Wonders in the Forest
Today, in the forest along the road behind my house, deer ate from the bushes. I circled around twice to see two spotted fawns eating as well. What other wonders hide in the forest?
Entering the Empty Classroom
Each new semester, I wonder if this time, I’ll feel exhausted and bored and burnt out when I arrive to sign my new teaching contract in the English department. I wonder if this is the year I’ll experience drudgery. I wonder if I’ll resent the work–the lessons plans and grading and office hours. Those feelings […]
Strange, Unknown Harvest
We returned from our summer travels to find an enormous plant overtaking the corner of the garden. Is it a pumpkin plant? A zucchini? Squash? Watermelon? Since its roots originate from the depths of our dark, rich, nutritious compost bin––where we discarded pumpkin seeds––we think it’s a pumpkin. We consulted a horticulturalist who believes it’s […]
A Thirst for God
I think about Psalm 42 and what it means to thirst for God, the Living God (verse 2). It’s so curious to note the cause of thirst and the soul-dehydrating experiences of the psalmist. He recounts his tears, his longing for a past to which he cannot return, and his disturbed and downcast soul. He’s […]
Always a Moment
I’ve loved blogging daily for since March 2010 because it provides a moment, a call for reflection and worship. I write each day to answer the two questions that have come to govern my whole life: How can I worship God here because of what I see that reflects Him? and What I am learning? These […]
But How Can I Live Well?
All afternoon, I think about Psalm 119:9-16 as an answer to the question, “How can I live a godly life? How can I keep my way pure?” I especially think about this for all the incoming freshmen students who want to live in a way that pleases God. The psalmist writes: How can a young man […]
“And we ought to lay down our lives for our brothers.” 1 John 3:16
What does it mean to “lay down our lives” for others? In 1 John 3:16, we read, “This is how we know what love is: Jesus Christ laid down his life for us. And we ought to lay down our lives for others.” I love how the verses continue because when we love in this […]
Seated with Christ Korean Language Edition!
I am so excited to see this edition of Seated with Christ in Korean. Bethany House Publishing published this translation. I’m so grateful and so excited to imagine wonderful friends reading this book in their own language. It’s overwhelming! People all over the world, right now, worship Jesus in their own language, and they read […]
New Dreams
I’m always looking forward to new dreams for the upcoming academic year. I think about the new students I’ll meet at the end of August and all the beautiful writing I’ll encounter. I think about new books to write–both fiction and nonfiction–and new goals to achieve. Arriving home from our summer travels, I think about […]
The Rotting Thing That Brings What You Want
I laughed when the children remarked how disgusting the dead, floating fish was in the lake. I told them that the horrific thing they detest attracts the thing they want: turtles. Sure enough, they finally catch a turtle who comes by to feast on the dead fish. I remember that the things in my life […]