Replacing Empathy With Superiority

A trending news story right now is a tragic one, as most seem to be these days. In Cincinnati, a 4-year old boy fell into a gorilla enclosure at the zoo, and after being dragged around by the 400-pound gorilla for 10 minutes, the zoo made the decision to shoot and kill him. The gorilla, not…

Venus is Rotting

A few weeks ago, I collapsed into my car after a long day at work and was instantly hit with a wonderful, fruity, tropical fragrance.  Many mystery smells have emerged from my car over the years, but never one this delightful. What in the world was that? Pineapple? No. Peaches? Definitely not. Mango, that’s it. Why does my…

I Thought You Were Dead

Twenty minutes Waiting and pacing Tears Worst fears I thought you were dead The story, it broke in synch with my heart News from afar, a tragic loss by far The words jumped from the page, coiled around my neck constricting my breathing I’m a complete wreck Plane crash Afghanistan 14 dead Your company Its name There in bold on…

Life Lessons From My Therapy Dog: The Alzheimer’s Unit

We brought Henri home when she was just 7-weeks old. Her big hazel eyes and forever-wagging tail stopped strangers on the street everywhere we went. Very quickly, I realized I had a pretty special little ball of fluff who could instantly brighten somebody’s day. You know those little deals you try to make with God, usually in moments of complete desperation? God, if…

Dumbing Down The Smartphone

About once per year, I get an overwhelming desire to disconnect from social media (blog posts don’t count as social media, right? Right.) I get cranky when scrolling through Facebook, yet I can’t stop scrolling through Facebook. But it’s not so much a Facebook addiction as an iPhone addiction– I just want to be doing something on my phone. Like…

Creation vs Evolution: Why Can’t I Have Both?

I am thankful to have spent my elementary and middle school years at a private Christian school. I made some wonderful friends, experienced deep, personal relationships with my teachers, and felt free to express my faith without my classmates or peers judging me. We had “normal school things” like basketball and softball teams, detention for bad behavior,…

Anniversaries > Birthdays

FIVE YEARS!!! It has been exactly five years since my last anaphylactic allergic reaction. This is HUGE for someone who is deathly allergic to egg, seafood, nuts, moldy cheeses, and possibly Vitamin E. Someone who has had around 42 hospitalizations due to anaphylaxis for the first 23 years of life, and seems to have new…

Lessons Learned While on Vacation

This week Isaac and I are staying on the beautiful Kiawah Island in South Carolina to celebrate our wedding anniversary. Located about 30 miles outside Charleston, this slice of heaven is one of the most serene, peaceful places I’ve ever been. We first came here about 5 years ago for one of his work conferences,…