“Are you satisfied that you are at the destination?” My co-instructor asked this question of the two women standing in front of us. It was an early evening a few days into a 6-day challenge expedition for a group of families doing pre-field training to prepare for the mission field. The women looked at each […]
Brambles and Briars
Brambles! Maya and Steven stared ahead. After several minutes of uncertain glances at the compass and then back to the brambly woods in front of them, they led the group onward, promptly turning north to walk along the road. A quarter of a mile later, the scenario repeated, only this time they sought advice. They […]
Pretenders
“I have something to prove, don’t I? Who me? Yes. Let’s face it. If we knew every moment where a leader doubted their own course, faltered in their vision or wrestled with fear we probably wouldn’t follow them. So sometimes it’s just safer to keep pretending. Maybe you’ve felt this way too? Maybe no one […]
Look Where You Need to Go
I held my breath as I watched the current ahead surge from wide, lazy flat water into a turbulent whitewater chute. The narrowed passage caused the water to rush rapidly straight toward a large, intimidating boulder where the roiling water boiled up, over, and around the mass. It was obvious that while water might be […]
Make Every Effort
Is it easier to compete with others or to unite and cooperate with them? Much of American culture centers around competition. From a young age, kids learn to compete to win through team sports or to achieve top honors in an academic setting. While the educational system champions leaving no child behind, we cannot deny […]
When I am Afraid
I gripped the two holds in front of me as all the muscles in my body tensed with the realization that I now had to descend the three stories I had just ascended. I risked a glance below me. BIG MISTAKE! The glance only served to heighten the panic rising within me. I had just […]
Getting Back on the Bike
With a twinge of anxiety, I let go of the bike seat, slowed my run to a trot, and watched Anna’s precarious balance carry her down the bike path. In the 3.5 seconds it took to slow my trot to a walk and begin to pat myself on the back for a job well-done, I […]
