Month: November 2011

Thinking Thanksgiving–Vegetarian Style!

On By Tanya SadagopanIn Healthy Living2 Comments
A Cornucopia of Thanksgiving Blessings

Who says you can’t have a great

Vegetarian Thanksgiving?  

As we think more about going green, buying locally, healthy living, and eating our veggies, now is the time to veggie up your Thanksgiving.

I grew up with the traditional turkey and fixin’s on Thanksgiving.  When I became vegetarian over 17 years ago, Thanksgiving became a very difficult holiday.  People were reluctant to join us for us for the holiday because we would not have turkey on the table, and others were timid about inviting us because so many of their traditional recipes were not vegetarian.  So over the years I have adapted all the traditional recipes to be vegetarian and we have created our own Thanksgiving rituals.

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“Pain without Suffering: Caring for Parents with Compassion”

On By Tanya SadagopanIn Compassion2 Comments
As we care for our parents they also care for us.

Compassion is at the heart of Christian and Buddhist teachings, and yet compassion is one of the most challenging spiritual practices to develop.  As we have entered our 40’s the reality of our aging parents is upon us.  For six months of the year my father-in-law travels from India to live here in the United States—three months at our home and three months at his youngest son’s home.  His routine, customs, and eating habits are very different than ours, but normally we coexist fairly well.  This year during his visit he began to experience pain in his mouth.  What would have been perhaps a routine visit for most Americans turned into a summer long project for “Appa’s smile”.

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Creating a Congregation without walls.

On By Tanya SadagopanIn Congregation without Walls8 Comments
It is hard to say from just looking at a photo whether the sun is setting or rising--an ending or a beginning.

As we watch the Occupy movements around the US in Oakland, Chicago, NY and beyond take shape and morph into various complaints about the state of our economy, I cannot help but think about my own economics.  The origins of the word, “economic” means to manage one’s household.  The larger economy has affected my own household economics.  Eight months ago my ministry position was eliminated due to a budget shortfall, thus I launched in a new “Search and Call process” to find my next congregation.  Churches move very slowly.  For example, I applied for a position as soon as it opened in May.  I made it to the final round when they called another candidate in October–six months of waiting for me (and that was fast for a church!).  After submitting my “resume” to many positions, receiving multiple phone interviews and coming very close to landing a new ministry position, I have learned the hard way how my situation is no different than many people who have been in search of work longer than I.

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