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Have Mercy On Me

Before last Christmas, my sister asked me what my students called me so she could use my title on a personalized present. She was thinking of the difference between "Miss"…

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Traumaversary 5

“We need your parent’s phone number.” “But they are in America, and it’s really early.” “Yes, but this is a big deal, and we need to let them know.” “But…

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Legacy

Tuesday morning, I checked my phone to see a message from Jen to call her. Obviously, that's a great way to start my day because Jen is one of my…

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Choose Your Own Adventure

One of my students is convinced that all the choices we make are predetermined and that free will is an illusion. We have loads of great conversations about this. Just…

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Omelas

Have you ever read Thomas More's Utopia? It's terrible. I mean, no way it could work, but if it did, life there would be horribly bland. Anyone who's known me…

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The Price of Adventure

I never wanted to leave Oregon; ask anyone who knew me there. I was the least likely to move away, and yet, at this point it doesn't look like I'll…

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A Kilometer in My Shoes

I got my Cinderella shoes Santa style nearly five years ago, and I've worn them almost every day since. They've gone through about five pairs of shoelaces, and are duct…

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1, 2, 3, Wobble

This Monday at physio, Mike had me practice a whole bunch more difficult tasks. We did a lot of standing on my own before grabbing on to his arms so…

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Grateful

Matt, the youth pastor I’m working with, asked me for some background on the American holiday of Thanksgiving while he was preparing for his sermon this week, and, cynic that…

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Reflection

I'm not one to let a Mulan reference pass me by. Remember that scene when our young hero is devastated that she can't live up to her family's expectations and…

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Church Keys

I got my first church key when I started volunteering at Westport ages ago. I'd be lying if I said I didn't get a small thrill from the importance, but…

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Cover Letter

During this past week, I've been trying to convince three of my former students to find paid internships in Portland. Obviously, I'm willing to be their reference, help them with…

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Shotgun Approach

I've had the blessing of several really talented physios over the past five years, and one of the gifts of working with Anja for over four years of that time…

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Nothing Much

People keep asking me what I've done through the week, and my response is always an embarrassed, "nothing much," but, honestly, I'm in the rest phase of my sabbatical, and…

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Life as Unusual

People keep asking me what I've done through the week, and my response is always an embarrassed, "nothing much," but, honestly, I'm in the rest phase of my sabbatical, and…

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The Secret Life of Books

When I made the decision to move to Germany, I sold nearly all of my 250+ books in my personal library. This past week, I discovered one of them made…

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Isolation

In a lot of ways, it's been a weird week, but I read two whole books which is just delightful to me. My goal is four this coming week.  One…

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Garden City

This past week I read John Mark Comer's book Garden City as a launch into my sabbatical. (Then I started A. J. Swoboda's Subversive Sabbatical because Portland theologians writing on sabbath…

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To the Ends of the Earth

I feel like in nearly five years, I've likely referenced this Hillsong song I used for today's post title before, but it's got more relevant lyrics than the single Reliant…

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