Growing up in Annapolis, Maryland, with the outline of the Naval Academy just on the other side of the Severn River, I never gave much thought to attending the Naval Academy. That’s the simplest truth. I roamed freely through buildings and fields, along the water, across spaces that felt familiar and unremarkable. The idea of attending the Academy never entered my mind. There were no women there, because there had never been women there. Since…
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I am currently a student at the Renovaré Institute, a two-year online and in-person school dedicated to learning how to live in deeper intimacy with God. The program blends academic study with practical exercises aimed to shape us to become more like Christ. In August, our practice was to pray the “Jesus Prayer”, an early Christian prayer dating back to the 6th century. The invocation of Jesus’ name began even earlier, and the “Jesus Prayer” has…
Leave a CommentIt seemed like a good idea three months ago—doesn’t it always? The kind of idea that feels manageable at first, then suddenly grows bigger and barrels toward you like D.C. rush-hour traffic. For me, that idea was planning a family vacation for eighteen people, complete with celebrating Gary’s 70th birthday and retirement. Balancing Structure and Flexibility When you’re responsible for organizing something this big, there’s a delicate balance: you need enough structure to guide people…
4 CommentsThe dictionary might define “grand” as very good or enjoyable, excellent. But when I was invited to host our two granddaughters for an entire Monday through Friday, I discovered that grand is so much more than a definition; it’s a way of being present in the world. Planning for Excellence I knew from the moment I said yes that I was shooting for something special. This time wouldn’t be just a week of babysitting; this…
4 CommentsSo here I am, officially in a zone I never wanted to join, the “worry about falling” club. You know the one? Where every step becomes a calculation, every uneven sidewalk a potential hazard? In the past year, my bum knee has betrayed me twice. Same pattern both times: knee refuses to extend fully, gravity wins, and down I go. It’s humbling, really, how something as simple as walking can suddenly feel like a high-stakes…
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