In November of fifth grade the health van ladies told me I had scoliosis.  “Great. . . lovely,” I thought as I sat in the second-to-back seat in the yellow bus, looking out the window. This meant wearing a back brace. I named it George. George and I were together 24/7. Up until that point,…

Here’s your printable 30 days of Gratitude Calendar for 2019. Click the button below to print the 30 days of dares and enjoy Curt’s beautiful photo (above) all month long. If you like his work or need family photos, check out his company web page. I hope you enjoyed that extra hour of sleep and…

You know at a wedding when the maid of honor clinks her glass to get your attention. It’s that moment before she says something that matters to her, something shiny. It’s the same moment where maybe the best man is going. . . oh crap, I gotta think of something to say. I kid. I…

“Before I can tell my life what I want to do with it, I must listen to my life telling me who I am.”  Parker Palmer, my favorite writer on teaching I heard someone say once that if we lean really hard into our deep-seated beliefs, they often give way.  While that has been true…

Life shrinks or expands in proportion to one’s courage. anais nin One of my favorite teaching questions is, “So what?” At the end of this lesson, at the end of this project, at the end of this Boundary Waters trip. . . what is the big take away? What does this mean for living? Why…

“Maybe that’s what religion is, hurling yourself off a cliff and trusting that something bigger will take care of you and carry you to the right place.” ― Maria Semple, Where’d You Go, Bernadette Shortly after I flung myself off the rope swing, we were paddling along and one of my friends cheered, “There’s the cliffs!” Cliff jumping?…

When we brought our canoes up to the camp site, my friend yelled, “Oh sweet! There’s a rope swing!” A rope swing? There it was, a swing tied to a tree growing up out of the rocks just near the edge. You could see down through the clear water and tell that many before had…

The fullness of Joy is to behold God in everything. Julian of Norwich Our Boundary Waters canoe trip this summer challenged me, scared me, and taught me things about myself. . . but most importantly it reminded me–once again–to just look around and notice. I went on this trip hoping to see beauty laid bare,…

A portage, I learned on our Minnesota Boundary Waters Canoe trip, is hiking with your canoe and gear between lakes. I was nervous about this part as I wasn’t sure how to carry a canoe–or if I even could. On my first portage I panicked, feeling bugs swarm my face that I couldn’t swat as…

Part One. . . This year instead of backpacking, three former book club friends and I explored the Boundary Waters Canoe Area Wilderness of Minnesota. I was excited to pack up my gear, picturing myself gliding along a mirror-flat lake. All this excitement faded as I lay in my cabin the night before we set…