I remember well my first day of grad school. I was awake early. It surprised me how concerned I suddenly was about what I should wear. (“You should have thought of this before!” I kept telling myself.) I finally settled…
Category: Being present
“Chatters of Glee” (and 27 other things that make me happy)
Once a month, I make a list of things that make me happy and grateful. This morning started out with terrific challenge and stress. Just as I was allowing it to get the best of me, I decided, instead, to…
“Even When We Don’t Want to” (A 70-second read on pressing into courage, selflessness and forgiveness.)
This blog post was prompted by a thought I posted on Facebook this morning: I’m considering the beauty of Maundy Thursday, Christ’s final hours in His human experience. The Last Supper, the Passover meal. Washing of the feet. Communion. “Final”…
“25 Things I’m Grateful for!” (My monthly gratitude list.)
Emails from my kids. After the long journey from Uganda, I walked into my American office on Monday and found a delightful gift and card from a colleague whose last day of work had been whilst I was away. That…
“Music in the Dark” (A 2-minute read.)
From my African journal: Every evening, I hear music coming from an obscure location in the middle of my village town, Masaka, Uganda. It is joyful music with heavy rhythms and multiple voices in song. Between choruses, there are great…
“Unexpected Ways” (An 80-second reading on what I am enjoying most about this human experience.)
Early this morning I was seated in the lobby of one of Kampala’s oldest hotels, The Africana. The Senior Advisor to Uganda’s First Lady had asked to meet me there. We have been friends for many years, and I happened…
“Thought-Snapshots” (A 2-minute post from London–on contemplating delight.)
Two nights ago I was in a meeting with colleagues, discussing cultural implications for resilience among young people, and then off to a dinner with friends at a favorite eatery in downtown San Diego. Last night I was crammed into…
“Africa in Your Tone” (A 90-second reading on how diversity informs authenticity)
“Good afternoon, sir,” I said to a distinguished Ghanaian scholar who had just joined our already-crowded minivan as we headed out for more school visits in Kasoa, Ghana last month. We then made introductions around the vehicle, and I mentioned…
4 Things I’m Glad I Don’t Know for Sure
For years, on the last page of the ‘O’ magazine, Oprah Winfrey has written a column she calls: “What I know for sure.” Today, I’m doing just the opposite. In a reading for my “Spirituality and Health” class, I highlighted this phrase: “Prior…
“Especially Set Aside” (An 80-second reading on creating space for conversations that matter.)
The music is pumped up on the car radio, you’re driving to a somewhat familiar place, but then suddenly you realize you’re lost. What’s the first thing you do? You turn down your radio. Why? Because you need to create…
