Each of us has many gifts. Discover them! Look for gifts with the intentionality and intensity. Spend your time with people and in neighbourhoods. Build relationships. Be open to possibilities. Suspend control. We do not need to fix or correct people. Acknow...
Welcoming Places
My friend Matt had just moved to Cincinnati and I learned he really cared about baseball. He loves following major league teams and loves to play softball. We were exploring his neighborhood and saw a group getting ready to play baseball and went over to find ...
It’s All About Gifts
Everyone has gifts, usually many. Sometimes they are easily discovered. Sometimes it takes time and more importantly a relationship before gifts can become visible. Simple questions can help us learn about a person’s gifts: · Tell me about your fa...
Flourishing
Written by: Mark Buttelwerth A vague idea many years ago remains a clear and shining beacon in the community of Westwood today. The Westwood United Methodist Church sponsored “My Neighbors Place (MNP)” began as a murky dream of then Pastor Steve Benett w...
Alive and Well in Detriot
Almost 5 years ago, we started telling the story about Brother Al Mascia. Brother Al could often be found on the corner of Liberty and Vine Street speaking with neighbors of St. Francis Seraph Church. He, along with Jim Murphy, cofounded the Canticle Café at ...
A Historic Perspective
Tripp has an uncanny memory. When he was 5 or 6 years old, his parents hired someone to fix their hardwood floors. A year later they wanted to get some additional work done and were not able to remember the repairman’s name. Tripp overheard the conversation ...
Linda Fashion Artist
Although Linda Love is a fashion artist known all over the world, her gifts and love for her craft are noticeable here in her home town. Her dream was to open a sewing school here in Cincinnati to teach and spread her exuberance for clothing. Linda Love’s mo...
The Freedom of Community
LeAnne Carey, and her mother Mary, will both tell you bluntly that they have just been given the gift of living. After ten years of residing in a nursing home, both are now experiencing the freedom of choice— both big and small—that many take for granted. ...