Embracing Hope

In so many ways, it is mind numbingly difficult to be positive these days. The news and social media are jammed full of a seemingly infinite number of reasons for us to be stressed, angry, and depressed. From the pandemic, to natural disasters (e.g. Haiti), and social...

Being our own Judge

I watched a lot of Olympic events this past month, especially swimming and track and field. The swimming events I watched with my daughter, a competitive swimmer. We would give running “expert” color commentary throughout the races, commenting on stroke rates, time...

Blessed to Bless

As a kid, I always looked forward to visiting my cousins in Northern Minnesota. One of the chief reasons was that they had a toy collection any kid would envy. They had closet after closet filled to the brim with every sort of toy: Legos, action figures, dolls, games,...

The Right Advice

I’ve been back in the US the past month, and among the highlights has been getting to go to bookstores. Call me old fashioned, but I still prefer a paper book to an e-book (even though I do most of my reading on my tablet these days), and the selection of...

We are Being Watched

In watching the Olympics this week, I have come to the conclusion that I’m actually glad I never became an Olympian. Every single thing these athletes do is, for better or worse, seen by millions (if not billions) of people. They can become heroes or villains in...