A week ago, I accompanied sixteen middle schoolers to Montreat Middle School Conference at Maryville College in Tennessee along with Phae. Chip Bristol and Tom Gilliespie graciously joined us as chaperones, too. The theme for the conference was “In the Middle of it...
When a nine-mile hike around a lake turns into a 15-mile trudge through knee-high burrs in the dark, one quickly learns the importance of pivoting the plan. My twin sister and her boyfriend recently moved to Sacramento to pursue their respective career goals. They had...
“True friends are never apart, maybe in distance but never in heart.” Hellen Keller My roommate and bestie in college was Anastasia Demetria Theohoratus Katapodos. Tasia! (Can you say, “Greek?”) Her parents came to the United States as refugees in 1954....
At the end of May, I had the amazing opportunity to travel to Eastern Europe with eight dear friends from my hometown. To say that we had a great time would be an understatement as it was truly the trip of a lifetime for me. I have never seen such breathtaking and...
“Piece by piece, I re-enter the world. A new phase. A new body, a new voice. Birds console me by flying, trees by growing, dogs by the warm patch they live on the sofa. Unknown people merely by performing their motions. It’s like a slow recovery from a sickness, this...
For those of you who have not been to Montreat, it is a little mountain town in a valley just outside of Asheville. Montreat is known for its trails, creeks, and most of all Lake Susan, which is really just a man-made pond in the middle of the Montreat Conference...
We’re fostering a dog this summer. This will come as no surprise to anyone who knows my middle daughter, Megan. The dog’s name is Fido (yes, really). He is 12 years old and has spent most of his life outside in a kennel. We joke that Fido is not the sharpest tool in...
The Path God Bless the path on which you go, God bless the earth beneath your feet, God Bless your destination. God be a smooth way before you. A guiding star above you, A keen eye behind you This day, this night and forever. God be with you whatever you pass....
Jill Duffield wrote this prayer for the Presbyterian Outlook. We invite you to take a moment to share it today. Lord God, until there is war no more and you wipe every tear from every eye, we will remember. We will remember those who have served and died for the sake...
I was recently in Salt Lake City in my work with the Presbyterian Mission Agency Board preparing for the upcoming General Assembly of the Presbyterian Church (USA) which kicks off in just under a month. We spent a couple days ironing out logistics and figuring out how...
