K.C. Ledgerwood is a Licensed Professional Counselor and has worked in community mental health and trauma-informed work since 2011. Her background in mental health, alongside her history in teaching fitness, provided the foundations of a personal practice she developed. The somatic practice was first shared with friends, then formed into classes she began teaching in 2021.

Being freely & lightly attuned to the natural world around us reminds us of the patient pace of the Creator. This is not something to accomplish, but something to enter into, because it’s all happening anyway, and we aren’t at the center of any of it. We are invited to meet God in the wonder, enjoyment, and grief of it all.

Puzzles are a creative way of slowing us down. They invite us to look closely, be patient, and appreciate the process. In the season of Advent—a season marked by anticipation and the spiritual work of waiting—a puzzle can ground us in an embodied practice. A puzzle is a practice that reminds us that the process is as essential as the completed product.

Andrea Peters has served on the Littleton City Council for the last two years. She shares her conviction about the essential nature of citizens’ participation in city council meetings. “On our flowchart, citizens are at the very top. If we don't hear from them, the whole system breaks down," she explains. With a mix of optimism and realism, she adds, "I think [local city council meetings] might be the most hopeful part of government right now."

When we think about leadership, we often picture roles “out there”—at work, church, or on a nonprofit board. But leadership starts closer to home—right in our neighborhoods. No matter where you live—condo, apartment, or cul-de-sac—there are simple, powerful ways to lead. Sociologists say we all have five “neighborhoods”: familial (extended family), relational (friends), digital (online presence), psychographic (shared-interest groups), and geographic. Jesus calls us to love all our neighbors, but let’s focus on our literal, geographic ones.

December 21, the darkest night of the year, falls just days before Christmas. The world feels suspended in shadow as if holding its breath for something new. These long nights are a threshold—where the silence deepens, the stars emerge, and the veil between heaven and earth feels paper-thin.

Pausing is an invitation to interact with our lives, our neighbors and neighborhoods, with intention. It is a practice to be present to the sacredness of the people and place around us.

Wandering is a counter script to the often overly scheduled lives centered around efficiency and productivity. Wandering is a practice that cultivates curiosity, looking to be interrupted by the world around you. When we are willing to wander, we have the possibility of being present to what is around us.

The place you call home has a history. The geography where you live has a story. To know your neighborhood begins with the practice of knowing the history of your neighborhood. Learning the history of the place you and your neighbors live is a spiritual practice.

A book club is a practice that cultivates curiosity and community. Book reading is usually considered a solitary activity. A book club invites a reader into a shared activity. A neighborhood book club is a unique collective experience of hospitality, listening, and learning.

We must know our neighbors to love our neighbors. Only in doing life together do we make visible the heart of Jesus to our neighbors. Coffee Friday might be the practice for you to get to know your neighbors. Or, replace coffee with something else that might unite your neighbors. I bet on coffee.

Curiosity about your place creates a common ground of conversations. Be curious with neighbors and local leaders. The more you practice curiosity, the more you encourage it in those around you.

Jesus lived a different way. He lived seeing life. What we see, and how we see, matters. If you don’t know where to start in loving your neighbors and neighborhood, ask Jesus to help you see.

Being a regular is an ordinary, but intentional, practice to love your neighbors and neighborhood. It is arranging everyday activities with consistency. Being a regular provides a rhythm to build relationships.

The first practice is to listen.

To love a person, or a place, we begin by listening. Listening is how we cultivate connection. The invitation is to be generous with our attention. Listen invites us to give honor and focus through our senses. At the root of all formation and transformation is an awareness. Awareness begins with listening.