A Great Promise from God
This morning I read in Isaiah 48:17 a beautiful promise: This is what the Lord says your Redeemer, the Holy One of Israel: “I am the Lord your God, who teaches you what is best for you, who directs you in the way you should go.” I love how God describes Himself. In this passage in Isaiah, we’re reading God’s word to the nation […]
Maybe Start Dreaming
Sometimes my daughter and I dream of renovation ideas for the bathroom. We find new elements, price them, and dream of one day. We both realize it might take a long time, but it’s always fun to work towards something and to dream. I think it’s a sign of being in a good mental space […]
Just Some End-of-Day Light in the Trees
The Night Before
I’ve always said that a great day begins the night before. I take my own advice after a day of feeling rushed, tired, and overwhelmed again. I remember how to set up for a wonderful morning today by beginning last night. You can do all sorts of activities to prepare for a great morning. You […]
“I give you yourselves.”
I keep going back to the same little line in The Magician’s Nephew, the first book in C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia. At creation, we read of a special gift given to the animals in Narnia. “’Creatures, I give you yourselves‘, said the strong, happy voice of Aslan.” I give you yourselves. There’s something about God […]
Online Teaching Update: The Easiest I Can Make It
It’s the last week of class at Penn State. What a journey it’s been to transition to online teaching! What a journey to grow alongside these students into a new way of living and learning! I will remember this time always. I woke up thinking about how, normally, things should feel harder in a residential […]
Some Little Delights
Today I’ll offer some activities that currently bring some joy: rereading The Chronicles of Narnia (and then watching the movies), seeing minnows and trout swimming in the creek, and lastly, knowing where owls nest and raise their owlets (I’m visiting this evening for the first time–if the rain stops). On this last point: my birding […]
A Return to the Vernal Pond
A Delicious Little Cake: Almond Cream Cake
During COVID-19, sometimes it’s fun to bake and enjoy a sweet treat for the weekend. Today, we made an Almond Cream Cake from Taste of Lizzy T. Since I love almond flavoring, I thought this would be the perfect cake for our weekend. And it’s delicious! It’s the best cake for an afternoon tea or […]
Joys in the Pennsylvania Woods
This week as I walked along Spring Creek, I learned about a native Pennsylvania wildflower–the red trillium. These don’t last long in the spring, and it’s illegal in some places to pick them. They die very quickly if you do. To me, they seem so beautiful but also rather fragile and almost unnoticeable unless you’re […]