The Rich Club
Last night a dear neighbor and I were talking about our fascination with birds. I’m seriously thinking about joining a Pennsylvania birding club. In the woods behind my home, I can find snowy owls, barn owls, woodpeckers, and even eagles. By my kitchen window, the northern cardinals dance about all day. I’d love a great […]
Around the Glassy Sea
I love just thinking about Revelation 4. Last night, graduate students gather and sing the old hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy!”accompanied by guitars, piano, and even a mandolin. We sing the following, and I’m caught up in imagining it: Holy, Holy, Holy! all the saints adore Thee,Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;Cherubim and Seraphim falling […]
“Epiphanies cannot be scheduled, but they can be invited.”
I’m teaching from a chapter in Writing to Change the World that talks about “orchestrating moments” to experience awe and realize the hope and beauty of the world. At their root, I think of these moments as worship and connection to God where I’m growing as a person. I begin to think of how I […]
Because You Need To
Last night I ask a local artist why he creates art. He’s been making art for over forty years.He’s patient with my question. He simply says, “I make art because I need to.” He’s happy if someone likes it. He’s fine if no one likes it. He does it because he needs to. That’s why […]
New Light on the Same Old Thing
The snow sits like frosting on the fence and tree limbs. In the Winterberry Bush (which I’m not actually sure is a Winterberry anymore, but that’s its name now), snow offerings of white cotton candy fill up the branches. The Northern Cardinal and the Sparrow hide out there. It’s the same view as always from […]
“A state of perpetual recovery from falling…”
Trudging through the snow this morning, I recall the statement by American poet Oliver Wendell Holmes that “walking is a perpetual falling with a perpetual self-recovery.” Here are his thoughts in full: “Walking, then, is a perpetual falling with a perpetual self-recovery. It is a most complex, violent, and perilous operation, which we divest of […]
A Different Kind of Living: A Little Voice Under a Great Wing
This morning I read something astonishing: David writes in Psalm 63 that he “sings in the shadow of [the Lord’s] wings.” Not in the spotlight, not on the stage, not on the bestseller’s list, not trending on twitter or shared a million times on Facebook, and not going viral on youtube. He sang from the […]
2 Recipes You Need for the Valentine’s Party: Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies and Olympic Truffle Valentine Brownie Bites
My daughters both sign me up to bring brownies for the class Valentine’s Party. I decide to have a baking day and try some new spins on old brownies. First, I find this gem: Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies. Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies Red Velvet Cheesecake Brownies Then, I discover something fun: an “Inside Out Brownie.” […]
A Cure for Self-Consciousness
If you’re going to go public–through writing, speaking, or teaching–you’re going to battle self-consciousness. It’s a terrible state of being; self-consciousness is an acute (and often painful) preoccupation with self. You evaluate yourself based on how you think others perceive you. You’re constantly worried about how you’re coming off to people. You feel judged and inferior. […]
The Cat Says Relax
It’s very hard not to relax when a lazy cat lives with you. She stares you down until you curl up beside her on the bed. She makes you feel guilty for moving. And when you tell her you have things to do, she looks away, exhausted by the mere mention of your activities. So […]