Dear God: Can You Hear Me?   One of the most common questions I get is, "Can you please teach me how to pray?" Although it is commonly asked, the question always catches me off guard for a couple of reasons. The very notion that I would be an authority on prayer, something which I ... Read More

Blaming God for What Humans Do   For years, I couldn't bring myself to say the Name. I would replace it with the Holy One, Divine, Holy Spirit, Great Source or You Who Are Known By So Many Names But None Captures The Wonder, The Beauty, The Essence Of All That You Are (capitalization intentional, ... Read More

The Spirituality of Empathy Empathy seems to be a popular subject these days. But what exactly does empathy mean, and how does it show up in the world? It is important to differentiate empathy from sympathy because the difference is significant. Empathy and sympathy are considered to be two of the emotions available to humans, ... Read More

Leaving Church: Finding God Each week, I plan a theme for my writings. The schedule is made out weeks in advance. Lately, however, I've been adjusting the teaching themes based on the most common questions and challenges facing those who follow me and seek my counsel. Such is the theme for this week - for ... Read More

When Intuition Became a Dirty Word   Somewhere on humans' journey to understanding God, religion took a hard right and discouraged personal spiritual growth outside of the walls of the religious institution. How is that for an opening sentence? This perspective about personal spirituality and its relevance to religion is important for this week's theme ... Read More

The Spirituality of Self-Care   Hydration - it seems simple enough. We've repeatedly been told the health benefits of drinking ample amounts of water. Yet according to medical experts, 75% of Americans are chronically dehydrated. Why would I begin a writing about the spirituality of self-care with the notion that we spend the majority of ... Read More

Sorrow   ​Feeling the void before filling it "You don't know who is important to you until you actually lose them." ― Mahatma Gandhi Gandhi's words resound in our time together this week as we explore the void of loss and sorrow. For many of us, this may be a week you would just as ... Read More

Why it's Okay to Be Spiritual But Not Religious I was born a teacher, a healer -- an old soul. It was both a blessing and a curse. At 6 years of age, I couldn't relate to the Sunday School teacher because I craved the intellect of adult Bible study. I couldn't wait for tent ... Read More

How Long, O' Lord?   The path to gratitude is paved with patience... If it hasn't happened yet, it's coming. That moment when you least expect it -- the agenda of others doesn't align with yours, and with little warning, you lose your cool. Perhaps it is in traffic, or in the grocery line, or ... Read More

Who Are the Change-Makers?   There are many words used to describe a change maker -- discoverer, trailblazer, pioneer, groundbreaker, visionary, history maker, iconic leader. Research shows that stories written about change makers are oftentimes controversial - many disagree in Time magazine's decision to name Hitler to the prestigious position of person of the year. While the ... Read More

Let Freedom Ring   This week's teaching theme is inspired by America's independence which is celebrated on July 4th. But the season following the Summer Solstice is also the gentle and slow turn toward the darkness as we move toward fall and winter. This is officially mid-year, beloved friends, offering us a sacred portal to ... Read More

When is Activism Sacred   "When...the deepest and most grounded spiritual vision is married to a practical and pragmatic drive to transform all existing political, economic, and social institutions, a holy force -- the power of wisdom and love in action -- is born." Andrew Harvey During my five years of studies and seminary, Andrew ... Read More

When Chaos and Disruption Heal What is Broken   This week's theme for my teachings is "spiritual path." When I began to put together the writings for this week surrounding this theme -- at a time when there is so much pain in our country -- I considered changing the theme to something more relevant. ... Read More

Spirituality in the Unknown   But first: an intro to Rev. Karla's reimagined and expanded website and writings. Friends: How are you? I mean….really. How are you doing with this proverbial elephant that is consuming our news and our lives? We didn't think it was possible to flip a switch that turns off life as ... Read More