We Once Knew Danger
We spy a glorious climbing tree at the park, and I set my children loose. I remember my 7 year-old self running free through the neighborhood and finding a tree like this. I climbed to the very top and peered out over the city. The wind whipped me. The tree swayed. The branches snapped and […]
Inhabiting Their Perspective
We remind ourselves in this family that most conflict comes from a misunderstanding of, or a lack of willingness to, inhabit another’s point of view. We’re learning–on this micro level–about diplomacy. What does it mean to negotiate? What do we do when negotiation cannot (and perhaps should not) happen because compromise violates a deeply held […]
Something Frisky (and Yummy)
I’ve been thinking about goat cheese all day. I love goat cheese. This is the kind of day where one has time and space to actually think about random and inconsequential things. I need this day. If you haven’t discovered the joys of goat cheese yet, I recommend trying some. I’ve been feasting on goat […]
Close, But Different
I love stories. I think about characters when I drive around town. I devise strange plots when I’m grocery shopping. Sometimes, I look at a student and plan a whole novel based on some event she shares. It’s like my mind works best in narrative. I ask so many questions when I meet new people […]
In the Afternoon, Too?
My blackberry bush offered up her very last harvest this morning. The branches showcase crinkled fingers of leaves, and the remaining unripened berries surrender and shrink back into themselves. With hardly any time to worry over the loss (and with 7 or 8 bags of frozen blackberries for winter cobbler), I rush to the raspberries. […]
Of Courage and Second Chances
I had a huge revelation while shampooing my hair this morning: I keep praying for God to save my daughter from mean girls, teasing, and any and every bit of suffering. I’ve spent eleven years protecting her, caring for her, and using all my energy to keep her happy. And now, it’s middle school. It’s […]
Tested By the Praise You Receive
I read this morning in Proverbs 27:21 that a “man is tested by the praise he receives.” One might think more readily of other tests of character that undo us: hardship, loss, failure, or peer pressure. But praise? Praise must test us in the deepest places. Praise tempts us to believe we’re the real hero. […]
Maybe You Just Need to Bake a Cake
It all starts tomorrow. Backpacks are stuffed and waiting by the door. I smell pencil shavings from the sharpener and the sweet rubber of erasers. I start tomorrow, too. I’ve copied my syllabus and readied my attendance sheets. Everything’s ready, but we don’t quite feel ready. My youngest decides that in addition to a back-to-school […]
Her Greatest Strength
This morning I read that our greatest strength is our weakness. As we confess our utter dependence on God and our great need, we demonstrate our greatest strength. With God, we become bold as lions and strong as oxen. We conquer and proclaim. We overcome and bring peace. We subdue whatever comes against us. On […]
Fill Your Hands
School starts on Tuesday. My daughters will begin 6th and 3rd grade, and I’ll start teaching two new classes of freshman. It’s a weekend of transition. I print out schedules, organize spaces, and prepare myself for a whole new season. Midday, I wander out to the garden for some sun-warmed berries. I fill my hands […]