Articles
Relationships
Teamwork
As an educator I have noticed there are two words that prompt a general widespread panic in a classroom faster than any others. Those two words: group project. From middle school to graduate school the majority of students seem to loathe working with a group of classmates assigned to them by their instructor. Why is that?
Trash Day
It would be nice if we could choose our garbage day. Obviously this would cause some major problems for the trash collectors, but would be a handy option if it were possible. That’s because some days are definitely better days than others to have assigned as your trash day. And I’ve decided that Monday is the worst possible trash day one can have. Why? Primarily because several federal holidays fall on Monday. They are MLK, President’s Day, Memorial Day, Labor Day and Columbus Day. Then there are a few more federal holidays that sometimes fall on weekends, and when that happens they are normally observed on the next weekday, which of course is Monday. Those are New Year’s Day, Independence Day, Veteran’s Day and Christmas Day.
Hospitality
The term hospitality conjures up significantly different images for different people. Unfortunately, the term has been reduced in many minds to the concept of entertaining friends, family, and “special” guests. The biblical theme of hospitality is, in fact, much different and much richer.
Your Re-Story
I am going to get technical on you for the first little bit of this. Hang with me. I know you can.
Ownership, Entitlement, and Letting Go
The requirement of all summer vacations is to spend some time entertaining the idea of one day buying a place nearby…of becoming a local. Whether it is a real possibility or not, you dream. Perhaps you even pick up a local realtor magazine. Maybe you could rent it out during the year…make some extra income. The conversation usually ends somewhere along the ride back home as reality sets in.
Seen and Heard
One of my students wrote me an ugly email the other day. This happens rarely, but it has happened. They get on their class website (for online classes) and find out that something isn’t what they expected for a grade, due date, etc. Then, because it is easy to do, they write an email where they vomit their frustrations into cyberspace. They say words with attitudes I imagine they would never say in person. Many people have not figured out yet that there is such a thing as Internet social skills.
Emails, Apologies, and Corrective Experiences
I attended graduate school at an enchanting little place called Fresno Pacific University in California. The school’s Mennonite roots reach their ideology of peace throughout their curriculum. I’m not talking about “stick-your-head-in-the-sand” kind of peace. I’m talking about the “let’s-face-one-another, wrestle, and-learn-to-live-together-in-spite-of-our differences”, hard, honest, and sometimes messy kind of peace. I became a wife and then a mother in this environment, navigating two of the more challenging albeit joyful transitions of life in the arms of this tiny community.
Concerning Our Tribe: Letters From the Future
My Dear Children, Grandchildren & Great Grandchildren:
Today I turned ninety. I have been blessed with a long and fruitful life. Nothing brings me more pleasure than my four children, eleven grandchildren, and that precious great grandchild that came to us last year. I am so proud of each and everyone of you, and overwhelmed at the beauty of your families. But looking into the eyes of our newest addition has brought to me the realization that I may not get the opportunity to know very many from the next generation. That being the case, there are some things that I would like to pass along to you.
Burned (Out)
My Dear Friend,
I saw what’s been happening. I’ve been watching from a distance. And I am so sorry.
Stuck and Still
As wonderful as the Christmas season is and as much as I love it, I’ve been pretty jammed up lately.
Gratitude
In the New Testament we are told that on at least two occasions Jesus fed a multitude of hungry people with only a tiny bit of bread and fish. As we try to understand what Jesus might model for us in this story we tend to focus on increasing our level of faith or contemplating the power of God. Certainly those are appropriate responses. However, in so doing we miss the simple lesson that is taught to us through the very first thing that Jesus does in each of those stories. Each time the action begins with, “He gave thanks” (e.g. Mark 8:6).
Shout Jesus Saves
