2 Fresh Questions and a 2 Minute Stretch
I’m leading a seminar to help graduate students and faculty teach an advanced writing course I designed. Two of our guiding class principles involve building community and having fun. People learn better when they feel connected and happy. I love classrooms that foster a positive mood, laughter, and belonging. I also advocate for a daily […]
Ice Is a Whole Different Story
This winter, we’ve dealt with more ice in Pennsylvania. Normally, an enormous snowfall won’t shut anything down, but ice is a whole different story. It’s time to shut down. Icy roads and sidewalks could even delay Penn State classes–which rarely happens. As I anticipate the coming ice storm tonight and tomorrow morning, I expect the […]
Good to Me
This morning, I kept thinking about an overlooked fruit of the Spirit in Galatians 5: goodness. The Holy Spirit fills us with goodness. This means that our lives demonstrate the benevolence of God. We are good to others. I love thinking about being good to others. I imagined the joy of being the type of […]
Winter Walk: Three Joys
When it’s in the 20’s or 30’s (and less windy) I find the joy of walking again. As I age, it’s harder to stay warm! My daughter and I decide to walk for nearly an hour around the neighborhood. It doesn’t bore us, even after doing these loops for years. This time, we spot three […]
Relunctant
Today I chuckled as I started to read the book of Jeremiah. Reading in the English Standard Version (ESV), I find a timely command from God. Jeremiah symbolizes for me our reluctance to follow God; we make excuses and we complain. If you remember, God sends Jeremiah on a speaking assignment, and Jeremiah complains that […]
Holding On
It’s still dark and gloomy and freezing outside. It feels too bitterly cold to do anything. So we do nothing. It feels wonderful once you realize you’re doing the work of holding on until warmer days. Perhaps we’ll make tea and watch sports. Perhaps we’ll read. Perhaps!
And the Snow Did Come
The potted plum now supports a mound of winter snow in 1 degree weather. The roots stay warm, wrapped in burlap. I love how the shadow of the oak tree behind the fence offers a glimpse of what this plum tree might one day become: strong and towering in her own way, within her own […]
Impulsive Spending
Ash said something yesterday that really had me thinking. He mentioned how much we’re advised to avoid impulse spending. We’re taught to think carefully and wisely about managing our financial resources. But is money our only or even our most precious resource? Ash then talked about not impulsively spending other resources like time or energy. […]
Assume Nothing About Younger People
As a professor, you tend to think you know this younger generation of 18-22 years old. You might think, for example, that young people know everything about technology since people call this age group “digital natives.” It’s not true. I’m learning that just because a younger person understands TikTok or Instagram doesn’t mean they automatically […]
A Little Grammar Lesson: Make the Noun an Adjective
Today I taught my classes something I never learned in school. And it’s something I’m now applying to every sentence I write. It’s a great trick! It’s called the adjectival noun–or when you turn a noun (person, place, thing) into an adjective (describing word) in order to condense a sentence and make it more precise. […]