Comfort zones, I have learned, don’t have to mean being in a familiar place where everyone looks and acts the same. An experience a few years ago illustrated to me how recognizing that God holds His entire family in safety and peace is the best comfort zone there is – and where I want to be! … read more (Monitor, audio available)
French translation posted September 13, 2021.
What a topsy-turvy world I found myself in. I had left my job, moved across the country, and – totally unplanned – started a romantic relationship. It should have been an expansive time of new possibilities. But increasingly I felt unsettled, directionless, even floundering in life … read more (Monitor, audio available)
“What do you think about this?” my brother asked me, referring to recent news of sexual harassment committed in the entertainment and media spheres. We were on our weekly walk around a nearby reservoir, catching up on each other’s lives. … read more (Monitor, audio available)
Dutch translation of “Let God direct your course.” Original English article posted September 5, 2016.
Alles in mijn nieuwe baan ging mis. Als medewerker in een start-up bedrijf voelde ik mij niet geschikt voor het werk, geïntimideerd door een erg zelfverzekerde baas en ondervond ik problemen met lastige collega’s. Behalve deze problemen zag het er niet naar uit dat het bedrijf zijn doelstellingen zou halen, wat nog meer druk legde op een slechte situatie. Ik zag als enige optie het schip maar te verlaten. … read more (De Christian Science Heraut)
Everything in my new job was going wrong. An employee in a start-up company, I felt ill-suited to the work, intimidated by a highly assertive boss, and challenged by difficult coworkers. Besides these problems, it didn’t look as if the company would meet its goals, adding further pressure to a bad situation. I figured the only option was to jump ship. … read more (Sentinel, audio available)
Dutch translation posted November 22, 2016.
German translation of “When It Hurts To Hug.” Original English article posted February 2, 2005.
„Und vergessen Sie nicht, die Kinder zur guten Nacht zu umarmen“, hatte die Schulleiterin an meinem ersten Arbeitstag zu mir gesagt. Das klang nach einer sehr guten Idee. Aber binnen ein bis zwei Tagen stellte ich fest, wie schwer es war, dies in die Praxis umzusetzen. … read more (Der Herold der Christlichen Wissenschaft)
It’s dark when I arrive at the pension where I’ll stay while I find a place to live. I speak in halting German to the woman behind the desk. She gives me my room key, and I lug my two overstuffed suitcases up three flights of narrow dimly lit stairs. I call my mom. We connect over 6,000 miles of crackling wire. “Everything is fine,” I say. Then I crawl into bed and erupt into sobs. … read more (Journal)
Mention the Department of Motor Vehicles in my home state, and most people groan. Renewing your driver’s license or registering your car can take hours of waiting in lines. While my recent trip to the DMV was no exception, I discovered something even more satisfying than getting through the line. … read more (Monitor)
Spirit-Sense 