One of my fond childhood memories is that of coming home from school to the smell of my mom’s hearty homemade bread, fresh from the oven. A slice with a little butter and honey made a great after-school snack! Not only was Mom’s bread delicious, it was healthy. It was made with nourishing ingredients like stone-ground flour, cracked wheat and... READ MORE >
Living alongside Lake Superior, one is always aware of water! This winter I find myself checking daily to see how much ice is visible. On some days great sheets of ice are present, stretching from the shore out into the lake. A few hours or days later, the ice may be gone, apparently blown out to deeper water. Lake Superior... READ MORE >
These days we are eagerly awaiting the signs of spring. Even those of us who enjoy winter are hoping for the snow to melt. And we’re looking for evidence of new growth: sprouting grass, flowers and leaves on the trees! Springtime, with all its new growth, reminds me of Jesus’ teaching about spiritual growth. Jesus often used earthy analogies to... READ MORE >
Walking the trails along the North Shore is a joy in any season. Sharing those walks with others, I find, only adds to the enjoyment, as each person notices different things along the way. My husband and I recently took a hike to the Caribou Falls along the Cook/Lake county line. We were curious to see how much ice was... READ MORE >
From my friends of Finnish descent, I have learned a special word: sisu (pronounced seé-soo). While it’s been said that there is no equivalent word in the English language, sisu means something like “persistence in the face of adversity.” I think that all of us would like to be known for having the quality of sisu as we deal with... READ MORE >
On this weekend, Cook County High School seniors are graduating. Congratulations are in order as they complete this important milestone! No doubt there is plenty of excitement as these young adults anticipate greater freedom and new opportunities. Many are eager to do some traveling, enter the work world or go on to further schooling. Naturally, there is some uncertainty and... READ MORE >
This is the third of three columns I’ve written about the music of Bono and the Irish band called U2, widely recognized as one of the greatest rock and roll bands. One can enjoy this band’s music without closely considering the lyrics, but as writer Christian Scharen says “you would miss how, again and again, U2 is pointing beyond themselves... READ MORE >
As I mentioned last week, on July 23, I had the opportunity to hear the rock band U2 perform at the TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis. It was a powerful experience. The concert was part of their U2 360° World Tour which has played to sold out stadiums from Spain to South Africa, Australia to Croatia. The concert stimulated me... READ MORE >
There was excitement at the TCF Bank Stadium in Minneapolis on July 23 as 58,000 people gathered to hear a performance by the rock band U2. Widely regarded as one of the greatest rock bands in the world, U2 was nearing the end of its 360° World Tour, which began in 2009. As a fan of U2 for over 20... READ MORE >
This can be a rather jolting question, and one that is sometimes avoided. But as George Bernard Shaw once observed, the statistics about death are very impressive— one out of one dies. It would seem that the question is worth considering! A short column is not enough space to thoroughly treat this question, but perhaps a few comments can jumpstart... READ MORE >
