Another Way to Understand the Goodness of God on Difficult Days
I’m explaining to my daughters why I have to sear the meat before I cook it in the oven or crockpot. “It seals in the juices,” I say. “The delicious juice will try to escape but can’t; the seared edges will drive the juice back toward the center of the meat and keep it so […]
“May I Take Control Now?”
I’ve had to call the Technology Help Desk for the English Department twice because of networked printer problems. Each time, the support person says in a calm voice over the phone, “May I take control of your computer now?” I have no idea where the person actually is and what’s about to happen (and how […]
“I’m So Glad You’re Being Crafty With Us” And Other Things My Children Say
Today I did things I normally don’t do. I tried to read piano music alongside one daughter. I tried to harmonize alongside my other daughter in church. I tried to knit a winter hat on an easy knitting loom with both my daughters who sat there, knitting away, while they sang along to Frank Sinatra’s […]
It Is, But You Can’t Explain Why
My daughter tells me that hot water freezes faster than cold water. This cannot be! I’ve heard the idea before, but I’ve never researched it. Why would I? It doesn’t make any sense, so therefore, I used to refute the claim that hot water freezes faster than cold water. But it does. Hot water freezes […]
When You’re Carrying So Much and Find the Door is Open for You
Today I lug myself to my campus office with my arms full of books, papers, my purse, my lunch, and a bag dangling from my exhausted arms. Every object sits carefully balanced so one wrong move would collapse my tower of work items into a heap on the floor. I’m also wrapped up in an […]
Things That Humble Us Like Weather
I remember today how fragile my physical life actually is in the face of blizzards. I’m outside of the two foot prediction for Virginia, but I think about all the people in that area. Nothing we do can prevent it. We can’t negotiate with weather. We can’t assert our own importance or human rights. We can’t throw money or […]
A Pioneering Spirit
Today I urge a student to realize she wants to use the verb “pioneered” on her résumé instead of the bland phrase, “help start something new.” Pioneered feels so memorable, so beautiful. I think of someone enduring hardship in uncharted territory to explore and to attempt something that no one else had the courage to […]
Doldrums and Squalls
I wonder why it’s so cold. I also wonder about the huge snowstorm coming this weekend. I begin exploring weather, and I discover that pressure systems have names like the Doldrums, Trade Winds, Horse Latitudes, and Polar Front, among others. The doldrums! I never realized that being in the doldrums referred to the calm period […]
When You’re Not a Morning Person
I love reading the oldest psalm written by Moses, Psalm 90. My favorite verse lately is 14 where Moses writes, “Satisfy us in the morning with your unfailing love, that we may sing for joy and be glad all our days.” In the morning? Oh, but I immensely dislike the morning! I’m not a morning […]
More Than They Are
I’m so inspired today when I hear a reminder that “a little goes a long way” in God’s economy. You give Him what you have–loaves and fishes–and He knows how to multiply it, make it last, and nourish many. When I begin to think about God multiplying small offerings, I feel so blessed in ordinary, […]