Archives

The Things They Remember

A former student stops by my office today to catch up on her life and request a recommendation. She asks me about my current students. I tell her that I’m still trying to win them over and pretend that I’m cool. She laughs and says, “Well, you should tell them about the time you watched […]

“Because I’m So Loved”

I’m unloading grocery bags into my car. It’s hot and sticky outside, and I’m dreading the walk to return my cart to the store.  Then, an older man (gray-haired, wobbly, and adorable) asks if he can return my cart for me. He has his own cart in one hand and grabs my cart with the […]

The One Who Does the Most

My colleague and I conclude today that the student who often appears the most disengaged can be the very student thinking the most deeply. Maybe, just maybe, the more silent and separate the student becomes, the more her brain works. We cannot assume that silence or staring off into space means what we think it […]

Protecting Your Friends

Today, a friend asks me to protect her from over-scheduling herself. All morning, I think about a friend’s function as protector. “Yes! I will protect you! I will help you say ‘no’ and not ask too much of you!” Friends should indeed work to keep one another from harm, but I seldom think of friendship like […]

Put Your Records On

I share with my students (who were born the year I graduated from college) what it was like when I went to the record store to buy my very first album.  It was Michael Jackson’s Thriller, and I played it over and over again on my record player.  My life has a soundtrack, and I […]

One Step Ahead

Today I realize how important planning is to maintaining my sanity this fall semester. I learn from other moms how to stay at least one step ahead so any given day doesn’t feel so overwhelming. This means meal planning and meal preparation on Saturday so the week goes smoothly (especially with nightly activities). I don’t […]

Two Things to Remember: Nevertheless and Through

On Friday mornings, I pray with my neighbor for our children. I’ve come to love writing down her wisdom. Today, she reminds me that if God doesn’t take us out of a hard situation, He’ll walk with us through it. Yes. Through it. He will walk with us through it. Then, later, another wise friend–who was […]

God Restores Lost Things

Lately, I’m realizing that God brings back things I’ve lost. He really does. Sometimes, I pray about things I miss from different seasons of my life. I miss my days working at Camp Greystone as a camp counselor. I miss youth ministry from my twenties. Well, it turns out God sometimes brings things back to […]

Snacks, Snacks: 5 of Our Favorites

As I prepare my pantry and refrigerator for after-school snacks, I realize others might want some healthier snack suggestions. I get these ready and out on the counter for when they burst through the door, throw their backpacks down, and run to the fridge (sometimes with friends in tow): Hummus and pita (slice some cucumbers […]