Patches of snow in the shade belied the balmy temperatures and blue skies as we unloaded the bus and trailer at the trailhead parking lot in Sedona. Ten students had signed up for a mountain-biking adventure on Super Bowl Sunday, and the veteran riders quickly organized themselves to unload bicycles… Read more“How to be a Mentor and Not a Meddler”
Tag: Holly Barrett
Snow Angel Blessings
What happens when we confuse blessings with prosperity? The cold stung my nose so I quickly tugged my balaclava up over my nose as I headed out the door for morning supervision duty. The fresh inch of snow covered up a wicked layer of ice, so I abandoned the sidewalk… Read more“Snow Angel Blessings”
Do You Need to Check Your Coffee Grinder’s Settings?
“Which grinder do you use for your decaf?” I called out to my daughter. “The small one.” I grumbled inwardly—at home I used a nice burr grinder, and I worried that the blade grinder wouldn’t produce the same taste (I’m not a coffee snob, really). My burr grinder odyssey had… Read more“Do You Need to Check Your Coffee Grinder’s Settings?”
Dirty Drawers and Caring Colleagues
I sank down in the midst of the piles of neatly folded and partially sorted laundry that was spread around the living room floor and began to cry. Who knew it would come to this? Me, who’d always been the caregiver, the rescuer, the one to jump in and help. … Read more“Dirty Drawers and Caring Colleagues”
Why Your Church Needs to Quit Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting
I have a love-hate relationship with all things churchy—especially Wednesday night prayer meetings. My first memory of prayer meeting involved a dimly lit church, really old people (at the tender age of seven, everyone over 15 looked REALLY old), off-key hymns (evidently the organist didn’t attend prayer meeting), intoned prayers… Read more“Why Your Church Needs to Quit Wednesday Night Prayer Meeting”
What Happens When Students Feel Safe
She stepped up to the microphone during the Monday night worship service and started to speak. “I didn’t know my dad until a few years ago when a man walked up to me and said, ‘So, I’m your father.’” During her first formative years, her grandfather held the family together… Read more“What Happens When Students Feel Safe”
The Shocking Truth About My Neck and Calves
Dealing with Distortions I have a huge, thick, gargantuan neck. When I wear something with a rounded collar, my face doubles in width and takes on a moon-like glow. Ever since I noticed this amazing propensity of necklines to change the proportions of my face, I’ve avoided athletic t-shirts and… Read more“The Shocking Truth About My Neck and Calves”
What Happens When You Believe in Teamwork
This week I’m writing on my friend Holley Gerth’s prompt: Who in your life lives these words: “I don’t have it all together. But I believe we’re better together.” The weekly prompts for Holley’s Coffee for Your Heart link up celebrate the publication of her newest book You’re Loved No… Read more“What Happens When You Believe in Teamwork”
How to Miss the Obvious in Four Easy Steps
Sometimes, it’s too easy to miss the obvious. “If anyone has material possessions and sees a brother or sister in need but has no pity on them, how can the love of God be in that person?” 1 John 3:17 The wind pushed against the door of my car as… Read more“How to Miss the Obvious in Four Easy Steps”
How to Know if Your Saltiness is Balanced
As soon as the buzzer sounded signaling that the cinnamon applesauce cake had finished baking, I removed it and slid six loaves of rosemary garlic bread into the oven. “There,” I thought as I closed the oven door, “if I put the water on to boil now and make a… Read more“How to Know if Your Saltiness is Balanced”
