Though the recent COVID challenges have caused some inconsistencies, our family has a tradition of taking an annual beach vacation. This...

Our world seems to have gone off the rails. A deadly virus, political tensions, and lack of civil conversation has changed us all, and...

One of my favorite songs is Andrew Peterson’s “Is He Worthy?” It was one of the songs used in a recent online Communion service at our...

I tend to be a bit of a “clean freak.” I am cheered by organized closets. The smell of Pine-Sol takes me to my happy place. And I find...

There are a lot of very difficult decisions one has to make as a parent, and each family has their own battles to face. Sooner or later,...

I returned to school when I was in my Fifties to complete my master’s degree. My job didn’t require it, and I was under no pressure to do...

I was probably about seven years old at the time. I lived on a street with a lot of kids. It was summertime in the Sixties, and outside...

It’s one of my favorite movies. Bill Murray plays Phil Connors, a miserable curmudgeon reporter sent to cover the annual Punxsutawney,...

We planned our trip for over a year. We would join the school where my son-in-law works on a mission trip to Kenya. Taking a...

When I was in high school I dated a guy who stole from me, lied to me, and completely disrespected me. He was my parent’s greatest...

I recently began listening to a podcast called Finding Fred on the suggestion of a friend. It’s a series exploring the life of Fred...

As a child, I found Playdough stressful. While there was the potential for fun, there was also the potential for failure. My enjoyment of...

I’m tired. The holidays will do that to you, and this year’s Thanksgiving invasion of the flu in our family certainly didn’t help...

My family and I took a 7-day Caribbean cruise in December of 2012. One of the stops we made was in Cozumel, Mexico. It just happened that...

I am not a risk taker. Though I have learned to enjoy adventure and spontaneity, I still need a little time to process and warm up to a...

I am a Chicago Bears fan, and as such, I hold tightly to the legacy of the 1985 team in an effort to console myself during the seasons of...

I have friends who are of a variety of faiths or no faith at all. I have friends who are sold out to their political party – to the...

I don’t tend to be a patient person when it comes to completing tasks. When I start working on something, I want it DONE. I think that’s...

I tend to rehearse conversations in my head. When there’s something important I want to share, I will run the dialogue through my mind,...

I grew up on the southwest side of Chicago. My house was on a block with a LOT of kids my age. After supper on most summer nights, we...