This past Sunday I spoke about the candles we lit for All Saints Day and how these candles show that our loved ones who passed are still alive to God. And because we are also alive, we have a flame inside of us.

In reading a book* for class, I recently learned about something common in the African-American tradition: porch sits. In the evenings people would gather around on someone’s porch, and everyone was free to discuss hard topics and complain about their life. The amazing thing about these porch sits was that everyone was welcome.

This past Sunday we discussed the two most important commandments, and how they can be summed up by saying love God, love neighbor, and love self. But I know for me, sometimes it’s hard to love myself, and I’m sure some of you feel that way too. So how can we get better at loving ourselves?