Life of the Beloved: Spiritual Living in a Secular World by Henri J.M. Nouwen My rating: 3 of 5 stars Nouwen is one of my favourite Christian writers – simultaneously mystical, transcendent, encouraging, and practical. This isn’t at the top of my list of his books. However, it may be just the right book for […]
Run with the Horses: The Quest for Life at Its Best by Eugene H. Peterson My rating: 5 of 5 stars “Faith invades the muddle; it does not eliminate it…clarities come from adventuring deep into the mysteries of God’s will and love, not by cautiously managing and moralizing.” This is a lembas-bread-book for a couple […]
Engines of Change: A History of the American Dream in Fifteen Cars by Paul Ingrassia My rating: 5 of 5 stars I’m sure the subtitle has you curious, so here are some clues about the fifteen vehicles explored in this great book. Yes, there are only thirteen items listed below, but that’s because a few […]
When I was a child, I played at least one sport every year. From kindergarten through the end of high school, I participated in some mix of gymnastics, baseball, basketball, flag football, lacrosse, and mountain biking. Unfortunately, despite years of athletic training and experience, I never developed the competitive spirit needed to become great. I…
Introduction Readers of this blog are sure to be familiar with the cliché that teachers are the worst students. There is some truth to the idea that when people are passionate about something, it can be difficult to change their beliefs. In the case of teachers, that something is education. Perhaps teaching teachers is difficult…
All the Wrong Moves: A Memoir about Chess, Love, and Ruining Everything by Sasha Chapin My rating: 3 of 5 stars Learning to play chess was one of my 2020 new year’s resolutions. It turned out to be a pretty good one since we’re largely home bound. Lately, everyone is talking about Netflix’ The Queen’s…
In The Enneagram: A Christian Perspective, author and Franciscan friar Richard Rohr advises that those of us focused on achievement should contemplate the agricultural parables of Christ. In them, we learn are reminded that growth comes not from sheer will and brute force, but from patient nourishing and care over time. We cannot force a…
Light on Life by B.K.S. Iyengar My rating: 4 of 5 stars “The practice of yoga teaches us to live fully.” Iyengar is something of an ambassador of yoga. Even though he has died, he continues to educate and influence those curious about yoga’s practice and precepts. Personally, I first started reading Iyengar because he…
Mexican Gothic by Silvia Moreno-Garcia My rating: 5 of 5 stars Counter-intuitively, this Gothic horror novel was an absolute joy to read. Mexican Gothic cover My attention span in 2020 is limited at best, but I could not put down Silvia Moreno-Garcia’s Mexican Gothic. Her main character, the impetuous and steel-spited Mexico City socialite Noemí…
The International Society for Technology in Education (ISTE) has developed several standards to serve as a framework for those working with ed tech to do so responsibly. Whether one implement a single standard or focuses only on some, they give plenty of opportunity for self-reflection and assessment. Recently I’ve sat in my big recliner in…
