Rude, Rude Drivers
With all this holiday shopping traffic, I find myself annoyed and impatient. I’m in a parking lot, trying to exit, and all lanes contain lines of crammed cars with their brake lights flashing and their horns blaring. I feel like I’m in the clogged arteries of the city rather than in this small town. Picture […]
Half Made Whole
I love cutting snowflakes from paper, making doll chains, or any kind of paper cutting crafts. Ever since I was a little girl, I loved the concept of these half-shapes that turned into something glorious once unfolded. I’d cut half-stars, half-hearts, half-diamonds, and even half-swans. I’d cut jagged icicles, triangles, and squares, but only in […]
Nothing But Yes
My nearly teenager announces that she wants to redesign her room. (She merely wants all the furniture in a different location, so this costs me nothing.) As she’s broadcasting her plans to destroy my carefully balanced layout of her beautiful room (there’s even an accent wall of dark green), I remember a wise comment by […]
What She Wants to Be When She Grows Up: More Wisdom From Children
A new young 4th grader comes to visit us yesterday, and as I’m getting to know her, I ask all the usual questions. We talk about hobbies she enjoys and music she loves, but then we start talking about talents and dreams. I ask, “So what do you want to be when you grow up?” […]
A Bizarre Spiritual Analogy
I’m cutting a red onion for a Greek salad, and my eyes burn like never before. I’m experiencing the sulfuric gas that creates a mild acid in my eyes. Chopping onions offers this unfortunate side effect that cooks do unusual things to avoid. I’ve heard everything from chopping onions underwater to whistling so you direct […]
A Strange Way to Refresh Yourself
We’ve been talking about generosity around here lately. The word generous means to give more than what is expected or required. I repeat: More than what is expected or required. I tend to give what’s necessary or expected–not what’s lavish or excessive. But so many times in scripture, we’re counseled to give generously. This kind […]
Sadness in the World
As I read about the school children killed in Pakistan, I don’t know how to handle it. It’s a reality too horrific to understand. I go about my ordinary day and feel the cold rain on my face as I walk children to school. I return to clean the bathroom and think of the people […]
Expressing Love Through Food Isn’t Always the Best
This week, I’ve been reminding myself that I don’t need to express my love to people through food all the time. But I do! I always do! What do you need? Buttery cookies, rich peppermint bark, buttermilk fried chicken, elaborate mugs of hot cocoa, yeast rolls carefully risen, or a thick oniony roast? What might […]
Fan It
Today I encounter the great verse from 2 Timothy 1:6 where Paul advises Timothy to “fan into flame” his spiritual gifts. Some translations say “kindle afresh” or “stir up” those gifts. As I think about this idea of fanning your special gifts into flame, I recall what it takes to get a fire really going […]
Decompression Times
I’m reading a student essay on deep sea diving, and I’m fascinated by the dangers of this activity. In particular, I read about the dangers of a fast ascent from certain depths. I’ve heard about decompression sickness, or “the bends,” before, but I didn’t realize how carefully managed a diver’s ascent must be to prevent […]