A Surprise in the Neighborhood
This morning, I leaned about the porcupine hanging out in our neighborhood. My friends alerted us on Facebook and posted pictures of this adorable creature hanging out in their yard. A porcupine! Look at him! I’m so excited to learn more about porcupines. Did you know they thrive in our forest? I’ve lived here in […]
Spring Things Part 2
What You Can Do
The Italian Mama offers great wisdom this AM about changing your mindset when faced with overwhelming tasks. When you think, “I can’t do this. It’s too overwhelming,” ask yourself what you can do instead. Maybe you can’t walk for an hour but you can walk for 20 minutes. Maybe you can’t do this or that […]
Plum Orchard Progress
So far, I have two plumcot trees growing into maturity. I still won’t have fruit for another few summers (at best, next summer), so I’m learning to “take the long view.” Plumcots need to cross-pollinate, so my orchard might not see fruit for much longer as I wait for the next tree to flower. Meanwhile, […]
Writing and Speaking Update
This summer, I’m finishing the revisions for a middle-grade novel based on Seated with Christ, due to Moody Publisher by August. I’m excited to see what will happen with this adventure into fiction writing. A little girl who lives down the street asked me when she can read my book and she reminded me that […]
Spring Things
Two Books I’m Reading This Month
I’m excited to grow spiritually this summer, especially in the areas of “keeping a quiet heart” and in deeper freedom from any areas of comparison or insecurity. I realize that, now matter how hard we try to escape it, we breathe in the air of shame like it’s oxygen. We cannot escape it. Social media, […]
A Poem Read at Graduation
Some Special Parts of Being a Professor
Now that I’m a full-time professor at Penn State and serving in the Schreyer Honors College, I’m invited to several graduation ceremonies and parties for the first time in nearly 15 years. I’m so excited to celebrate my students! I’m so excited to have participated in a life’s journey; now I stand as a witness […]
Keep the Structure. You Never Know What Will Happen.
As you know, I’ve been blogging every day since March 2010. That’s a lot of writing. I’ve kept that ritual up because I never know what’s going to happen. Some blog posts have been truly inspired and have been used widely to bless others. Some blog posts indicate I just showed up and don’t have […]