To Take It Slow
I’m feeling so much better! But I’m so tired; the day feels slow and deliberate. I reduce every activity down so that I’m mostly resting. I read. I watch television. I take baths. I tag along with my husband at the grocery store. I grade only a few final essays. I drink lots of water. […]
Looking Around
I take a gentle little stroll right before a rainstorm. I noticed the lilac, the bright red azalea, the pink dogwood, the yellow and orange tulips, and the deep blue of the violets. Right before the storm, the color seems more vibrant: the grass takes on a deep lush green, and the bark of the […]
The Results of Your Work
(Pain has significantly decreased! Praise God! I’m on the mend!) All day, I consider a quote from a wise woman. She mentions that, when it comes to speaking and writing books, I simply send the work out there and “find satisfaction in God’s results.” In other words, I still need to grow into maturity in […]
Conclusive
My back pain results were supposedly an enormous kidney stone as revealed by the renal ultrasound. I would need surgery! I canceled a trip to Texas. But today, the urologist disagreed with original doctor and ordered another test. He saw possible little stones on a CT scan, but even then: still inconclusive. Cause of severe […]
Pain is Great, But He is Greater
I’m at the doctor’s office because of severe back pain. I have so much trouble finding meaning, beauty, and purpose in physical pain. It’s just . . . Painful. I’m terrible at living well with pain. As I wait for a doctor, I keep thinking that, while pain is great, God is greater still. He […]
5 Tips for the Overwhelmed
The number one word I hear from students during this last week of class before finals is this: overwhelmed. I’ve been there! I am there! Here’s what I’ve learned after 25 years of completing large, overwhelming tasks like writing a dissertation and many books. I was a student for over 20 years. I know what […]
Turn on All the Lights
To prepare for the Warm Welcome as my daughters arrive home from school, I rush around the house, waking it up with lights, candles, a snack, and music. But mostly, it’s the lighting. Turning on the lights creates that feeling of a grand entrance into some new space of joy and cheer. As I’m turning on […]
Almost, But Not Yet
I walk back to where I know the vernal pond appears each spring. I carefully peel back the thorns and prickly growth from my pants. The forest feels so wild and overgrown today, like autumn and winter offered no discipline, and the wilderness grew unrestrained. I see it. How does it come? How does it […]
Parade of Violets
Within Four Limits
I teach so many Penn State students who intend to devote their lives to the healthcare field. I read their papers. I ask all about new research. I listen to their wisdom. The teacher becomes the student of the students. They all report the same four things about what we know works best for physical human […]