A few months ago our brother-in-law (married to one of JB’s sisters) stopped in for a few days during a cross-country trek. A retired Navy helicopter pilot and former aircraft carrier commanding officer, he now volunteers many hours building houses with Habitat for Humanity. Looking around our place he asked if we needed help with …
Years ago, our oldest son’s teacher asked students to answer the question, “What makes you unique?” Staring at that blank sheet of paper I would have felt compelled to write a lengthy paragraph listing numerous distinctives, hoping to impress the teacher with my thoughts. In contrast, and despite turning in a nearly blank page, Jeremy …
When I worked at an insurance company before the pandemic, our branch manager liked to offer snacks as a small token of her appreciation for the employees. Hence, every other Friday we pulled out an old-fashioned popcorn popper. The fragrance it produced wafted through the air, eliciting enthusiastic comments across the office. Looking back, I …
Some days I’m acutely aware that I’m not twenty-something anymore. The last time I helped someone move (and I do mean the last time, God willing!) I was the self-appointed packer, doing the Tetris thing, filling a U-Haul truck from floor to ceiling. I’d stood far too long precariously perched atop stacked possessions, awkwardly twisting …
My son Josh and I just returned this week from a wonderful time visiting a couple of our western national parks. We camped in a tent in Yellowstone for six nights, and marveled at steaming thermal springs and mud pots, conical and fountain geysers, torrential waterfalls and prismatic hot springs encircled by a breathtaking rainbow …
Growing up I used to say this prayer before meals: “God is great; God is good. Let us thank Him for our food. Amen.” (I always recited it in a 4/4 rhythm with Ah-men as the last two beats.) Little did I know that I was speaking one of the greatest truths in the universe …
If you were a king, what kind of legacy would you leave? I and II Chronicles follows the sad, roller coaster account of Judah’s rulers. Comparing the first three is enlightening. King Saul wowed the citizens with his height and good looks. Relying on his outward appearance he lacked inner strength. In reality, he was …
The largest land animals, elephants are amazing creatures. They can carry the equivalent weight of over 100 human adults. Their powerful trunks can uproot trees or hold up to four gallons of water at a time. Their sense of smell is over 100 times greater than a dog’s. They only sleep 2-3 hours a day. …
I smoked a few cigarettes this past weekend without even knowing it. That’s when Denver earned the dubious honor of the worst air quality of any large city in the world. Wasn’t even our pollution—smoke from fires in California and Oregon just settled here. Air experts cautioned against outdoor exercise, saying a day outside would …
I was quietly minding my own business (as any introverted college freshman girl would), checking my school mailbox, when someone suddenly rushed from behind and tickled both sides of my ribs. Surprised, I turned around only to see another shocked face–an upperclassman who’d intended to play a joke on his friend! Seeing my bewilderment at …
Last week’s post highlighted the battle for our attention in a frenetic, information-saturated culture. Like the drone of a fan or the roar of a river puts us to sleep physically, the seemingly infinite stream of data coming at us can lull our minds into slumber. I like this quote from the movie Joe vs …
One 90s movie we’ve enjoyed, Sister Act 2, includes a choral instructor‘s challenge to a disengaged group of high school music students: “If you want to be somebody, if you want to go somewhere, you’d better wake up and pay attention!” One might easily recall the line after watching the film because a student immediately …
