“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” (Mark 10:45 NIV) One thing I enjoy about studying the Bible is when new things pop out at me. Recently, I have been amazed at the number of times I…
From the time they were little more than infants, both of my daughters adopted security blankets which went with them everywhere, from bed to the grocery store to Chick-fil-A. My oldest girl’s attempts to say “blankie” came out more like “blank-on-nee,” which eventually evolved into “Connie,” thereby ensuring that in our home, all blankets would…
I should have known better. After teaching kindergarten for so many years, I should’ve recognized I was wandering into dangerous territory. At snack time, the kids were getting a special treat, cupcakes, but the cupcakes weren’t identical. Someone was going to be discontented. I should’ve remembered the Theorem of Cupcakes: If you have 6 chocolate…
My brain can be tricky. There are a few things I know how to do that my brain won’t let me do on the first try. I call these ninja mind tricks. I have to slow down and think through them. I consistently misspell the words friends and tomorrow unless I slow my thinking. I…
A few nights ago, I watched on our video camera as my husband got our one-year-old daughter to sleep. She was resisting—probably overtired—and I happened to witness a moment between them: my husband put his hand gently on her cheek to soothe her, and she clung to him even as her eyes grew heavy. My…
The past year has been quite a struggle in many ways, and I’d like to say I’ve learned a lot in the process. Truthfully, it’s probably too soon to tell. Between working from home full-time, dealing with the stress of the pandemic, processing my anxiety and past trauma in therapy, and ensuring the stock of…