My cell phone’s camera recently stopped focusing. As someone who stops every 5 minutes to snap a shot of something I think is photo-worthy, this has been quite frustrating for me. With great frequency I find myself stopping to pull out my phone only to remember that the picture will turn out blurry no matter […]
An Atypical August
As August begins I find the world around me bracing for the transition of summer into the back-to-school frenzy. For many summer is their time off or at least the time of longer days and a couple weeks of vacation. For me summer was unusually busy. I went from teaching online in the mornings to […]
Life Lessons from a Cactus 🌵
This past week I have been studying rocks and soil with one of my online students from China. We learned about topsoil, subsoil, and bedrock. And spent some time talking about why topsoil is so important for plants to grow. Did you know that the uppermost layer of the topsoil is called ‘humus’ and it […]
Blueberry Picking: An Introverts Reflection on Life After the Pandemic
Exhaustion seems to seep down all the way into my very bones. This body that has been the source of so many of my frustrations just keeps going- even when it’s tired and battered and bruised. My mind feels tired too. Not the kind of restless tired that kept me up at night during the […]
Local
At the beginning of the year several of my social media friends hopped on the ‘word of the year’ train. I planned to get on too but never quite made it past the platform. Today I began listening to Emily Freeman’s podcast The Next Right Thing. In episode 173 Emily talks about how to journal […]
Not Alone
2020 was a hard year for so many of us. I can’t imagine there are many people whose lives are truly untouched by the events of this last year and a half. I am certainly not one of them if they do exist. I spent the better part of 2020 and the early weeks of […]
Can I Really Learn to Love God’s Law?
I never really considered myself a rebel. My first and only trip to the principal’s office was in my pre-school days; caught red-handed running through the pitch black sanctuary to watch my light up shoes shine bright into the darkness. That one trip to see the pre-school director was enough to keep me in line […]
Psalm 16
Confidence in the Lord A Davidic Miktam. 1 Protect me, God, for I take refuge in You. 2 I said to Yahweh, “You are my Lord; I have nothing good besides You.” 3 As for the holy people who are in the land, they are the noble ones. All my delight is in them. 4 The sorrows of those who take […]
His Burden is Light
”For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.” Matthew 11:30 You know how sometimes the most simple of truths can become the most hard learned lesson in life? I often feel that I rarely learn anything new but rather continue relearning the same simple truths over and over again. Each time something is […]
Must-See Landmarks in Oaxaca, Mexico
One advantage to living in a top tourist destination is getting to see some of the coolest landmarks around. Oaxaca has a long history and much of it can still be seen today. From petrified waterfalls to a now empty convent Oaxaca has something for everyone- regardless of whether or not you consider yourself a […]