His Kindness
I love thinking about the kindness of God (Ephesians 2:7) and the new mercies of God each new day (Lamentations 3:22-23). I like hunting for the kindness and new mercies each day. I even love interpreting difficult things as kind, divine magnets that pull me to Him. Everything comes through the filter of His love […]
Doing Something New that Scares You
I love that God puts us in situations that require us to depend on Him. Maybe you’re in that situation now. Maybe you’ve been asked to do something new, and you’re scared, unsure of yourself, and anxious. I love the simple expression that Paul uses in 2 Corinthians 1:9 as he looks back on hard, […]
A Lesson From This Hardy Mum
I finally learned how to help my hardy mum thrive. I realized a huge mistake: hardy didn’t mean that it didn’t need water. Every autumn, I think that hardy mum means you can ignore the poor plant. After all, I know how to define words: hardy means robust and capable of enduring the most difficult […]
Noticing Everything
When I can’t get out of my own mind’s negative thinking, bad moods, or any form of internal disorder, I remember to cultivate wonder, curiosity, and gratitude. I go back to the beginning of Live with Flair, and I pierce the day and release pressure with a bit of whimsy or a moment of beauty. […]
A Student of the Students
Teaching continues to fascinate me after all these years primarily because I’m so curious about people. I love learning from students: I love to learn what students think about and why, how they work best, and what motivates them. I also love asking about what challenges them at this point in their lives. I learn […]
Surrender or Change?
It’s often difficult to know when you should surrender to a situation or work actively to change it. I wonder about this because at church this morning, friends ask, “How are you doing?” And I always say, “I’m busy! I’m so busy!” I say this instead of, “Life’s great! It’s just how it should be!” Why […]
Crimson Crisp and Cameo
I visit the local fruit farm in search of my favorite apple: the crimson crisp. I feel like such an insider into the world of fine apples; I knew about crimson crisp years before my friends. I approach the apple stands only to discover there has been a mad rush on crimson crisp. Not one […]
From Polly Pocket Shoes to Tiny Rubber Bands for Braces: A Brief History of My Vacuuming
While vacuuming the hallway, I notice a few tiny rubber bands from my oldest daughter’s braces kit. I suck them up with the vacuum attachment, and I remember the same scene from a decade before, only this time, I’m not vacuuming bands; it’s Polly Pocket shoes. As I move down the stairs, vacuuming each landing […]
Unique Fire, Unique Remedy
This morning on the way to work, my husband and I stop at the stoplight in front of the gas station just as we observe a massive cloud of smoke rising from the area. We see a white minivan at the gas pump, and bright orange flames consume the entire front of the van. A […]
By The Time They Get To You
Eight years ago, my teaching mentor described the teacher’s role in the classroom as an intervening presence. How strange! How powerful! How wonderful! The phrase resonated so deeply with me as I understood it then. In other words, the student meets a professor, and the professor somehow, in some way, intervenes so as to alter a course of events […]