One of my favorite people, English Anglican priest (now retired) Nicky Gumbel, once said, “Don’t be afraid of pressure. Pressure is what transforms a lump of coal into a diamond.” He’s right, but sometimes we place undue pressure on ourselves. It may come from an unacknowledged desire to hasten the transformative process. Or we have …
“Look, babka,” Lori said excitedly. “Just like you got when we were in Brooklyn.” Not only was it a babka, it was a chocolate babka, my favorite flavor. “And look at the label; it’s a ‘Brooklyn Babka,’”I said as I placed it in our shopping cart. Turning the corner from the bread aisle, I envisioned …
“We picked a bad day to drive to Louisville,” I sighed to Lori as I peered out the kitchen window early in the morning. The snow was gently falling, adding to the previous day’s accumulation. The weather forecast predicted snow flurries through the day. A winter’s weather advisory compounded my apprehensions. Gazing on the snow-covered …
The children’s singer-lyricist Raffi first published the song in 1976. He’s got dozens of children’s tunes, but I know this one, “Brush Your Teeth,” by heart. I know it because my son introduced me to it during one of our visits to his little family. While putting his two-year-old daughter, Stella, to bed, he sings …
How are those New Year’s resolutions working? They aren’t, at least for most people. National Public Radio’s Morning Edition asked for stories (through January 8) from people who had given up on their New Year’s resolutions for 2024. “What was your resolution, how soon into the year did you give it up and why?” the program asked, …