Into the Little Town
I drive on snowy roads from State College for twelve miles until I meander into the little town of Bellefonte to meet my friend for lunch at a darling restaurant called Blonde Bistro. Bellefonte, if you don’t know, will invite you to feel painted into a Christmas calendar or written into Charles Dickens or built […]
God Daily Bears Our Burdens
Today I recall Psalm 68:19: “Praise be to the Lord, to God our Savior, who daily bears our burdens.” How marvelous! How extraordinary! Our God daily bears our burdens. I think about my burdens–large and small–and ask God to carry them once again for me. I don’t have to worry about tomorrow. I think about […]
If We Spoke in Haiku
I occasionally read Haiku and absolutely love it. I love the precision of all poetry, especially Haiku and how it manages and promotes a certain emotional response. It takes this task seriously, and uses not one careless word. It’s an exercise in recognizing a precious, fleeting moment. I read these today: Over the wintry forest, […]
And Now Joy
There you are, standing in your living room. You look out the window at the trees and dry leaves, as brittle as anything you can imagine, the kind that turn to dust when you close them in your hand, and you feel an overwhelming sense of joy. You love the leaves and that you live […]
Winter in My Heart
This morning, I woke up so thankful for winter birds in Pennsylvania. In one suburban neighborhood, Penn State researchers have seen 25 different species of winter birds at backyard feeders. I personally love the chickadees and cardinals most of all. I wish I had the kind of camera, lens, patience, and artistry of my friend over […]
Just Walking the Cat
My husband and I sip coffee at the kitchen table while my youngest daughter continues her leash training of Louise von Whiskers. I laugh because it’s such a whimsical moment, with a docile cat, and a daughter who so much wants to walk down the street with her cat on a leash.
Delivering the Cookies
Today I deliver cookies to students and then professors and staff in the English department. You know I’m not crafty or excellent with icing. You know the cookies had icing dripping in hardened form down their sides with sprinkles haphazardly applied. You also can surely imagine the packaging: gold cellophane tied with twine. Only for […]
And So We Make Latkes
Last night, I insist on making Jewish latkes. I know how because years ago, my student drove to my home to teach me how to make this traditional food from her own family’s recipe. It’s strange how much I wanted them. And what’s even stranger is that I woke up this morning, and I realized […]
“Both faith and fear require belief in something you can’t see: pick one.”
Today I find a quote in a blog by Terasa Cooley, written for Center for Courage & Renewal. She quotes this wisdom: “Both faith and fear require belief in something you can’t see: pick one.” Picking faith today means I trust in the goodness of God and His power to bring everything under His control, no matter […]
A Breakthrough Regarding Stress
Sometimes I ask my most high achieving but nevertheless relaxed and laid back upperclassmen to tell me the secret to their easygoing ways. (No, it’s not drugs or anything like that!) They live differently, and I wanted to know why. A student tells me her secret: She realized during her freshman year of college that […]