For whatever reason two little sayings I learned from my dad’s Navy days have stuck with me. The first told the proper way to eat soup! “As little ships sail out to sea, I dip my spoon away from me!” The second explained how sailors used the skies to inform their plans. “Red sky at …
We recently traveled to Washington, D.C., embarking on a whirlwind, self-directed tour. I vaguely recalled field trips there as an elementary student, but enjoyed the visit much more as an adult. An unseasonable heat wave did not deter us from walking miles, up and down the National Mall, impressed and amazed. Seeing photos in books …
We live near a small historical museum with a working farm and costumed volunteers who act as citizens from the late 1800s. Visitors get to experience life in that era by walking through gardens, houses, and an old school house. Besides typical farm animals such as sheep, pigs, cows, and chickens, this museum includes wild …
God likes to show me things in the kitchen, probably because I am there so often! Last night I peered into the fridge and realized we had some aging hoagie rolls that had dried out. No one would want them for sandwiches. Then I opened a container of ricotta cheese that I had previously frozen …
Recently we visited the Colorado Railroad Museum. We read about tremendous changes the railroad brought to society and commerce, as well as the eventual use of train travel for entertainment. The museum houses working and decommissioned locomotives, passenger cars, container cars, and cabooses. They even refurbish trains there–a job I never knew still existed. I …
Our youngest daughter (and sixth child) will graduate from college this spring. I remember helping her pack for her first semester. She debated about taking an old fleece jacket she’d gotten in middle school. We discussed the fact that college students wear college-emblazoned t-shirts and hoodies, no longer associating themselves with their pre-high school days. …
What circumstances trigger anxiety for you? During my school-aged years I got nervous hearing of an upcoming science test, of picking teams for softball in P.E., or that my coach wanted me to swim butterfly in an upcoming meet. (I find science challenging, hate seeing balls flying at me–plus I throw “like a girl,” and …
Years ago JB had a book entitled Getting Things Done, by David Allen. At the time he shared the main idea with me, but neither of us pursued it. Now I’ve rediscovered that book and am a major fan. In it, the author argues that you should never dwell on the same thought twice unless …
The other night we watched a movie in which someone challenged the main character to “Prove it!” This skeptical attitude can pop up not only in our interactions with other people, but also with God. The Bible teaches that God loves us and wants to be with us, yet something inside us says, “Prove it!” …
