Your Own Little Sag Wagon
Today I learn from my cycling friend about the Sag Wagon. She claims that on her next 100 mile bike ride, I can drive the Sag Wagon. I’ve never heard of this expression in my life! I love it! The Sag Wagon is the supply vehicle that travels alongside the cyclists with food, medical supplies, […]
Exporting Imagination
My daughter tells me that she’s having trouble “exporting imagination.” It’s a strange verb to use. I imagine the country of her incredible brain needing to ship all that imagination out of some port. Otherwise, it’s all clogged up in there, swirling about. Something’s in there, and it’s gotta get out. She tells me that […]
Reverent, Cheerful, Courteous
Today I attended my first Eagle Scout Court of Honor for the son of some dear friends of ours. I cried at several points as I watched three young men receive their Eagle Scout award. Being in that room with members of the community and special honored guests brought such a sense of pride in […]
When You Feel Blocked
So many students ask me about writer’s block and how I write so much every day. When I tell them that I rarely struggle with writer’s block, they just can’t believe it. Most students tell me how every sentence feels like wading through molasses. They don’t have ideas. They don’t know what to write. They […]
An Unusual and Beautiful Request
A student I just met–we were strangers on Monday–asks if she can photograph me for her class “Stranger Project.” “Sure,” I say. Why Not? She must find someone she knows nothing about, discover this person’s important stories, and document this conversation in settings that matter. So while I’m traipsing around my most treasured places on […]
A Little Bit of Advice for Your Future Self
Last night, I read Gretchen Rubin’s “Habits Manifesto,” and one of her statements made me so excited. She says, “We should make sure the things we do to feel better don’t make us feel worse.” I read this statement on the tail end of eating an enormous amount of barbecue potato chips because I really […]
Your Pondering Song
I’ve been examining the psalms in scripture, and I find myself intrigued that King David, in his last recorded words in 2 Samuel 23, was described beautifully as the “sweet psalmist of Israel” instead of as a mighty warrior king. His sweet psalms to God were remembered in this moment in a way that overshadow […]
Teaching the “Growth Mindset”
Today in a professional development seminar, I learned about the importance of fostering within students a “growth mindset.” Carol Dweck, who bases her findings on decades of research as a Stanford University psychologist, writes in her book, Mindset: The New Psychology of Success, how a growth mindset creates resilience and a true love of learning. Essentially, I […]
On Teaching as a Sacred Vocation
Today I meet another class of students for an advanced writing course. I write that sentence like it’s an ordinary thing, a casual blip in my day. What’s actually happening involves a sacred intersection of souls that changes everything. They change me; I change them. We can’t help it. Sitting together like this, we engage […]
Wise and Sacred Use
This morning I read in Colossians 4:5 about “making the most of every opportunity.” I delve into the translation of this phrase, and I just love it. It means “to make wise and sacred use of every situation.” Wise and sacred use! Of every situation! I’m reminded again of the mundane tasks of the day […]