Ruth Buchanan's Blog, page 8

Great Read-Aloud Recommendations for Kids [Updated!]

[Note: This was originally posted on January 23, 2015, and has since been updated for content.]
Every day I read aloud to the five Podlings in my care. This group currently ranges in age from sixteen down to six. Since more than a few people have asked how I choose the books to read aloud (or have asked for lists/recommendations), I thought I'd share what we've read together so far and where I plan to take them in the future.
But first, some disclaimers.

How I Choose Read-Aloud Books 

Since...

Lost in Any Language, Part 5: Oh, Say, Can You See Me Pinwheeling Through the Air?

Once, I took a trip that broke me.

Literally.

It's sort of a long story, but I used to spend a lot of time taking jump shots, mostly with my sister Bethany.


Officially, however, it was our sister Lisa who started it all one summer day when we ran out of things to do in her town and amused ourselves by jumping off stumps.



Because we liked to Jump Off Things in public, preferably with recognizable landmarks in the background, we did some of our best work while traveling.



If you're thinking that this...

Lost in Any Language, Part 4: Ruth's Highland Fling

It happens to every traveler at least once.

In September of 2012, I visited Scotland with my friend Jodee and my sister Bethany. Our primary objectives were to attend the wedding of some good friends and do some sightseeing. We were staying down near Glasgow, but toward the end of the trip, our friend K. graciously offered to drive us into the Highlands.
The schedule for the day included Fort William, Glencoe, and a stop near Lock Shiel to see the spot where Charles Edward Stuart first raised h...

Lost in Any Language, Part 3: City of Lights (and Late-Night Plights)

Our long day in Paris was about to get longer.
It was August of 2016, and I was traveling with my friends Jodee and Tim (or, as they suggested when I asked if I could use their names on my blog, "The Most Amazing Couple You Have Ever Met").

They also brought their kids.

We were quite a crew.


We'd been warned against visiting France; but so far, everyone's worst fears had proven exaggerated. Despite international tensions, the city was still packed with tourists, and although the very obvious anti...

Lost in Any Language, Part 2: See Rome and Die (of Embarrassment)

All I wanted was to see the Colosseum. 
It was June of 2009, and I was in Italy primarily because I'd had a stressful school year and toward the end of May, I knew something drastic had to be done before I completely lost my will to live. So late one evening I came home from work, plopped in front of the laptop, googled "cheap airfare," and snapped up the first result. Knowing that I had a round-trip ticket to Europe in the offing helped me tunnel through the final weeks of the semester.
W...

Lost in Any Language, Part 1: The Collapse of My Hindenburg of Hubris

Please enjoy this short series curated from years of travel and stupidity. 

During my twenties, I spent a year living in Shanghai, China.
Initially, I found daily life overwhelming; and though I eventually adjusted enough to get by, even after I felt "settled," I still often had no idea what was going on. I really missed my family, but because of the steep learning curve, I told my sister to hold off on visiting until I had at least a toehold in the language and culture.
Having lived in Sha...

Fitting the Fragments Together

You're no doubt familiar with the type of artwork known as mosaic. Artists attempting this expression arrange bits of stone, tile, colored glass, or other fragmented materials in order to create a pattern. Often, these patterns create a larger picture--but only when viewed from a distance.
What a metaphor for life. 
We can rarely accomplish big-picture goals in single blocks of time. Instead, we find little bits here and there, fit them together, and arrange them in hopes that one day our...

Overcoming Fear of Creative Failure, Part 3: Putting the Work In Its Place

We spend so much time developing our projects that it's hard not to see them as extensions of ourselves. That's why the fear of creative failure can be so crippling.
If my work is misunderstood, then I'm misunderstood. If it's a flop, I'm a flop. 
Perhaps even more damaging, I may believe that if my work's valued, I'm valued. If it's worthy, I'm worthy. If it's beloved, I'm beloved.
Oddly, I never felt this way when I worked in a commercial kitchen. If I turned out a bad batch of something,...

Overcoming Fear of Creative Failure, Part 2: Obedience

A surprising number of well-known professionals suffer from imposter syndrome: a condition that leads them to believe that their successes are flukes, that they're actually not very good at what they do, and that the next project they take on will be the one to reveal their fraud to the world.
I know how they feel. I often wonder if I'm cut out to be a writer, and why I don't just settle down and do something sensible and productive with my life. Ironically, I wondered this much less befo...

Publication Announcement: The Proper Care and Feeding of Singles

I'm happy to announce that I've signed a traditional publication contract for The Proper Care and Feeding of Singles. This non-fiction ministry guide is designed to help pastors, church leaders, and marrieds more effectively provide soul care for long-term Christian singles. As marriage rates continue to decline among Millennials in the United States, this issue will gain increasing prominence.
Over a nine month period, I surveyed many singles, marrieds, pastors, elders, and church leaders. I...