Maybe Today
All day, I have that feeling that something amazing is just about to happen. It actually doesn’t matter if something does happen; it’s the feeling that I love. It’s hope that maybe today, something. I’m not sure what. It could be anything: Maybe today, I’ll find a new friend. Maybe today, I’ll hear from a […]
Go Now, Write It on a Scroll as an Everlasting Witness
This morning, I consider the strange call to . . . blog. Blogging? What a weird little genre of writing! I remember in Isaiah 30:8 that simple command to “Go now, write it on a scroll so that in days to come it may be an everlasting witness.” I know this command was specifically for […]
“Oh, Good! You’re Exactly Where I Want You to Be.”
This morning, I rock in my old rocking chair as I read a verse from Colossians 2 about having “all the fullness” of God inside of me. I’m thinking about any empty place and the promise that I’m actually full. I’m just rocking and thinking, tapping my chin, and I hear my youngest calling out […]
Hold Unswervingly
The word “unswervingly” occurs only once in the whole Bible. It’s in Hebrews 10:23, my theme verse for my new birthday journal. I write this on the first page: “Let us hold unswervingly to the hope we profess, for He who promised is faithful.” I chose this verse because of all the ways I have […]
“You Told Me Once, and I Took Note.”
This morning, a friend delivers a little birthday gift to me relating to the small details. She remembered the particular kind of coffee I love, the fun kind of socks I wear, the bright nail polish I put on my toes, and even the kind of pen I love to use best of all when […]
Don’t Waste One Word
Today in class, I repeat my new writing slogan: Don’t Waste One Word. As we finish all the lessons in How to Write with Flair, students know that every single word matters. Each word creates a precise mood and image. Don’t waste one word. Don’t settle for a weak or imprecise word when you can […]
Beyond the Boo Platter: Now She Wants Spiders
We gather in the kitchen to make the annual Halloween Fruit Platter for the class party. It’s tradition now. “What if we did a spider shape?” she asks so innocently. Why not? I like it. She loves it. It’s nothing but a foil blob with legs that divide the fruit, and still, she loves it. […]
“You Are Not Essential”: Go Home and Be Safe
Today, the university shuts down. I receive an email telling me to go home and be safe. In this email, I read this line, “Although we are all important, no one is essential.” It’s humbling and strange to think about how non-essential we actually are. Over the next few hours, blogs will shut down (not […]
Storm Ready
Today we–like most everyone else in our community–spend the day becoming storm ready. Hurricane Sandy’s on the way, so we make sure we’re ready with water, food, lanterns, candles, and batteries. We’re also bringing in lawn furniture, propane tanks from the grill, garbage cans, and anything else that high winds might send flying. We’re storm […]
Never Too Old
This morning my husband tells me about an interesting encounter he had during my daughter’s music lesson. While waiting for her turn with her piano teacher, a very old man shuffles into the waiting room. He sits down and carefully pulls out his beautiful violin. My daughter turns to him to ask if he’s the […]