You might be familiar with this iconic line from the hit series Friends. Every time Joey (Matt LeBlanc) met a new woman, he would inevitably spew his famous line, “How you doin’?” In return, the woman would usually blush and bat her eyes, smitten by him. It’s become a classic Friends line. How are you?…
I’ve written before about the difficulty of receiving God’s blessings freely and with gratitude. I still wrestle with this, especially on days when I read the news. While so many people in the world are suffering, why is it that I am blessed with a comfortable home, a loving marriage, the children I dreamed of,…
As autumn arrives, I reflect on the past year and how beauty has saved me. What comes to mind first is not the church (though I am grateful for her fellowship and sacraments), but the accidental garden in our front yard. The goodness of God is cloaked in mystery, which became apparent in the unexpected…
A long red envelope—subtle enough for a hundred-dollar bill to feel extravagant, but extravagant enough for even a single dollar bill to feel elevated. If you’ve ever received one, you know. It’s a thing of elegance and expectation. The red envelope’s edges are crisp and, if adorned, exquisite. The flap is sealed, and until the…
I used to think only some people were creative. I was thinking in a binary, like the stereotype that boys are good at math and girls are good at English. This binary said that creative people are unorganized dreamers, while practical people get things done. But like all binaries, this one left no room for…
I’ve heard people talk about “getting back to normal” so many times in the past few months. It’s what we’re supposed to do after something difficult or tragic or out of the ordinary. We’re supposed to move on from the challenging time and live like it never happened. But I’m not sure what “normal” even…