Frequently Faithful
Jesus' formula for the fullness of life is clean and simple. But not easy. Read more
Jesus' formula for the fullness of life is clean and simple. But not easy. Read more
My ACT scores suggested not so much genius as dissociative identity disorder. There were two distinct personalities who took the test. One was almost gifted (my word, not the College Board’s) in English and reading. The other was . . . less so. Math and, to an even greater degree, science left me frequently confused. And my scores showed it. Much of the science portion of the ACT assesses reading comprehension skills applied to scientific topics. But my fear of... Read more
Photo compliments of my own gosh darn phone For Christmas this year, my sister gave me a flower bulb already planted in firm potting soil which was already inside an attractive planter. “Beauty awaits,” she texted when I thanked her for the gift. Vicki knows that my skill in keeping plants alive rivals my talent for cooking, singing, and drawing. That is to say, I suck at all of them. But this cute little bulb was fool proof, she said. ... Read more
Photo by Adrien Bruneau on Unsplash Every morning during elementary school, my sister and I walked the tiny length of the cul de sac where we lived, crossed the street, and waited on our neighbor’s driveway for Bus #3 to take us to school. I hated the bus. The big kids were terrifying to me, and the daily pressure to choose the “correct” seat, one that neither threatened the power of the eighth graders in back nor cozied up to... Read more
Yes, the world needs good leaders, but the greater need today may be in following. Read more
Photo by Lucas Ludwig on Unsplash One of the thousands of downsides to shelter-in-place orders is the dwindling list of binge-worth Netflix titles on my “must watch” list. It appears that I’m watching them faster than the studios can get them out. What’s a girl to do? While I hate to reread novels on principle – there are too many good books out there for that – I’ve decided to re-watch streaming series that I’ve loved in the past. Lord knows I... Read more
Photo by Валерия on Unsplash I have been teaching a literature class virtually for high school students in China for the last ten weeks on The Grapes of Wrath. An elementary school student in one of my ESL writing classes saw my name listed as the instructor on the online class portal and asked me, “Are you teaching a class on The Furious Grape?” That’s how it translates from Mandarin. I’m tempted to play at appearing cerebral and evolved by saying how... Read more
Photo by Benjamin DeYoung on Unsplash Many years ago, I spent a few days in Brooklyn with a friend who was there for work. Her company paid for the room, so I had a free place to stay and an opportunity to explore Manhattan at my leisure while she worked. On one blisteringly hot August day, I decided to duck into a movie theater for a mid-day show to take a break from the heat and get off my feet ... Read more
Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash Wouldn’t it be great if someone invented a kind of technology that would facilitate the sharing of consciousness? It would have to be something elegant enough to facilitate the transfer of a person’s innermost thoughts and feelings to another but simple enough for everyone to use. It would need to be a reciprocal tool that would allow a two-way sharing of meaning, and it would need to be flexible enough to adapt to any... Read more
Photo by Annie Spratt on Unsplash Have you ever had one of those times in life when you are faced with the hardest thing you have ever had to face? Maybe it was the loss of a spouse or a frightening diagnosis. Maybe you learned that your child is depressed or that your parents can no longer take care of themselves. And then when you think that things couldn’t get any worse, they do, and you find yourself crushed under... Read more
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