In my earlier post Here Comes Trouble, I talked about the good kind of trouble—the kind that might even have you humming along to that 1990s country classic, “T‑R‑O‑U‑B‑L‑E.” But when we look at Jesus and His disciples, “trouble” takes on a deeper meaning. It isn’t distress or anxiety; it’s a holy disruption—an interruption that …
Category: Defining Moments
Grit and Grace
As a longtime fan of crime procedurals, I’ve watched more than my fair share of Law & Order (and its many spin‑offs) over the past twenty‑five years. I’ve often found myself quoting that iconic opening narration: “In the criminal justice system, the people are represented by two separate yet equally important groups… These are their …
A Thousand Cuts
How did I feel when my institution’s all‑male leadership left me sitting alone on the row behind them at the conference athletic meetings? I remember wondering whether they would want their own wives to experience that same awkward moment—standing alone, excluded from the row, rather than welcomed as respected colleagues among their peers. I shrugged …
Shared Stories
Did you hear about the time…? Did I ever tell you about…? Do you remember…? Were you there when…? For more than thirty-five years at Union University, conversations often began with some version of these phrases. From August 1989—when I arrived as a scared little freshman—until my job ended in 2024, I was frequently regaled …
Professor Gig
It’s been more than three years since documenting the phrase Gig Economy into a journal. And for many years before penning that phrase to the page, I had an inaccurate definition of what the expression meant. Mistakenly, any time I heard a reference to a Gig Economy, my mind conjured up thoughts of computers, data, …
Appreciative Examen
Are you a math person or a language person? Perhaps, like me, you might rate yourself somewhere in between, similar to what is described in a previous post about being a Lark, Owl or Third Bird. Providing information in a numerical format seems easier for me to remember, but words also matter. Ask me to …
Enough
For those of you who may not know me—I am a woman. I’m a long-time follower of Christ, an educator, a traveler, a scrapbooker, an avid reader, a crafter… I could go on. But many of the identities and interests God has given me have often been complicated by that first one: I am a …
Doctor Why
“I want to see the wind!” Evidently, as a young child staying overnight at the Barrom’s home, I made this statement after being frightened by the noise that I could not see. At least that is Dewayne’s recollection of the night, and I have no way to refute the story. But as an adult, I …
Overflowing with Gratitude
When you read the word Overflowing, what imagery comes to mind? Using the image search option on an internet browser, it seems the most common idea of Overflowing is related to water and coffee. Evidently, I’m with the majority, as my thoughts tend towards the kitchen--boiling pasta on the stove and pouring milk over a …
Second Mile Spirit
Imagine entering a college classroom and seeing three pairs of shoes lining the middle aisle between tables—men’s hiking boots, women’s running shoes, and children’s Spiderman light-up sneakers. As the class began, I asked for students willing to demonstrate walking in these shoes. Thankfully, Angie quickly volunteered, placing her feet in the men’s boots, she used …
Flourishing @ Life 