Santa Claus relationship, vending-machine view, tech-support request—these are three of the latest descriptors I find personally challenging when asked to consider how I approach the spiritual discipline of prayer. This thought-provoking encounter is not dissimilar to the experience with reading Scripture that I share in the post entitled Stay or Go after reading Jen Wilkin’s …
Category: Defining Moments
Wrestling Coach
Academic people intimidate me. Yes, I comprehend the irony of that statement but it’s also accurate. To prove this statement even further, I will confess a true event: I once returned the book provided for a faculty dialogue group because I didn’t understand it! Fortunately, this has only happened once and the opportunity to converse …
Follow Me
When was the last time you were invited into an adventure? Within limits, I consider myself a fairly adventurous person and my version of a go bag is stocked and ready. Not so much as “an emergency preparedness bag designed to provide survival essentials for short-term disasters," but as an I’m up for a road …
Whiny Disposition
Conducting a quick search through both previous posts and as-yet-unpublished posts, I can confidently share that I am a consistent human being. If I share an annoyance or a struggle, it typically appears repeatedly in various iterations, so perhaps the post Whine or Worship sufficiently covered this topic; however, a recent reading, combined with an …
Grateful Disposition
During a casual conversation (or therapy session) while walking with a friend, I posed the question, “What comes to mind when I mention the word disposition?” Not wanting to influence her answer, I was reluctant to explain further the reason for this odd inquiry, but she’s accustomed to my random curiosities, so she humored me. …
Out of Sync
Although describing a moment when the audio and video are Out of Sync when viewing a show as a pet peeve might be a little strong, I admit to at least experiencing a bit of annoyance when it occurs. It is also typical for me to only endure it for a short period of time …
Wintering
In the Academy-award winning movie Frozen, Queen Elsa has icy powers which trap her kingdom of Arendelle into an eternal winter. Weaving a narrative related to the bonds of sisterhood, the storyline covers themes of love, self-acceptance, and the power of true love all occurring among the wintry beauty of the Northern Lights and a …
Hang Time
Walking across Union’s campus during the summer, it’s not uncommon to encounter evidence that Fuge Camp is occurring, whether it’s viewing hundreds of young people engaged in outdoor recreation or seeing their small-group rooms decorated with the year’s theme. One day as I passed the Fuge store, where participants can purchase merchandise, I noticed a …
Fame or Legacy
If you were to pose the question to someone in their final days on this earth, Which outcome do you feel has been more relevant in your life, gathering fame or leaving a legacy--what do you imagine some of the responses might be? If you were granted the opportunity to ask a person who has …
Perfect Timing
If I took the time to share all of my friend Tara’s attributes, I would need more space than I’ve allowed for this blog; however, one of her many gifts that has amazed me time and time again, is her gift of Perfect Timing. Of all the friends the Lord has chosen to bless me …