Thinking and Seeing for Better Being
I had a plan. Being led. Retire.Slow mornings.Steam room.Coffee with friends solving the world over scrambled eggs. Write.Make resources for younger teachers.Supplement the pension.Be useful without being tired. It would have given me authorship again.It would have returned control to me. Others did not agree. “You are still useful.” And here I am. Still in... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptDescribe a man who has positively impacted your life.View all responses The Janitor Who Taught Me How to Listen If you were looking for one of the men who quietly shaped my life,you would not find him on a stage. You would find him unlocking doors,emptying garbage cans,caring for the grounds. I met... Continue Reading →
Are you more of a night or morning person? What a 3:30 A.M. Walk Taught Me About Being Instead of Doing People ask whether I am a night person or a morning person.The simple answer is that I wake early.The deeper answer is that morning keeps returning me to myself. One winter Friday around the... Continue Reading →
If you could meet a historical figure, who would it be and why? Choosing Paul, Learning from Saul, and Letting Christ Live Where It Matters Most I used to treat the question, “Which historical figure would you like to meet?”, like party trivia. Pick your favorite:Jesus (gold-star answer),Lincoln (safe),Rumi (mystic points),Van Gogh (artistic flex),or Da... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptWhat's something you would attempt if you were guaranteed not to fail.View all responses On Failure, Faith, and the God Who Gardens Our Losses The question sounds so clean, so full of promise:What would you attempt if you were guaranteed not to fail? It rolls off the tongue like courage, like freedom.But turn... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptWhat would you do if you lost all your possessions?View all responses On Losing Grip, Finding What’s Left, and the Mess That Spills Out Once, not so long ago, I was poor enough that homelessness felt like it was pacing my porch. Creditors pounded as if they owned the hinges. Payday loans—devil’s candy—offered... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptIn what ways does hard work make you feel fulfilled?View all responses Finding Work That Feeds the Soul One summer in college, I worked three jobs to pay tuition. First: painting classrooms and waxing floors at the local high school, the smell of chemicals in my lungs, the hum of buffers rattling my... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptWhat brings you peace?View all responses A Word to IbaYour words about unsung songs and the ache of becoming—they’ve stayed with me.They echo in the spaces between these lines.You’ve reminded me: peace does not come from perfection, but from presence.And I want you to know—You are not alone. None of us are. When... Continue Reading →
What's the story behind your nickname? A count without a castle, learning to tend what matters They asked about nicknames. But some names are not just playful—they’re formative, false, or even holy. Sometimes names are less about thrones and more about thresholds. My name is Dean Graf. Dean means wooded valley.Graf means count—a land steward.... Continue Reading →
Daily writing promptHow would you describe yourself to someone who can't see you?View all responses The WordPress prompt was:How would you describe yourself to someone who can’t see you? I didn’t answer right away.The question cut deep—past the easy stuff like job titles, appearances, or roles.It asked for something real.Something forming.Something still in process. And... Continue Reading →
Forming 2.0 