5 Pies and a Lulav
L.L. here, for Thanksgiving. With five pies and a lulav. Thanksgiving is one of those holidays that challenges my tendencies towards simplicity. Two kinds of potatoes, mashed-white and whipped-sweet with sugared pecan topping. Green beans with garlic and butter. Stuffing. Orange-cranberry sauce. Turkey (yes, even at my veggie-lovin’ table). And

Fear of Seconds
L.L. here, with Random Acts of Poetry. Wondering what’s next. Is it ever like that for you? Maybe you play an awesome game of chess and you think, “Will I ever do it again?” Or perhaps you make a gorgeous apple pie and wonder if you’ll ever get the crust quite like that in the future. If you are a writer, you might have tackled the blank page fabulously in the past, but today

She Stepped Forward
It was a typical Sunday morning. Good worship. Good message. Good time to finish up so that I could get some lunch. (Be careful not to throw stones, because you know exactly what I’m talking about!) Then it happened… At the end of his message, our pastor typically offers an opportunity for people to come forward for pr

When Families Give Together
Commercials, window displays, newspaper inserts, catalogs and radio spots awaken in our kids an almost manic need to acquire. As an “antitoxin” of sorts, we can model and inspire giving, whether it’s giving thanks, giving time, giving resources, or giving intangible gifts that have a deep and lasting impact on the recipients.

Performance Reviews: The Bad
A couple weeks ago, Bradley J. Moore posted about the peer review and performance appraisal process, with a discussion about image and performance. Performance appraisal processes are something