Heather Holleman's Blog, page 102

A Little Break and A Little Adventure

With high winds tossing tree limbs all over our neighborhood, I wasn’t surprised when the lights flickered. Then, we had no power at all. I quickly discover from neighbors the rumors of a tree that fell across a street that took power lines down with it. We’re all home because of COVID, and with so little to do or connect about, I’m thrilled with the community engagement on this topic of a power outage.

We travel to the suspected street and find we aren’t the only neighbors bored enough to go looking for an adventure. We all sit there and watch the electricians at work above a jumble of tree branches and wires. We fear we might lose power for the whole night.

Thankfully, after a three hour break, the whole house lights up again. I resume my work. I respond to several texts asking if my lights came on. Did I have internet? Did I have all my power? Yes.

And we all enjoyed our little break and our little adventure.

Teaching Up

Sometimes when I’m grading, I think about the point of critique. It often feels like I’m putting students down. Here’s your mistake! Here’s what you did wrong! Here’s what’s missing! 

But then I remember to teach up. Critique is always about the next time, the coming moment, the thing they’ll do better in the future. It’s a way to look upward and outward, not downward and backward. I’m learning to accompany every comment with this beautiful little gem: “Next time, try this.”

I see what you meant here. Next time, try this: 

This will become so much better if next time, you try this: 

It’s another way to shifting from shame-based pedagogy to a pedagogy of celebration and hope. Next time, you’ll do it!

I’m also learning to remark on all the wonderful things in an essay so students know to do more of that thing. Positive communication fosters openness, vulnerability, and change.

This right here! Do this more and more!

This right here! Look at this! It’s awesome! 

He Will Guide You on Unfamiliar Paths

My friends shares this encouragement from Isaiah 42:16, and I think about the words all evening. Consider God’s beautiful promise here:

I will lead the blind by ways they have not known, along unfamiliar paths I will guide them; I will turn the darkness into light before them and make the rough places smooth. These are the things I will do; I will not forsake them.

We talk about what feels unknown, unfamiliar, dark, and rough. Will we trust that God will lead us, guide us, turn darkness to light, and smooth out all the rough spots?

How wonderful to start the day thinking of this promise.

“He who kneels the most stands the best.” D.L. Moody

This week, I’m speaking twice on my passion for prayer. I love this quote on a coffee mug sent to me by Moody Publishers:

“He who kneels the most stands the best.”–D.L. Moody.

Along for the Ride

Today I remember the image I learned of seeing your anxiety or negative emotions as “along for the ride” but not in the driver’s seat. Think of all your stress or fear as sitting in the back seat of your car. Sure, fear can throw a tantrum, make all kinds of noise, and try to distract you, but ultimately, fear or anxiety aren’t driving the car–or your day. They are just along for the ride.

Eventually, they calm down. You still drive on and do all the things you want to do, and fear and anxiety might indeed stay with you the whole time. But you still drive. You still move forward. Every once in a while, you can look in the back seat, check on everyone, and give them some attention, but ultimately, you’re driving on.

Expand What You Can Actually Do

I never thought I’d be a fruit and vegetable gardener. Now, whenever I taste something I love in the vegetable category, I think, “Can I grow this? Let me try.” I’m even considering ordering an easy to build greenhouse for the side of my garden. This way, my lemon plant and the mango seed I’m trying to sprout can grow.

Most recently, I’ve found I’m addicted to the “sugar bomb” or “flavor bomb” variety of cherry tomatoes. I love them by themselves, in salads, on pizza, in pasta, or sliced in sandwiches, but sometimes, the grocery store won’t have them. It hits me: find the seeds and grow them to plant this summer. Why wait for the grocery store?

While I cannot find the exact seeds for this variant of tomato, I do find seeds reported to produce the sweetest cherry tomatoes. With seeds packs around $2.50, I decide to throw in some basil seeds and bush beans. I can plant the seeds now, grow them in my sunny windowsills, and plant them in late May. I like saving money by growing plants myself instead of buying them at the local farm or stores.

(Basically, every window in the house is home to growing seedlings!)

Take the Best Slice (From Yesterday)

On a dessert platter, my husband reaches for a small, cracked, practically fruitless piece of tart. Our host exclaims, “Not that one! You take the best slice, the one with all the best toppings.”

I want to be the kind of person who makes sure others get the best slice. Something about that moment stayed with me. I want to notice the share that others reach for and remind them to take the best.

(Sorry for the delayed Saturday blog!)

 

Friday Seed Update: Plumcots, Tomato, and Ground Cherry

Some Good Verbs From God

I’m reading the Psalms in a different translation (the ESV) in a new Bible. I find I see many gems I might have missed before. This morning, I take great delight in highlighting the verbs of God in Psalm 91:14-16. I love that Moses wrote Psalm 91. What ancient writing with great wisdom! We learn this from God:

 “Because he holds fast to me in love, I will deliver him;
    I will protect him, because he knows my name.
 When he calls to me, I will answer him;
    I will be with him in trouble;
    I will rescue him and honor him.
With long life I will satisfy him
    and show him my salvation.”

We hold fast. But what does God do? He delivers us, protects us, answers us, stays with us, rescues us, satisfies us, and shows us His salvation. I sit with the verbs for awhile and consider all the ways God works on our behalf at this very moment.

Where do you need deliverance? 

Where do you need protection and from whom or what? 

What answer do you need? 

When do you need His presence most? 

From what or whom do you need rescue? 

Where do you feel unsatisfied? 

How do you need to experience your salvation in a fresh way? 

Making Time

I remember this morning to slow down and think about what I most need if I’m feeling overwhelmed about anything.

I discover that normally I feel overwhelmed when I feel like I don’t have enough time.

Time is a magnificent resource to manage. When I talk to older people, and especially wealthier people, they tell me that what they most manage and think about isn’t money; it’s time. Time is the precious resource! Time! 

Since we can’t make more time or add more hours to the day, we can think better about managing time as a resource. How can we shift things around in our schedule to better manage our time? Shall we bring out our “Not To Do” list again?

Consider non-essential tasks. Consider moving weekly meetings to bi-monthly meetings (or better yet, sending an email instead of having a meeting). Consider doubling up on tasks (make phone calls while cooking dinner or folding laundry). Consider shifting essential and difficult tasks to earlier in your schedule when you’re more alert.

The best intervention I’ve made is to remember that just because you can do something doesn’t mean you should. Just because you can meet on Zoom doesn’t mean you must. Just because someone calls doesn’t mean you must answer. Just because someone says something is urgent doesn’t mean you are the person to respond all the time.

I pray about managing time better as a special gift and a resource to treasure.