Superman, Superwoman, and Embracing Our Kryptonite

Maine coast, rock formations — random photo of the week (Photo Credit: Joshua Siniscal)

Stuff I read this week, stuff that made me stop and think:

After his fall from grace, urban minister Justin Cox is no longer Superman. It’s hard living up to our own reputations. Maybe it’s time to embrace our Kryptonite. Becoming Superman, Red Boots and All, by Justin Cox (Don’t be put off by the strange looking photos of Superman impersonators). It’s worth the read.

The myth of the 50-50 partnership. Call it an unfair advantage, but women with families pay a higher price for success in the workplace, simply because they have a harder time disengaging from home. The title sounds like it’s about business, but it’s really about what women (and men) have been struggling with for a long time. What Facebook’s IPO Means for Women, by Penelope Trunk

Do women still believe we can have it all? I used to think so, but I think it’s more realistic — and a lot less stressful — to have a broader view of success. Marissa Meyer becomes CEO of Yahoo and proves women cannot have it all, another take by Penelope Trunk.

As a recovering perfectionist, I’ve found a lot of camaraderie in the blogosphere. It’s almost trendy to be flawed. Is imperfect the new perfect? Imperfectionism: Why the cult of Jennifer Lawrence matters, by Alexandra Petri.

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Happy Birthday, Aunt Laura

I wrote this in February, the month of Aunt Laura’s birthday, but just decided to post it today. One Easter, Aunt Laura, in her Sunday dress, pearls, white pumps, and classic white hair, knelt on the floor, nose to the ground, and showed the grandkids how to roll Easter eggs with their noses. I can […]

It’s Only a Body

It’s only a body. That’s what I said when we talked about death, mine in particular. I pictured my body in a bed (how often do people actually die in a bed?) and my spirit, the real me slipping away, suddenly untethered from its bodily constraints. Free at last. I won’t be there, I said. […]

Why I Erased My Mother’s Face and What I Learned

A response to Joe Bunting’s Fail Faster (So You Can Become a Better Writer). “Writers are terrible judges of their own work,” Joe said. The words resonated deep in the recesses of my soul. All my life, I was the student in the front row, needing that big red “A” to tell me I was […]

Pig Headed Prodigal

Most of us are familiar with the story of the son who rejects everything he’s ever known to live what he thinks is the good life. He moves far away from home and spends his entire inheritance chasing his misguided dreams. Eventually his life choices have narrowed to sleeping with the pigs he feeds. When […]

Keeping Up with the Joneses — In Which I Admit to Living Beyond My Means

I understand the importance of living within my financial means. And now that I’m doing Dave Ramsey’s Financial Peace, that concept is really being driven home. But when it comes to time and energy, I regularly live beyond my means. Everyday I’m allotted 24 hours. That’s my limit, the extent of my daily budget. But […]

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Abram & Sarai | The Big Idea: Part 1

Then the sun dropped behind the horizon, and in the darkness Abram saw a smoking firepot and a flaming torch pass between the halves of the carcasses. The Lord himself was making a covenant with Abram that day.

Up In Smoke | A Lot Can Happen in a Year

Abraham and Sarah saw the smoke rise up from the valley, and the acrid smell of sulfur and burning filled the air. Just the day before, Abraham had entertained the three visitors. The Lord had said to Abraham, “I have heard a great outcry from Sodom and Gomorrah. I am going down to see if their actions are as wicked as I have heard.”

Abram & Sarai | A Love, a Lie, and a Promise: Part 2

Surely he had anticipated their lives would be in danger. Would he now return to Canaan alone? And what would become of Sarai? Would he ever see her again? Had he completely misunderstood God’s plan?

What Sarah Did Not Know

God did things his way and in his time, and things were not always what they seemed. He could be trusted, but he was not predictable. This much he had learned, or perhaps was still learning. How could he explain this to Sarah? How could he expect her to hope again when he could give her none of the assurances she would expect?

Sarah and Abraham | Deja Vu All Over Again: Part 1

He was not a coward. No, not in many things. But he had an irrational fear, a foreboding almost, that someone might kill him to get at Sarah.

Mysterious Visitors | What Sarah Heard

It was not her habit to eavesdrop, but when Abraham ran into the tent and said, “Sarah, get out your best flour and bake three loaves of bread, and hurry!,” when she heard him calling the servants to quickly slaughter the calf, she was curious. Who were these men who had appeared out of nowhere, and why was Abraham so eager to entertain them?