In this speech, the author of The Awakening of Miss Prim says that only a minority of readers see her story as one of a spiritual journey and conversion. I was shocked when I read that. It seemed so obvious to me that that was the only thing it could really be about. In talking…
Category: Reflection
A Muse Meant
muse: “to consider reflectively; a state of deep reflection or meditation.” (Webster’s II, 1984) I require time to muse. One thing I’ve been musing about lately is how often we a muse ourselves. The etymology of the word amuse gives me pause. From the Old French, amuser, to stupefy; from Latin, a, meaning “to” +…
Why Won’t They Read
Some of my earliest memories are of my mom reading to my sisters and me. Raggedy Ann and Andy books are prominent in those memories. I believe Mom chose the Raggedy books because she remembered them from her childhood. I wonder what she would think of the stories if she read them now. I have…
Magic in Fairyland
“Material facts are good enough for him. Until it comes to religion. And then, suddenly, the child who has been forbidden to believe in Jack the Giant Killer must believe in Goliath and David. There are no fairies, but you must believe that there are angels. The magic sword and the magic buckler are nonsense,…
Tiny Jars of Apples
It is apple season here in Wisconsin. We live in a place with very harsh winters, late springs, and cold falls. In our city, the “snow/cold day” school cancellation policy doesn’t activate until -35F° (with windchill). My respect for the pioneers and settlers who tamed this bitterly cold wilderness is boundless. My admiration for their…
Sabbath Schedule
A few months ago I wrote an article about our obedience to the spiritual principle of Sabbath-keeping. Since then, I have received a number of requests for an explanation of what a normal Sabbath looks like for us. Because I appreciate being able to peek into the lives of others, I am happy to share…
Hospitality Recharge
In this article I wrote about Sally Clarkson’s A Life Giving Home and a beautiful weekend of hospitality when we were hosting our Gourmet group. In that article I explained that we anticipated the weekend with a gentle approach to our preparations and a sharing of the work. No matter how wonderful our call to hospitality is,…
Live on the Rest
The new school year looms. I feel more apprehension than excitement. Like Martha, I am anxious and troubled about many things, most of them months away. Yesterday I was reminded of a story that became personal this time. Remember the prophet’s widow (II Kings 4) who goes to Elisha for help? Her husband has died…
Reading Plan: Sara’s Approach
I grew up loving the Ben Hur film with Charlton Heston. Thanks to Anne Shirley, I discovered that it was based on a book by Lew Wallace and now I love the book even more than the movie. There is a key moment in the story of Ben Hur when Judah’s character is evaluating a…
Why I Sabbath
When I was a student at Hillsdale College, one of my dearest friends was the daughter of a professor on campus. My friend’s family is Jewish and I was regularly invited to their home on Friday evenings to participate in their Sabbath dinner. Those Friday evenings were a time of profound beauty for me. Leading…
Audible: Reading With My Ears
As an auditory learner, audiobooks are more than a luxury for me; they are a necessity. Readers of any learning style can benefit from audiobooks, however. While auditory learners are probably going to be streaming classics every free moment that they can get, other learners (moms, dads, and children alike) can still benefit from being read…
A Person of Ability
I just finished reading Ben Hur, by Lew Wallace. For the third time. I’ve always been mildly curious about the man who could and would write such a story. This time I decided that I was curious enough to actually dig up a biography. Based on the stories in the first chapter of Lew Wallace:Militant…
Teach Them to Learn
In the middle of a phone conversation with my oldest son the other day, he said, “Oh, Mom, I’ve been wanting to remember to tell you something. I want to thank you for teaching us how to learn.” What? Huh? I’m choking up already. “Young people these days (he’s 33 and already complaining about the…
Radical Hospitality
I am Catholic. I explain that to give context. Last summer on retreat, I watched “Entertaining Angels” (the Dorothy Day story), and was deeply moved by the hospitality Day extended to the poor, lost and homeless in New York. At the time of my retreat, my husband and I were going through a life-changing transition. We were passionately…
Wholesome Books Matter
Recently I read The Hidden Life, which is a collection of essays written by Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross). Edith was born a Jew into a wealthy family. Through her doctoral work at German universities in psychology and philosophy, she was intellectually converted to the Cross, and then through her own personal…