A Few More Questions
Over the years, I’ve compiled so many “Name Games” because I essentially ask 45 questions over the course of a semester. My rationale is all about teaching students to know themselves, to build rapport with one another, and to feel comfortable articulating ideas. And, it’s just fun. And I answer them, too! Maybe you’ll use […]
Present Blessings
Today we remember present blessings—right at this moment—that show God’s care and love. We set our minds to discern, to see, to experience the fullness of Christ now. In a minivan, around a table, while making a bed—all provide rich opportunities to rest in His presence.
Some Questions Around the Table
For the holidays, I’ve been thinking of some questions for times reconnecting with family. Enjoy this list! What question do you like people to ask you about yourself right now? What’s something funny or surprising that happened to you lately? When did you do something you thought you couldn’t do this year? What’s a song […]
Don’t Ask
Today I ask my students to tell me the question they love people to ask them about themselves. So many of them say the question they don’t want people to ask them. Don’t ask about my career plans. Ask about books I’m reading, fascinating things I’m learning, or about my friends. But don’t ask me […]
The Someplace, Something, or Someone New
This morning I take note of God’s process of restoration in Psalm 80: 8-11. Following great disappointment and destruction, the psalmist records how God worked in the past. He writes: You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove out the nations and planted it. You cleared the ground for it, and it took root […]
Ask What They Know and What They’ve Seen
Everywhere I go, I ask. I want to learn from people. During a blood draw, at the grocery store, with students: I ask what they’ve learned and all they’ve seen. Do they have wisdom to share? Every day, you learn from everyone.
Embracing All the Coziest Things
I love watching other people feel cozy. Last night, I attend a college Bible study of girls reading Guarded by Christ. I arrive at the leader’s apartment, and I’m immediately impressed with the coziness of college girls in their flannel shirts, PSU sweatshirts, and fleece leggings. I notice the furry moccasins, the holiday socks, and the […]
The Coast Is Clear
Today I hear someone announce that “the coast is clear” when ushering students into the classroom. I can’t remember the last time I used the expression. I was mostly like a child: Maybe I whispered it during a game of Man Hunt or Kick-the-Can or Hide & Seek. Maybe I cried it out to friends […]
“An Artist Is Never Poor”
Last night, I watch the 1987 Danish film, Babette’s Feast (it won the Academy Award for Best Foreign Language Film that year). I hear the main character say this wonderful line: “An artist is never poor.” I thought of the day I realized I was rich in poems, in birds, in friendship, and in beauty. […]
Loving German Kühne Barrel Pickles
Every once in a while, I remember to pick up some barrel pickles if I see them at a grocery story that imports delicious pickles. I love German pickles, especially the Kühne brand. I love having little things to love–like pickles. My daughter and I eat a few from the squatty jar, and I tell her […]