Open Our Eyes

This essay is an excerpt from Fifty-Two Cups of Coffee (Cup #7)

When I was a student at Hope College, I found that there was always a quiet revolution that occurred amongst the student body around the first signs of spring, even if it was still technically winter. As soon as the temperature reached near 60 degrees Fahrenheit, the shorts came out, sandals slid on, and ice cream runs began. It was a beautiful phenomenon, almost as if the campus chose to silently declare – we will see spring again. And in a town where the winters are perpetually long and frigid, this reminder always felt quite necessary. Perhaps the same is no less true of our lives today.

Continue reading “Open Our Eyes”

Wonder-Full

The work of writing, as once told to me by an up and coming author, is to give voice to the extraordinary found within the ordinary, and notice the ordinary within everything extraordinary. It’s a bit of a tongue twister, I know, but time has taught me it’s life-changing effect. A great teacher for me, in this regard, has been a four-year-old named Dennis.

Continue reading “Wonder-Full”

Descend

South Africa is filled with many gorgeous mountains. They are one of the things I miss most about living there. A few times throughout my stay, I hiked up Lion’s Head Mountain with some friends. The time it took to make the trek up was always worth the view that was waiting at the top. It was from the mountaintop that I was able to see life like never before. The cities, people, and problems below all felt so much smaller, as is the case when you see things from above. From the mountaintop, I was given a new perspective. But, of course, at some point, I had to come down.

Continue reading “Descend”