I disconnected my printer and my earphones from my laptop, closed its lid, and quickly swooped it up to head to a meeting. I immediately realized that I had failed to disconnect the power cord, however, as a chain reaction…
Category: Wholeness
The Free Spot: When “mine” becomes “ours”
Two Christmases ago, my parents gave me a beautiful new desk chair for use when I am away from Uganda, and in San Diego working on my PhD. (Mom’s always worried about my back pain, and Dad’s very generous.) As…
The Noise of Poverty; Understanding Its Power over Self & Other
As I transition from the “West” to Uganda—yet again—I am anticipating the different sounds in the lifescape. Some will welcome me, emoting joy and pleasure. Others will attack me in offensive ways, stirring negativity and frustration. Others will be processed…
4 Options When People Hurt You
. Ever been hurt (or just pissed off)? Of course you have. So what do you do about that? These are four strategies I have been given by people I respect and love: The whole walk-a-mile-in-their-shoes thing. Research shows that…
“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”…
“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…
“Let’s Climb Out of the Bucket” (My reflections on ‘Kony 2012’)
My dad often tells a story about what it means to be a crabber (someone who catches crabs). The crabbers place their catches, one by one, into a bucket. Eventually, the bucket is full enough for some crabs to have…
“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…
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…
