First Little Sparrow Nest
My Love of Psalm 16
I loved reading Psalm 16 this morning. Psalm 16 is my favorite psalm and the first one I ever memorized. I hope you love it as much as I do. My favorite parts of Psalm 16 include these few verses: I say to the Lord, “You are my Lord; I have no good apart from you.” and […]
10 Things to Do with Psalms 1-10
At the start of each month, I often go back to the Psalms for encouragement and refreshment. These verses especially encouraged me these last few days and currently give me something to “do” when I feel discouraged or confused about my next steps. Join me in May in reading the Psalms as part of your […]
May Mindset Shifts
Today I thought more about what it means to accept people unconditionally, to believe the best about them, and fight a critical spirit. When I feel tempted to criticize or try to improve others, I remember to fight a critical spirit with thanksgiving, acceptance, and celebration. This applies to church, workplace relationships, and even between […]
Sky So Blue
It’s a gorgeous day in Pennsylvania. It’s finally time to bring out my solar-powered fountain! I read in my E. Stanley Jones devotional this morning about a college girl who finally made Jesus the center of her life and felt as though she had “swallowed sunshine.” It’s a day that feels like this, and the […]
Transition to Summer
I taught my last two classes of the semester today. Next week I’ll grade final papers and then begin my wonderful transition to summer work. In the summer, I work on novels, cultivate the garden, revise my advanced writing course, and start my 90-day Bible reading plan. I start weeding and preparing the beds for […]
What You’re Most Proud Of
For our last day of class, I ask students to bring in a paragraph to read aloud the writing they feel most proud of from our whole semester together. It’s fun to hear their choices and why. I’m learning the power of ending things well. When something ends (a semester, a project, an event, a […]
What I’m Learning in the College Classroom
This semester, I’ve learned how to change my classroom and office hours to accommodate students with various registered disabilities. I’m also learning never to assume students have equal access to laptops, phones, printers, or even food. How have my classroom and office hours changed? I’m learning, for example, about always providing text and captions for […]
Keep Checking In
Sometimes life comes at you so quickly that you don’t have time to think. You find yourself in a position to answer “yes” or “no” all throughout the day. How many times have you had to make a choice already today? New opportunities. Requests for input. Decisions about work. Invitations. Social media posts. Emails. Conversations. […]
Time for Strengthening
I move my potted seedlings (which are now rather large and leafy) out to the patio to harden them. I won’t plant them in the ground for a few more weeks. To “harden” a plant means you’re preparing it to transition from a safe, mild indoor environment (my window sill) to the outdoors (my garden). […]