Taking Care of Yourself
Today I asked my students how they are taking care of themselves. Never before have I seen so many exhausted, overwhelmed, and anxious students. How are you taking care of yourself? It’s a great question to ask friends and family to remind us all that one of our jobs in life is to take care […]
The Creature Insists
My anxiety-ridden cat recently advanced to a peculiar routine. If I sit precisely in a certain spot on the couch, with the fuzzy brown blanket, Merlin will snuggle up beside me, turn on his side, and meow and meow until I rub his tummy, massage his paws, and pay him all sorts of loving attention. […]
It Won’t Work
Yesterday I read John 4 and the account of Jesus talking to the Samaritan woman. I stay for a minute with these words about the water she seeks from the well: “Jesus answered, ‘Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the […]
Smallest or Most Common: The Best Ever
Today I thought about how the smallest and most common birds often make the most beautiful songs. Think of the wood thrush or the nightingale or the song sparrow. So tiny. So unassuming. So humble. And yet the song rings out across the forest in this majestic and marvelous way. Visit the Cornell Bird Lab […]
A Little Quote I Saw in a Professor’s Office
It reads, “Any given moment can change your life. You just have to be there.” It reminds me to stay attentive, to look for possibilities, and to keep hope alive.
Supportive Listening
Today in class, we tried a 15 minute supportive listening exercise. In random groups of 3-4 people, students told their group members what felt discouraging, what their stressful workload felt like, and/or what made them feel “stuck” in their research or writing for the honors college. The other group members listened in order to support, […]
Utter Humiliation
I recently read a quote from Oswald Chambers: “You must yield yourself in utter humiliation to the only one who can break the dominating power in your life, namely, the Lord Jesus Christ.” I think about humiliation all morning. I think of Christ’s own utter humiliation on the cross. I consider how one of the […]
A Statement of Clarity
I often return to 2 Chronicles 20:12 and this simple declaration to God: “We do not know what to do, but our eyes are on you.” The statement comes from a place of confusion, powerlessness, and hopelessness, but at the very same time, it’s the clearest, most powerful, and most hopeful thing a person can ever […]
All the Prayers
I loved the sermon this morning on cultivating a “culture of prayer” within our church. The pastor talked about fostering this culture first in our own hearts. I love thinking about cultivating and promoting a culture of prayer in my life and in my family culture. A family culture of prayer means we talk to […]
Most Marvelous Riches
Last night, around 8:00 PM, my daughter and I took our neighborhood walk. I unzipped my coat and took off my winter hat to enjoy the cool 50 degree evening. The moon shone so brightly that we could see clearly, but it was still dark enough that the entire walk felt bathed in silverly light. […]