“God will fulfill His purpose for me.” Psalm 138:8
I’ve been taking great comfort in a simple truth from scripture. In Psalm 138, David claims, “God will fulfill His purpose for me.” It’s true. I don’t have to worry. As I think about all the times in the Bible that “purpose” occurs, I remember that nobody can thwart God’s purposes. Nobody. And nothing. The […]
Regardless, Just Bloom
Reports have come in that the weeping cherries bloomed early this morning. Last night, nothing. Today, everything. The children proclaim: “It’s like popcorn!” “It’s like fireworks!” Technically speaking, it’s not a beautiful day outside. Far from it. It’s dreary, cloudy, and dark. There’s hardly enough light to take photos. The trees pay no mind. They […]
Saving a Baby Squirrel (Video)
My daughters hear the sharp cries of some tiny thing in the yard by the big oak tree. “It’s a baby squirrel! She’s fallen from her nest!” //www.youtube.com/get_player Indeed, the little squirrel cries and cries for a mother who never arrives. Our town has an emergency service for wildlife. In particular, we have specialists in […]
“Let me help somebody in a tangible way. . . “
I read a firsthand account of someone inside the medical tent at the Boston Marathon. Tyler Dodd, with medical training in trauma, crossed the finish line and went to help victims. He says this: I’m a recovering alcoholic. I wake up every morning and I pray for God to guide me through my day, and I asked for […]
Taking a Mr. Rogers Quote to Heart
I didn’t talk to my children about Boston this morning because I didn’t know how. Then, back in my office on campus, I view a quote from Mr. Rogers on my twitter feed. “When I was a boy and I would see scary things in the news, my mother would say to me, ‘Look for […]
Who Can Do It First?
Sometimes, on the most monotonous of days, I challenge myself to find the flair in the most ordinary of tasks. My most ordinary task today? Probably lugging the garbage cans and recycling bins back to the garage since Monday is garbage day in our town. Rallying to do this task, I prepare myself for squeezing […]
Advancing Through Levels: Back to the Pond
We travel once again to the secret pond. Little Girl in the Woods At first, you don’t see anything but a reflection. So you look deeper until you see. Salamanders and frogs blend in by design. Stay still and watch, and soon nature rewards you. We find more frog eggs to observe, and my daughter […]
To the Cynic
I’m studying cynicism. It’s the philosophy of the day amongst many college students, and I wonder how to combat it. Cynicism is trendy. It’s so very sophisticated to be detached, sarcastic, pessimistic, suspicious, negative, and bitter. It seems so intellectual. The cynic recognizes the fake because it’s all fake to her. It’s all hopeless and pointless. […]
Just Afraid
I ask students to characterize themselves by completing the sentence, “I’m the type of person who. . .” Sometimes students finish the sentence and then offer the story behind how they developed that particular personality trait. Once a student read her sentence about how mean, abrasive, and dominant she was. She was fully aware of […]
Was It You?
On the walk to school this morning, during the hardest uphill climb, everyone stops to notice a row of tulips. They mysteriously appeared to line our path some time in the night. Was it you? Was it you? We ask and accuse one other of guerrilla gardening. Somebody bothered to do it, and for that, […]