A Cry of the Heart Answered 40 Years Later
I experienced the oddest but most powerful memory yesterday. I sat in our church’s sanctuary for the orientation for a food-packing event with Feed My Starving Children, a Christian non-profit that packs meals to send to starving children all over the world. I learned about how to pack at my station to make a meal […]
Little Sleep
When you have teens, you might feel like you did when your children were toddlers. You lose sleep! You stay up to make sure they’re OK. And if you host sleepover parties for all the friends, you may not really sleep at all. It made me laugh to think that these two seasons of life […]
“Because I had to write it.” –Ray Bradbury
My oldest daughter loves the public library. She likes to roam and find books, and this I love about her. She finds a Ray Bradbury book to read again since it’s been so long, and while she plucks Fahrenheit 451 from the shelf, I pick a collection of his short stories. I love what he […]
4 Very Easy Dinners
It’s been such a busy past few weeks, so I’ve found myself so thankful for some very easy dinners (three invented by my husband). If you have limited time, try some of these: Buy a bag of cooked and frozen grilled chicken strips. Or cook all your chicken on the weekend, and slice and freeze […]
Something Unique
Today I thought about dactyloscopy–the art of fingerprinting. Penn State requires fingerprinting as part of our clearances to work with children, and since I’m volunteering at the local high school for a writing conference, I traveled for fingerprinting today. It’s truly amazing if you think about it. I learn that your fingerprints are more unique […]
Stop and Marvel
As I walked back to the parking garage after teaching classes yesterday, I felt the weight of a long day upon me. I could hardly put step after step. But then, I hear the giggles and cooing of two college girls who had their phones tilted down towards a little squirrel who sat perched on […]
In Just One Generation
Something strange has been happening to me. I’ve been praying like never before in my life for a great revival in the US among young people. Are you doing the same thing? Mostly, I pray about deception, fear, and anything that blinds their eyes to who Jesus really is. It’s an odd feeling to want […]
My Best Thought
At the time of this writing, I’ve written over 3,500 blog posts, numerous articles, eight books, and countless academic essays including a thesis and dissertation. And I’ve spoken over 100 times to various audiences in various contexts. And I’ve read more books than I can mention. That’s a lot of words. Probably too many. I […]
When in Central Pennsylvania
If you live in Central Pennsylvania, you’re going to meet hunters. You’re going to become friends with hunters. You’re going to find they deliver you gifts of spicy venison sausage which you have no idea how to handle. And even though you mostly don’t each much meat, you’ll try a slice of it or fry […]
Valentine Nostalgia
Happy Valentine’s Day! On Valentine’s Day in our house, we always celebrate with little bags of chocolate and a small gift, and we traditionally eat lasagna for dinner with cannolis for dessert. Even though my girls are older and we no longer choose Valentines to fill out for their classmates or decorate the shoebox into […]