In the past few weeks, my spam folder filled with emails offering me pictures and promises of love. Romance is just a click away. Love is guaranteed if you open this. Read now if you want to secure true love. Needless to say, my delete button has seen a lot of use. But seeing all […]

Recently, I was in the food court of a large mall. The area teamed with people of all ages, sizes, and ethnicities. Near the end of our meal, a mother and two children sat at the table next to us. The daughter was about ten years old, the son about two. It soon became apparent […]

Here, at the end of January, I find myself sputtering, trying to gain traction on a new year. Things I had planned to accomplish this month have failed to take off. While there are some legitimate reasons,—sickness, grandchild care (which I totally enjoyed!), weather, fatigue—part of the January slowdown can simply be attributed to lack […]

In January each year, a new crop of folks sprout at the gym. They are easy to spot because they are the ones with the new workout clothes. Sometimes the women wear makeup and bring a venti latte to sip while strolling on the treadmill. Some of the men bring the newspaper or a sports […]

Today we celebrate my son’s birthday. I remember well the day he was born—12:26 a.m. on a frosty January morning. I was so thankful to hold him, count fingers and toes, and see a tiny hint of smile as we talked to him. He’s 28 now, and the daddy of an almost 11-month-old. Watching him […]

The subject of resolutions always pops up on the cusp of a new year. Some faithfully make a list and approach the new year with determination to follow through. Others, after years of resolving to do better with exercise, diet, money management, tackling difficult tasks, or whatever, don’t even bother to set goals anymore because […]

A new year is refreshing. Part of the allure of January is the idea of new beginnings. No matter what happened the year before, here is a chance to start fresh. The promise of possibility beckons. Anticipation and hope mingle to propel you forward into the unknown. Just as snow blankets the ground and covers […]

Often assigned the names Melchior, Balthasar, and Gaspar, I’ve enjoyed taking a closer look at the Wise Men this Christmas. I’ve always liked the minor melody of the carol We Three Kings and speculated on the background and personalities of the men from “orient are.” If you follow the perspective of children’s picture books, nativity […]

Christmas is almost here, and while I am very thankful for the addition of two sweet babies to our family, I feel a familiar grief. I miss my parents and other family members who are not longer with us. While my grief isn’t acute, it is there nonetheless. Some days grief manifests in waves of […]

Last week, our church choir offered two presentations of Christmas music. As a member of the choir, I know all that went into the preparation—hours of listening to and singing along with practice tapes, memorization of difficult passages by studying the printed music, extended rehearsal times, “bonus” rehearsals, and tedious technical rehearsals for diction and […]