In A Circle of Quiet, Madeleine L’Engle wrote:During the long drag of years before our youngest child went to school, my love for my family and my need to write were in acute conflict. The problem was really that I put two things first. My husband and children came first. So did my writing. Bump.The conflict—or collision—of work and family summed up in a word: Bump.Ouch. … [Read more...]
Sam Van Eman Makes Me Think
Like all of the HCB people I've gotten to know, Sam Van Eman makes me think. I recently conducted an interview with Sam that I published at NotSoFastBook.com, in which he got me thinking about advertising, culture, Earl Grey tea...and biscotti.Intriguing, eh?Here's a peek at the post:Sam Van Eman is another of the HighCallingBlogs.com people I’m getting to know.Culture … [Read more...]
Merci, Belgique
(for the Belgian Wonder, on the occasion of our 19th wedding anniversary)Merci, Belgique,Pour tes bicyclettesHe salvaged tires,A chain, gears,Handlebars,And a frameFrom three different bikes,Maybe more.Piecing it all together,He painted it blackAnd pedaled down canalsFor milesThrough the countrysidePast fields of sugar beetsOr flew downhillRumbling over cobblestonesPast … [Read more...]
The Lecture: Healthy or Harsh?
Three of my kids take piano lessons from the same teacher, so they take turns going first. They determined the order themselves several months ago. I thought it was all settled. It shouldn’t be difficult to maintain who goes first, second and third, right?At the start of a recent lesson, they argued.“You go first.”“I went first last week.”“No, you didn’t!”“Yes, I did!”The … [Read more...]
The Season of Getting, er, Giving
Well, it's starting: The season of getting—I mean, giving.I think it's hard to help our kids focus on giving when they're bombarded by commercials, window displays, newspaper inserts, catalogs and radio spots whose sole purpose is to awaken a desire to get.It's hard for us as adults to focus on giving, too, because we're bombarded with all those same enticing messages to … [Read more...]
