Generations upon hopeful generations

It’s December finally and Christmas is bearing down on us, bringing all sorts of glad tidings and a casserole dish of emotions. We deal with realities, with relatives, with things that crop up and memories of things long gone. It’s a time for tradition. But it’s also a time for new adventures and new ideas. […]

Willpower, temperance, self-control… and gratitude?

There was a buzz in the air at the little church in my tiny swath of the Midwest this past Sunday. Between the poor squirrel who had given its life to knock out the power earlier in the morning, the forgetfulness of the worship leader to have what was prepared for speaking brought to church, […]

Finding God in the Strangest of Places

I seem to find God in the strangest of places. In the lyrics to a heavy metal song, poignancy touches my soul. In the sunrise after a week of bad weather, celestial splendor abounds. In the comments on a Facebook post, kindness drowns out the evil. In the quiet moments of a walk, clarity overcomes […]

Glimmers of kindness

“Because it’s not enough to be kind. One should be kinder than needed.” ~ August Pullman, character in Wonder by R. J. Palacio If one looks at any viral social media post, one is given an example of the worst of humanity. There are the armchair experts who deem everything is wrong, the ones who […]

Put your feet to work

Yesterday was the memorial fundraising walk for my dear friend Margo, who passed away back in August and whom I have mentioned in this blog many times. A retired teacher, an avid lover of learning, and a woman with a huge heart, she was an example of someone who put her feet to work. She […]

Give it time

“It takes a little time sometimes to get your feet back on the ground / It takes a little time sometimes to turn the Titanic around / It takes a little time sometimes, but baby, you’re not going down. It takes more than you got right now / Give it, give it time” ~ Amy […]

They will know this by our love

It’s Wednesday night and the church building in my tiny town in this swath of the Midwest seems to be hopping, even though it’s one of the smaller ones in town. As children practice learning the fruit of patience by playing silent ball and memory, the English Language Learners group, a mix of refugees and […]

Live in Peace

Look at any news website or turn on any channel and you’ll surely hear about war. Hamas has attacked Israel. Russia is still invading Ukraine. Afghanistan, Central African Republic, Ethiopia, Libya, Mali, Somalia, South Sudan, and Syria are all in the midst of civil wars. Drug cartels in Mexico and Colombia and terrorists in armed […]

Setbacks

This past week, I suffered a blow to the goals I had set up for the month of October. I had made plans to walk at least a mile every single day of the month and that goal has already been setback unintentionally. I came down with a head cold. It’s amazing how a simple […]