How Veteran's Day impacts everyone If you grew up in America's heartland like I did, Veteran’s Day meant flags and parades. It took me a few years to figure out what the "VFW" stood for, other than a banner held by a bunch of old guys in uniform. I began to realize...

3 things I'm doing to be more thankful Thanksgiving is only 3 weeks away, so it’s that thankful time of year. I'm reminded that I should live like this all the time. How can we renew thankfulness? My November began with a trip to my former home state of Pennsylvania,...

10 things to teach your kids about living In Feb, 2016, I published this article on Crosswalk. It has run well and continues to be helpful parenting advice. I've amended it below for parents of boys and girls. (Click here to read the original.) Your kids can live...

Why I leave my heart in other countries Costa Rica, Take Three. I’m leaving for Costa Rica on Saturday at 6 am. It will be my third trip. This volcanic mountainous strip of Latin America, with multiple microclimates, is half the size of Virginia. I've swum in hot...

5 ways to add value to someone's life (because everyone's a teacher) I teach high school English. We've been having fun with super-heroes and poetry and Scattergories and definitions of culture. This year, I'm covering ancient world literature and writing. Regardless...