What do you want me to do for you?
There was a blind beggar sitting by the roadside, or so the story goes, when Jesus and his disciples were passing by on their way out of Jericho. Of course, the blind man did not know who was passing by, only that there was a commotion. But when he heard that the stir was about […]
No structure, big problem
Creating structure is a superhuman act in the chaos. Welcome home.
What’s worse than hitting STOP on a moving treadmill?
A sudden stop taught me a life lesson. Funny how it’s all coming back to me now.
Learning doesn’t happen by spectation
Text, I can read. Image, I can see. By video, I can follow along. But to learn, I must take part. No one can stand in for me in my interaction, my operation, my turn at my own helm. Learning that lasts begins where caution ends and trust begins. Trust that whoever made me an […]
Will this be life-giving for me?
How can we tell if something is alive? Biologists look for 5 traits, processes or functions as signs of life: metabolism (consume, construct, destruct, excrete) growth (learn, build, improve) reproduction (spawn offspring or ideas) responsiveness (sensitive, attentive, active) movement (action, progress, liveliness) These are the characteristics of life — the life of anything. That’s cool, […]
Humaning Together
I don’t deserve what I have any more than the desperate refugee deserves to flee for his life or the starving child deserves to go hungry. Yet, I know them by heart. As the mother with hungry children gives them what little there is, and her portion, too. As the one without a home seeks […]
Quitting is the best thing he ever did…
Bill, sweet man, I just met him. Honest, open, friendly, kind. Shares a bit about himself and his family. Got three kids, “all medical,” he says. “The oldest used to be a doctor, but he quit.” “Says quitting is the best thing he ever did.” “Says, now he gets along with his wife…” Bill shakes […]
We, the prodigal people
“There was a man who had two sons. The younger one said to his father, ‘Father, give me my share of the estate.’ So he divided his property between them. “Not long after that, the younger son got together all he had, set off for a distant country and there squandered his wealth in wild living.” Luke 15:11-13 We, the […]
United to Love: Rally Day 2018
We knew they were coming. The group of white supremacists had been issued a permit to gather in Lafayette Park, on this, the one-year anniversary of the “unite the right” event in Charlottesville. At their 2017 gathering, Heather Heyer, a counter-protester, was killed, while others were physically injured and their city was left scarred and […]
Collective Joy
They’re out. All twelve boys and their soccer coach are free. What is it about that news sends me to the verge of tears? I’m a soccer coach. I have taken my teams on excursions as team building opportunities. None of these have gone badly wrong, but they could have. I’m a parent. I cannot possibly […]