“Do you hear that?” he asked. But I was in full stress mode, as a teacher coming back after taking three vacation days. The stack of papers to be graded was growing Everest size in my imagination, and I wondered what the subs had done versus the instructions I had left. So I wasn’t really listening to his concerns about… Read More
Getting on Your December Game Face
Two things happened on Saturday, December 1st: I woke up hyperventilating about all there was TO DO and how much it was going TO COST and how many people there were TO MAKE HAPPY. Matt and I walked to the window, as the sun was just coming up. “Snow!” I said. Big flakes were softly covering the earthy. Lovely. Let’s… Read More
Come now. Change Isn’t So Bad.
Music week, people. My students have to learn 25 Spanish sentences, and you could pass this test I bet. Trompeta, trombón, piano, flauta (not the fried kind), and tuba. It’s a list friendly to the English speaker. So I’ve pulled out the Steve Green, and you should hear my husband say, “Really? Steve Green?” Shhh. My students don’t know that… Read More
How to Feel Good about Your Life
On the corner of Reserve and Whitefish Stage, I took a right and passed by a pristine, sapphire-blue Mustang. I was driving my dirty, dented Mitsubishi gallant. In the few seconds that it took to pass, I evaluated my life and found myself gloating over the other driver. “My life is better than yours, Mustang Man,” I said out loud…. Read More
Diversify Your Life Investments for Highest Joy Yield
“And why do you want to know about mutual funds?” Matt said to me, as we got ready for bed last night. “For a blog post,” I said. (I wish you could see his face sometimes.) He crawled into bed, and I went downstairs to click away on the keyboard. This is what it’s like at our house. A mutual… Read More
Do You Use The Words of Joy?
Last night I posted a picture on Facebook of my new Dutch oven, so I could thank my mother-in-law for the wonderful Christmas gift. In the bottom of the pan I had onions, carrots, and celery being sauteed in oil, as a soup base. A friend commented on my lovely mirepoix, and I knew what she was talking because I… Read More
Finding What Your Heart Craves
For the next two weeks, I’m taking a rest from writing and am enjoying the holidays with my family. (Isn’t it good to rest from our normal routines?) But I have pulled up a few blog posts from the archives and have enjoyed tweaking them a little. I thought this was a good one to re-share with you, because the… Read More
You Need Some Cheer for Your Heart
“Look at your phone,” my husband said, with great urgency, on Wednesday morning. Someone is hurt, I thought. Cue worst-case-scenario thoughts. “It’s nothing bad,” he said, after he saw my expression of terror. There was a picture from our son, and it was this: Okay, so a selfie with a camel. I could see the dignified university buildings in the… Read More
For Your Deepest Needs And Most Complex Questions
I was fascinated by Helen Keller when I was younger and even made an attempt to learn sign language after hearing her story. Can you picture the scene when Helen, after her years in complete silence, finally understands the meaning of the letters her teacher is making in her hand? That’s how I felt after my first Bible study with… Read More
Does Jesus Care When You Can’t Shake Sadness?
It’s embarrassing –when you are the pastor’s wife and the mature Christian. Like you should have your emotional act together and tend lovingly to the needs of others. And if you blog on Monday about having a sense of humor, should you blog on Wednesday about being sad? Something triggered my heart to ricochet back to where I was this… Read More