In some respects, this post should be easy to write. This is because it feels like, due to COVID-19, we didn’t do a whole lot this year. At the same time, we did do a whole lot this year. Even though we’ve spent a lot of time at home and have faithfully adhered to physical distancing guidelines, it has still been an eventful year. Here … [Read more...] about 2020 Year in Review
current events
An Open Thank-You Letter to Grocery Store Employees
There are so many individuals to whom I owe a debt of gratitude because of their sacrifice and hard work during the COVID-19 pandemic. I could go on and on thanking essential workers including healthcare workers, truck drivers, first responders, farmers, sanitation workers, and public health professionals, but today I am going to focus on … [Read more...] about An Open Thank-You Letter to Grocery Store Employees
Why Gratitude Isn’t a Panacea During Tough Times
When many of us plan for the Thanksgiving and Christmas holidays, we envision large gatherings around the dinner table and loved ones sprawled out in the living room opening gifts. Unfortunately, things will look different for many of us this year. The risk of spreading COVID will lead many of us to choose smaller gatherings or perhaps even no … [Read more...] about Why Gratitude Isn’t a Panacea During Tough Times
What Does God’s Peace Look Like?
In order to prepare my heart for the Thanksgiving holiday, I usually begin each November with a post on the topic of gratitude. However, to be honest, I’m not thinking about gratitude that much today. I’m quite distracted with thoughts of the election (which is tomorrow) and with the deep divisions that characterize our nation right now. … [Read more...] about What Does God’s Peace Look Like?
9 Simple Strategies for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
In recent weeks I’ve heard numerous friends and family members comment that they just want to be able to sleep again. For the most part, these loved ones aren’t suffering from medical conditions that prevent them from sleeping; they’re simply overwhelmed by all that is going on around them (COVID-19, natural disasters, financial struggles, … [Read more...] about 9 Simple Strategies for Getting a Good Night’s Sleep
7 Tips for Having Constructive Conversations About Politics
In Ecclesiastes, a short book in the Old Testament, a wise teacher states that there is nothing new under the sun (Ecclesiastes 1:9). The longer I live, the more I see this statement validated. For example, four years ago I shared tips for having respectful conversations about politics because the political scene was volatile, with candidates … [Read more...] about 7 Tips for Having Constructive Conversations About Politics
How to Avoid Falling for Urban Legends, Rumors, and Conspiracy Theories
The spread of misinformation is not a new phenomenon. However, because we have access to multiple tools (email, text messaging, social media, etc.) that quickly spread messages to numerous individuals, urban legends, rumors, and conspiracy theories spread more quickly and reach more individuals than they used to. These forms of … [Read more...] about How to Avoid Falling for Urban Legends, Rumors, and Conspiracy Theories
7 Tips for Getting Kids to Wear Face Masks
If you would have told me last year that in one year I would be writing a post about getting kids to wear face coverings in order to limit the spread of a novel coronavirus, I would not have believed you. However, here we are, facing a pandemic that none of us were expecting. Many of us live in states and/or cities where mandatory mask … [Read more...] about 7 Tips for Getting Kids to Wear Face Masks
