First came our stay-at-home orders. They went into effect in mid-March, right at the part of Lent when my forty-day practice felt less Draw-closer-to-Jesus and more Oh-no-I-forgot-to-practice-Lent! Our entire state was asked to give up friendships, gatherings, church and school, as well as all markers of normalcy. Lent was put into real-life practice and felt […]
What’s Next for the Red Couch BookClub?
by on March 5, 2020 1 Comment
I used to be a classroom teacher. One of my favorite things to do was present my class of eight-year-olds with ideas and then let them make their own connections. In some cases––like math class––they would make connections and we’d have to keep solving the problem to get to an answer that worked. In other […]
I Want to Keep Our Glasses Full
by on January 8, 2020 Leave a Comment
One of the most memorable dinner parties I attended while in college in Paris was a gathering hosted by a British couple who had lived in the city for years. I knew them from church, though the guest list was curated by a close friend of mine. Because they lived in a neighborhood I didn’t […]
A Faith of Beginnings
by on December 9, 2019 Leave a Comment
We are in the midst of Advent, which looks like lighting a candle each night before dinner and reading a short devotion from a kid-friendly book. Our oldest is now able to do the bulk of the reading which has added an incredible element to our evenings. Because she gets the spotlight for the reading, […]
Why I Read Controversial Books With My Kid
by on September 30, 2019 Leave a Comment
My seven-year-old daughter and I just finished reading The Hobbit by J.R.R. Tolkien. It took us all summer with stops and starts because of camping trips and visits with family. I was amazed at how engaged Bea was in the story since this was the first “capital L” piece of literature we tried. About halfway […]
