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Neighborhood notes, presence, and shorter reflections.

City scenes, practical spiritual reflection, and the small moments that turn into larger stories.

Oracle Park baseball stadium lit up at night, the Giants' home on the San Francisco waterfront.

When the Game Falls Apart and People Show Up

A Giants blowout is nobody's idea of a good night. But something unexpected happens when the scoreboard stops mattering and the people next to you suddenly do.

May 28, 2026Presence
Two people talking on a San Francisco sidewalk in an unplanned street-level encounter, mid-conversation.

The People on My Block Every Morning

San Francisco is one of the most diverse places in the country. But statistics don’t tell you what it actually feels like to live alongside people whose lives look nothing like yours. Mike Edwards reflects on what it takes to really see your neighbors.

May 28, 2026Neighborhood
Fans on their feet inside a packed baseball stadium on a sunny afternoon, arms raised toward the bright green field — a city gathered with shared expectation.

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What a Saturday Crowd Made Me Think About Palm Sunday

A crowd near the ballpark on Saturday made me think about Palm Sunday. Both had the same shape of hope. What we carry into a week — and what comes out the other side — isn't always the same thing.

May 28, 2026Presence
Volunteers working side by side on a community project, gathered around a shared task.

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When Going It Alone Stops Working

There's a quiet efficiency in going it alone — until there isn't. What changes when we stop treating the people nearby as competition and start seeing them as collaborators?

May 28, 2026Formation
Two colleagues in conversation, one listening intently — the posture of someone learning rather than instructing.

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What the City Knows That I Don't

What happens when the approach that worked somewhere else stops working here? Sometimes the city itself is the teacher — if we're willing to be students.

May 28, 2026Presence
A person standing at an uncertain edge, paused before a step they cannot fully see — the physical weight of faith before the outcome is visible.

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I Had Faith. As Long As I Could See It Working

My faith was real. But if I'm honest, it was also reasonable — I could see how it might work. It took the plan falling apart to show me the difference.

May 28, 2026Formation
Presence
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When Being Together Stopped Needing a Reason

A question around a kitchen table that wouldn't leave me alone. On presence, productivity, and what it actually means to be with someone in a city that never slows down.

Two people seated across from each other at a café table, mid-conversation, one listening without rush.
Growth
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From Third Person to First Name

God transformed how I see people turning distant categories into beloved names and teaching me that real love begins face to face.

A person seen up close — not a category or a demographic, but a face and a name worth knowing.
Values
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Anas Journey of Presence

Ana came to Proxima during a season when life felt rushed and disconnected. Work, family, and city life left little room for stillness or deep relationships. ...

A woman pausing in a moment of quiet stillness — the kind of presence that slowing down makes possible.