college
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Slow Living
I am having the best day. Sure, there are tasks waiting, but they aren’t pressing into me, demanding to be done. There’s a phone call I should get back to, but it’s not urgent. Snow lies melting like pure white fondant, asking politely to be shoveled, but it’s asking more out of obligation than real…
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The Process Fraught
“There is nothing to writing. All you do is sit down at a typewriter and bleed.”― Ernest Hemingway The behind-the-scenes process of creating is – somewhat famously – painful, arduous and soul-destroying work. Monet used to discard much of his painting. Kafka wrote in his journal: “Another ten days and I have achieved nothing. It doesn’t…
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Fridays are for Creating
I love to be left alone. Time to process. To think without interruption. These are precious gifts. I love my family and friends, and I’m always inspired by how beautifully unique people can be with their varied personalities and idiosyncrasies, hair colour, skin tones, eyes of every shade, Myers-Briggs profiles, embarrassing moments, fraught relationships, life…
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But What Will I Wear?!
I haven’t been able to write lately; I’ve lost my momentum. Today I will just write – something – off the cuff, stream of consciousness. The title is a quote from the Grinch in one of my favorite scenes. When I first saw the movie I laughed out loud not so much because it was…
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A Simple Ritual
In the blue-grey silence of morning We fold the blankets backFluff the pillowsWash our facesListen to the coffee brewingWarm caffeine scent wafting Stare out frosty windows and wonderPeel an orangeThe light across the wood is warmer nowTime imperceptibly movesA cat wanting not to be seenBehind the door all is stillSun bursts over porcelain snowStrawflower gold…
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Feeling of Home
Saturday morning. I sip the last of the Starbucks Christmas blend coffee, and gaze around the house we live in now. An arctic -30 degrees, yet morning sun bathes the snow outside with golden sparkles, and creates gleaming reflections around the walls and wood of my home. The sky a brilliant blue, pretending for a…
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Church on Sunday
After 35 years of leading worship, the author reflects on formative experiences, such as being thrust into a challenging role as a teenager. This shaped their musicianship and resilience. They advocate for caring mentorship in church settings, urging reflection on how young people are treated, valuing compassionate support over mere expectations.
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A Christmas Story
Long ago, in a house miles away down an icy gravel road, a little girl listened to her parents talk about Christmas. From the muffled rise and fall of voices she could detect a note of stress, and an overtone of sadness, too. There wasn’t money for presents this year; the check hadn’t come in.…
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School Days
By now you may be saying to yourself, “This blog is called Stories for Humans. When will she stop dithering about with dry, dusty topics? Get to the stories!” And so I shall. The thing is, right now as I’m evaluating my life as a half-of-a-hundred year old ancient person, most of the stories I…
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Press Pause
Yesterday I had the privilege of participating in a webinar with some Christian leaders. The purpose was to share and discuss the importance of discernment in navigating the often troubled waters of life and the times we are living in. The title was “Wise as Serpents”, referencing Matthew 10:16, “Behold, I send you out as…
Stories for Humans 