purposeful ponderings
A few weeks before my son was diagnosed with PDD-NOS on November 1, 2001, I read a list of traits for people on the Autism Spectrum similar to the one found here. As I evaluated my son from my parental perspective, I knew before the testers had finished their report that my son had some […]
While doing my morning routine–studying my Bible, writing in a journal, calling my mother, completing household chores–I anticipate my afternoons. That is when I do…nothing. Well, maybe not nothing. But, it may look like that if you walk into my family room on most days. Nothing takes on several forms. Coffee: Depending on how much […]
Were you born to shine in one special way? What makes you really stand out? As I read this prompt on this particular day, I considered several reasons why I might have been born to shine or stand out. For certain, at a height of 6’2″, I stand out in a crowd. People may assume […]
Five Stars I wish I could recommend this book to everyone. With eloquence, authenticity, and respect, Min Jin Lee’s Pachinko reveals the traumatic treatment and displacement of Koreans and their culture through a family’s saga before, during, and after WWII. The reason I can’t recommend it to everyone is because of some difficult content. For […]
I threw a clay pot. Some people plan to throw pots their whole lives –along with vases, mugs, bowls, plates, candle holders, and miniatures. That’s what potters do. I am not a potter. I doubt I would choose pottery as a profession because of one key personal trait. I don’t enjoy getting dirty. In fact, […]
“I have no life,” I said as we navigated around the construction barrels along a familiar main road we travel several times a week. My husband–a man of few words, which often drip with bittersweet sarcasm that form pools of deep wisdom–gave me a look I don’t think I’ve ever seen in our thirty years […]
Three Stars After reading The Nightingale and The Great Alone, I found this book to be an unexpected deviation from what I expect from Kristin Hannah’s writing. It was readable, but started with a fantastical element that seemed unnecessary and didn’t carry through the rest of the book. I appreciated some of the characterization and […]
I told myself I wasn’t good at math. Considering my parents are former math teachers, my assertion seemed unlikely. Math certainly wasn’t my favorite thing to do, although I can’t say I struggled with it until we moved to Missouri. My trip-up stemmed from a specific type of problem: word problems. After over a decade […]
Recently, I had the opportunity to provide a devotional for my church’s Ladies’ Tea. As often happens when I receive an “assignment” such as this one, I experience a challenge of my own that relates directly to what God is leading me to share about Him. Because this devotional was presented verbally and because of […]
Four Stars A Curve in the Road is one of those books I needed for a diversion. I had been reading quite a few deep, heavy themes. Although the circumstances of the characters are tragic and life-changing, the book itself was the reading reprieve I needed.
