What I’m Teaching this Week
I know that some of you readers follow my blog because you love it when I talk about writing or give a writing lesson, so for you, here’s a snapshot of my week in a college writing course. This week, I’m teaching on the thesis position–embedded in a stellar introduction–in my freshman course. These writers […]
As I Cleaned the Blinds
As I cleaned the plastic blinds today–each one by hand with a little cloth and hot water–I realized what I wasn’t thinking. I wasn’t wishing for different blinds. I wasn’t wishing for other views out of the window that let me peer on the great oak that one autumn dropped so many acorns we had […]
The Surrounding Nature of God
I think about the hiding place within the Lord today. I’m reading Psalm 32–David’s teaching psalm (a maskil)–and I’m enthralled by this concept of the surrounding nature of God. The psalm declares to God: You are my hiding place;you will protect me from troubleand surround me with songs of deliverance.I will instruct you and teach […]
When Your Neighbor Gives You Zucchini
I never know what to do with zucchini. My neighbor offers up her bounty, and they sit on my counter, mocking me. I think of every strange thing God adds into my life that makes me think: What shall I do with this now? What good is this? Then I remember this like a distant […]
In Us All Along
Someone I never in a million years thought would ever, ever do something like this announced that he has, in fact, auditioned for community theater. It was a dream from long ago, perhaps tucked away deep into the heart, that just now awakens for its time in the spotlight. The courage it took! I feel […]
The Homework Hour
Believe it or not, my favorite time of the day is after dinner when everyone gathers again at the dinner table for “Homework Hour.” We can enjoy a warm beverage or a treat as every family member finishes some kind of work for an hour. It’s a communal and collaborative hour. We talk about what […]
Acorns
Like Anne of Green Gables
I finish reading Anne of Green Gables a few nights ago. This morning on the walk to school, a new little delight of a child walks beside me, and she has named sections of our journey just like Anne does on her own walk. There’s the Path of Peril, the Wondering Way, and others that I […]
Walk Anyway: The 2015-2016 Walk to School Campaign
We’re back in business: the Walk-to-School campaign is alive and well. Why? How can this be since so many of our neighborhood children are now in college, high school, or middle school? Well, I still have an eager 5th grader, and we’re gathering more families to walk the one mile to our elementary school. What’s […]
Rigorous
I arrive at the picnic that kicks off our semester of Penn State Christian Grads. I gather with many new Ph.D. students who have more enthusiasm and intelligence than you can imagine. I’m so thankful to live in a world where people devote their lives to understanding and then advancing various fields like autism and […]