Rev. Michelle's Message May 7, 2026

As you read this message, I am most likely sitting in the beautiful yard of my Airbnb, gazing at the redwood trees and allowing myself to be lulled into peacefulness by the gently babbling brook that passes right by my cabin. As you can well imagine, I am in a state of total bliss.

Most of you know how much I cherish my solo retreats. I love my life as a minister, wife, and mother of an adult disabled child, but I do need occasional times of solitude to rest, refresh, and reconnect with myself so that I can continue to give and show up in the way I want to. It had been well over a year since I took that time, so I decided to give myself this early Mother’s Day gift, and you can be sure that I am enjoying each and every moment of my special time.

I am in the Felton area, which is one of my very favorite places. Growing up in San Jose, backpacking the bay-to-sea trail as a teenager, and attending college at UC Santa Cruz, these mountains have long been a place where I feel most at home in nature.

I love the feeling of being surrounded by the ancient redwood forests and I love the funky, nature-y, mountain vibe over here. This week I have already visited Henry Cowell State Park where I paid respect to the giants and enjoyed a lovely hike.

For me, nature is so much more than a place to visit occasionally. Spending time in wild places is an integral part of my life and my spiritual practice. Nature is where I can make sense of things, reorient myself to my proper place in the universe, and strengthen and nurture my deep connection with God’s Creation.

I believe that one of the things we are most suffering from as a species is precisely our disconnect from the natural world. A part of us longs to return to a more harmonious and integrated relationship with nature and yearns to find the sacred in wild places. We frequently call our planet “Mother Earth,” yet in so many ways we are disconnected from her and from the divine feminine she embodies.

This Sunday, on Mother’s Day, we will explore the concept of “Mother Earth” and how embracing the divine feminine that is alive in the natural world can lead us back to the “mother” we are all in need of.

Mother’s Day Blessings,

Rev. Michelle