Bridget Purdome

Who am I? What does my driver’s license say: gender, eye and hair color, height and weight? (How honest is the latter?) How do I present myself? What do I wear? (This one’s easy – no one has ever called me fashionable!) What is the context in which I live? How do I spend my […]

The teacher said, “Feel joy as you breathe in. Feel peace as you breathe out.” Really? I’m struggling with this walking meditation in the dark Gothic chapel. I long to be outside in the light. Besides, how can I feel joy when so many are suffering? How can I feel peace when the world is

“To every thing there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heavens.” Ecclesiastes 3-1 A time to listen deeply and a time to raise one’s voice;A time to shop locally and a time to boycott Target;A time to share with others and a time to nourish self; A time to contemplate

As I enter this new year I want to trust in the Light the same Light that dwells deep inside every person and living being. I get distracted by all the loud and negative voices that disregard the dignity of all who are struggling in these dark and divisive times. It’s pretty easy to sense

Start small with a tiny baby an old carpenter and a wide-eyed teenager. Add a weary donkey an inquisitive cow and some wandering shepherds with their smelly sheep. Place a bright angel in the scene as a reminder that Spirit is present in the quiet and the ordinary. Wait awhile for three wise guys, who

I’ve never considered myself an evangelist, but I find myself wanting to shout from my sixth floor condominium: Try a hot sauna and a cold plunge! There’s this little truck that comes to a Chicago area beach three mornings/week. It is fully equipped with a sauna that seats up to six people. Folks can register

I feel sadfor Mother Oaklooking so thinafter shedding all those leaves.Surely she’s grievingafter so much loss. Standing tallshe winks at me,and says,“There’s freedomin letting go.” My breathing slowsand I’m in touchwith a spaciousnessinside of me. Finally, I nodand respond, “I know.I know.” Together we standand share the joy. Copyright (c) 2024, Bridget Purdome, ThePearlDivers.com. All

As I bike the Chicago lakefront path, I notice the black, gray, and white clouds swirling over the pale orange horizon. A few patches of bright blue sky are also emerging. I stop to gaze at this spectacular sight and begin to notice the swirl of post-election thoughts and emotions in me. Eventually, some questions

Yesterday morning, I was bombarded by aggressive text messages from a relative I’ll call “Jay.” Jay was boasting about the presidential election and trying to convince me that God had prevailed. I was struck by the line, “God is on my side.” I wonder, “Who is this God that is on Jay’s side?” and “Does

Depending on the season of the year and the season of my life, my evolving spiritual practices include centering prayer and other forms of meditation, gardening, swimming, biking, writing, watching sunrise and sunset, and even picking up sticks. These are all activities that I engage in with the intention of paying attention to the movement