Posts from September 2017

Posts from September 2017

Musing

“Here is the world. Beautiful and terrible things happen. Don’t be afraid.” Well, that is Frederick Buechner’s advice anyway! A world diplomatic crisis (or two), large-scale weather events, genocide and displacement, national political uncertainty, personal and/or family health issues, normal parental concerns about kids (am I a ‘good enough’ parent?) – seems like the terrible is crowding out the beautiful at times. But the beautiful often needs conscious attention to be seen, noted and elevated. The smiles, the moments of…

How to Grow a Beard

“The key to a successful beard-growing effort is commitment. Just make a decision to grow a beard and stick with it. Do not be swayed by naysayers or lapses in your own confidence. Do not let a transient period of itching send you running for the razor. Just make a commitment to grow the beard and stick with it. Make it non-negotiable and always remember that. It helps to set a commitment date. Be sure that you allow yourself at…

Musing

I’ve been reading some non-fiction lately. This is unusual for me. I’m not used to the patterns of the genre and one feature has stuck out: the lengthy portion at the start of the books devoted to convincing me that the book is worth reading, that my life/country/the world is doomed if we don’t know this, do this. I already have the book, I’m keen to get to the research, the process, the findings, the practical applications. But first I…

Musing

A few years ago Chris and I holidayed in Vanuatu, most of you will remember that we asked the kids for donations, went and purchased some school supplies and organised to drop them off at a remote school. We put some photos on facebook for you to share with your kids. It was fun to bring a surprise of this gift to the school. Nothing major, but we felt good doing it, it took very little effort and organisation. When…