful.” Mental Illness Awareness Week is the first full week in...
by Monica A. Coleman | Oct 13, 2012 | Media
Many people describe depression as a kind of intense grief. It is a deep sadness. It’s like heartbreak, agony and despair all at once. I think depression is worse than grief. Grief usually has an identifiable cause. There are stages. People understand why you are sad....
by Monica A. Coleman | Oct 11, 2012 | Media
What does “motherhood” mean in the 21st Century? Images of June Cleaver do not represent the typical mother today. Instead women are balancing motherhood with career, activism, and a host of other activities. In addition, mothers are dealing with critical issues...
