Growing pains
During a weekly spelling test with a class of first-graders, I noticed that one of my students, Cindy, hadn’t written anything on her test. “I can’t remember any answers!... »
Personal Accounts
A pilgrim’s journey
My favorite railway in the world is Australia’s Indian Pacific. The line runs between Sydney on the east coast to Perth on the west coast, traversing a whole continent an... »
The joy of learning
“The world is so full of a number of things, I’m sure we should all be happy as kings.” This line, inviting us to a world of exploration, was penned by Robert Lewis Steve... »
Diamond in an anthill
I came across a gem of an article from a 1997 Reader’s Digest about what was then the world’s largest-producing diamond mine—the Argyle mine, in Western Australia. At its... »
Ordinary days
In Ann Kiemel’s book I'm Out to Change My World, there’s a section in which the author is explaining to her mom about an ongoing difficulty she is experiencing in her lif... »
Tetris blocks
Some people think that everyone has a place in life, and we all just need to find our place and “fill” it. Others believe that we are all free to make our own way, follow... »
Swimming lessons
Have you ever noticed how some people can stay afloat when engulfed in troubles and hardships, while others sink to the bottom? What sets the swimmers apart from the sink... »
Just be there
Most parents will probably attest that one of the ongoing challenges of parenting is spending quality time with your children. What makes it especially tricky is that wha... »
A very good place to start
The first time I ever held a Bible was as a little girl sitting in the waiting room of a doctor’s office. I opened the first pages and read until the story of Cain and Ab... »
The road to faith
I was born in 1955 into a family of blue-collar workers. At the time, Germany was in reconstruction mode after the devastation of WW2. “Work hard and grit your teeth” see... »
My ebenezer stone
“What’s that?” my friend asked, pointing to a small brown stone on my coffee table. I had to smile, thinking how odd that plain little rock must look to her. Usually, peo... »
Martha gets a makeover
Have you ever felt unfairly characterized by others? Perhaps you’ve been in a situation where someone interacts with you on the basis of what they think they “know” about... »