Thinking and Seeing for Better Being
What does it mean to be truly seen? We don’t outgrow the need to be seen.We just get better at pretending we don’t need it. But sometimes a story—or a line from a stranger’s blog—uncovers something buried.Something like a boy, a crayon, and a lion no one believed he drew. The Lion I was four.... Continue Reading →
About Power, Presence, and Paying Attention How do you feel about cold weather? Come closer. Snow-wrapped trees, still and listening. Feel the sting of a winter that doesn’t ask permission. In Mapleton, cold wasn’t just weather—it was a presence. A character. A kind of teacher.It piled snow into drifts taller than a boy and dared... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptWhat is the legacy you want to leave behind?View all responses I used to think legacy meant a plaque. You know—a shiny nameplate, maybe a hallway photo where I don't look like I just sneezed. Something official. Something framed. But after 40 years of parenting, teaching, loving, failing, forgiving, and scribbling in the... Continue Reading →
What is your career plan? Turning wounds into wisdom, and work into worship. We carry more than stories—we carry what was planted in pain, grown in silence, and offered in love. I’ve lived more years than I likely have left.That’s not gloomy. It’s clarifying. This isn’t a midlife crisis. It’s a mid-faith anchoring. I’m not... Continue Reading →
What was the last live performance you saw? The Mindful Line – Mark Making at MOWA Tables were covered in crisp white paper. Crayons, pastels, sticks, and smooth stones waited quietly. And then—lines began.The Mindful Line was a 60-minute guided experience held at the Museum of Wisconsin Art (MOWA), blending story, color, and motion to... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptDo you have a quote you live your life by or think of often?View all responses A Vision of Silence, Sandals, and Something Greater I collect quotes like rainwater.Some sink in. Some evaporate. Kierkegaard when I’m restless.Rumi when I’m cracked open.Lao Tzu when I need to breathe.Jesus—when I need to be. But I’ve... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptHave you ever been camping?View all responses Sometimes the best memories are made when we lose what we thought we needed. Some of my earliest camping memories feel almost mythic now. We had a heavy canvas tent that reminded me a little of a circus tent—likely something my father hauled back from his... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptDescribe a risk you took that you do not regret.View all responses “No one dies if the assignments don’t get finished. But if you do engage, you might find you become a little more self-aware—or at least remember you’re still alive.” Tatum Works While Melanie Sleeps Most days, I take a risk just... Continue Reading →
Except When They're on the Roof, Tending the Grill, or Doing Dangerous Things Carefully Spying out the Land What Makes Me Nervous? Henry Enjoying a Summer Moment Not Henry in this moment. Not when he’s lounging in a camping chair—T-shirt, shorts, and bare feet—his head resting on one armrest, knees tucked up, feet gripping the... Continue Reading →
Jot down the first thing that comes to your mind. Because that’s how Saturdays begin First Cup The birds started it—chirping outside my window,nudging me into consciousness like feathered timekeepers.No alarm clock needed. Just light, sound, and the unspoken promise of coffee.I rolled out of bed.Bathroom first—because thinking and peeing tend to show up together.What... Continue Reading →
Forming 2.0 