Things That Humble Us Like Weather
I remember today how fragile my physical life actually is in the face of blizzards. I’m outside of the two foot prediction for Virginia, but I think about all the people in that area. Nothing we do can prevent it. We can’t negotiate with weather. We can’t assert our own importance or human rights. We can’t throw money or […]
A Pioneering Spirit
Today I urge a student to realize she wants to use the verb “pioneered” on her résumé instead of the bland phrase, “help start something new.” Pioneered feels so memorable, so beautiful. I think of someone enduring hardship in uncharted territory to explore and to attempt something that no one else had the courage to […]
Doldrums and Squalls
I wonder why it’s so cold. I also wonder about the huge snowstorm coming this weekend. I begin exploring weather, and I discover that pressure systems have names like the Doldrums, Trade Winds, Horse Latitudes, and Polar Front, among others. The doldrums! I never realized that being in the doldrums referred to the calm period […]
When You’re Not a Morning Person
I love reading the oldest psalm written by Moses, Psalm 90. My favorite verse lately is 14 where Moses writes, “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” In the morning? Oh, but I immensely dislike the morning! I’m not a morning […]
More Than They Are
I’m so inspired today when I hear a reminder that “a little goes a long way” in God’s economy. You give Him what you have–loaves and fishes–and He knows how to multiply it, make it last, and nourish many. When I begin to think about God multiplying small offerings, I feel so blessed in ordinary, […]
The Clamping
Today I read a curious command from God in Psalm 81:10: “Open wide your mouth, and I will fill it.” I ask so many questions: What does it mean that I open wide my mouth? How do I open wide my mouth? What prevents me from opening wide my mouth? I found this gem of a […]
It’s So Hard Not to Lift the Lid
Today I have my favorite crock pot recipe cooking happily along while I’m on campus. It’s pot roast with the packet of onion soup, some cream of mushroom soup, some liquid at the bottom like beef broth, and some carrots and onions. There’s nothing quite like coming home on a winter’s evening to a crock […]
A Snowfall and a Forest
The morning offered me a snowfall and a forest. Thank you, God, for this. We all decided to walk through the woods to school instead of on the paved path alongside the trees. I wanted to find animal tracks in the snow, and I scanned the ground. Along the way, we saw what we thought were […]
The Verbs that Shape You
On the first day of my advanced writing class that serves as professional development for majors in the humanities, I asked students to fill in the blank with a vivid verb: “In my dream career, I _____________.” What would they write? What verb would they choose? Would they heal, preserve, enlighten? Would they cultivate, protect, […]
I Walked Anyway
Today some of us adults decided to walk to school even though our children were already there for early band practice. There we were, walking to school without children. (Actually, one dad sent his son last minute, so we walked someone else’s child to school.) We talked about life and work and even our souls. Yes, we […]