I love October!Roasting marshmallows over a fire pit, going to the county fair, picking pumpkins, and taking hay rides; it's every kid's dream!The leaves are falling, the temperature is dropping, and everyone is reaching deep into their closet for a change in their wardrobe; even the hipsters are busting out their v-neck and knit scarf... Continue Reading →

"What would you like on your ice cream?""I'll take Oreo cookies and chocolate syrup, please!""You're a traditionalist, I see!"As I pondered that statement I began piecing together the traditionalist puzzle she poured out of the box in the ice cream line that day. By traditionalist did she mean predictable? Safe? Boring?By being a traditionalist are you telling... Continue Reading →

"Teacher, do you have an Instagram?" "Yes I do have an Instagram but I don't follow anybody!" So the class carries on with comments about social media interspersed with our academic content as this thought begins to rise. In most cases, while kids were talking about their profiles, it became apparent that most students 'follow'... Continue Reading →

Have you ever felt like your tank was empty? At the bottom of the pile? Nothing left to give? Desperate, you thought of giving up or screaming at the top of your lungs, "HELP ME!"In a moment of desperation, a woman began asking for a guy named Elisha. When he asked what she had in... Continue Reading →

Have you ever seen a beggar? Maybe not up close and personal, but from a distance? Don't they look different than you? Discouraged; like they've missed their chance in life? Desperate; willing to take a chance on any thought of hope passing their way? Almost immediately we begin to build a caricature of who we... Continue Reading →

I recently listened as a man described his grandson's eating habits as being a "fussy eater.""He doesn't like vegetables! He doesn't like meat! He doesn't like fruit!""So, I just give him a doughnut!"His logic?"I want him to be happy!" He described one of the joys and privileges of being a grandparent as wanting his grandchildren... Continue Reading →

I'm home now!A week removed from the villages of Honduras where kids with tattered clothes and worn out shoes walked for what seemed like days through the coffee bean hills for school. Eager to learn basic math facts and parts of speech of their native language, they were intrigued by the truck full of "Americans"... Continue Reading →

The countdown is on for me to board a plane and travel to foreign soil where my interaction with a new culture, language, and demographic can at times seem somewhat familiar to the landscape in pockets of my community here in the U.S. One of my best friends grew up as a missionary's kid in... Continue Reading →

"For many of us, our hearts have been idol factories where we punch our time card more often than we care to admit."That word, idol. It just sounds so outdated. In a world where religion and spirituality is viewed as an archaic junk drawer this idea of idolatry holds a less than appealing luster.And really... Continue Reading →