by John Biggs
It’s amazing how time has ceased to be an issue at all for me…every day is just so full. I almost don’t know what to write! Everything has been such a blessing, and an opportunity for blessing…there’s not just one over-arching story.
One thing I’ve been very grateful for is that while many sights and activities have been so new and breathtaking, I’ve really felt at home for the most part. I suppose that some of the things I’ve been doing and seeing are pretty exotic compared to my experiences before this, but it also feels very natural.
by Steven Cramer
It’s something you need when you travel to any country. It’s proof of your national identity. It gives you a right of passage. In a way, it gives you a purpose for being where you are. It’s your passport.
I know the practical importance of having a passport when traveling, but lately I’ve been thinking a lot about what that document really represents. Is it just something that is used when exploring foreign regions, or can we have a sense of identity, a right of passage, and a purpose no matter where we are?
by Sandra Scott
I was feeling totally ineffective. After three days of concentrated effort on an important project, I just couldn’t seem to center my thinking on my research. My thoughts kept ricocheting around in circles. Instead of focusing on my work, I found myself thinking up grocery lists, wondering if the mail had arrived, answering my e-mail, and finally coming back to my project. It felt like a never-ending ride on the Tilt-a-Whirl!
by David Bates
Halloween is coming up at the end of this month and you know what that means. Stores are decking the halls with boughs of ghouls, ghosts, and goblins. Obviously these marketplaces aren’t literally stocking up on haunted creatures. Instead they fill the shelves with imaged representations of figures in the form of masks, make-up, and costumes. If you want to look like an evil Frankenstein or a bloody vampire, you simply select a costume and accessories that best suit your intensions.
To me, some of the scariest Halloween costumes are those that depict politicians. I’ve seen presidents Nixon, Clinton, and the current Bush each portrayed in mask form-very terrifying indeed. In fact, thinking about seeing mummy and werewolf trick-or-treaters standing right next to others portrayed as politicians taught me something. And it’s helping me see a new way to approach the people I think about, including those working in our government.
Spoiler alert
by Melissa Konetchy
We must unite, or we will be destroyed from within! (Or, alternatively: “[O]ur Hogwarts is in danger from external, deadly foes and we must unite inside her or we’ll crumble from within.” p. 206) This is the message delivered to the Hogwarts students and staff in JK Rowling’s magical realm by the Sorting Hat, in The Order of the Phoenix. It is sad that this beautiful, deeply spiritual concept can be overlooked by readers seeking to denounce the value of the series with claims that it teaches nefarious or satanic concepts.
