Tag: spiritual growth

  • Green Bananas and the Faith to Ripen

    Green Bananas and the Faith to Ripen

    My blogger friend Betsy from At Water’s Edge recently shared the story of a cancer survivor who buys green bananas. It’s his way of showing faith in the future. Sitting at a round table discussion the other day with several other administrators, we talked about the rising and falling tides of public education. I told…

  • The True Vine

    The True Vine

    Our back and side flower beds are filled with a hardy vine we started several years ago from just a few sprigs. Here’s a photo of our side flower bed: Do you see the different type of vine in the front-center—weaving its way in? It’s something wild that planted itself there. We have to keep…

  • Weeds in the Cracks

    Weeds in the Cracks

    The military post where I work features outdoor spaces that are exceptionally tidy. The trees and bushes are neatly trimmed, the grass is frequently mowed, and plants aren’t allowed to take over where they don’t belong. That’s why it surprised me, during a recent walk with my wife, to see weeds sprouting up along curbs…

  • Remember to Forget

    Remember to Forget

    The first morning back to school, after winter break, one of my students told me the good news: “Mr. Duncan, while we were gone I lost three teeth!” The 5th grader explained how she wiggled and wiggled until each loose tooth came out. Of course she saved them for the tooth fairy, who now pays…

  • One Piece at a Time

    The singer Johnny Cash has a humorous song that’s a classic “Country boy outsmarts the establishment” story. According to the song, in 1949 a young man from Kentucky takes a job on an assembly line in Detroit, Michigan building Cadillacs. He is in awe of the beautiful sedans, but is saddened by the fact that…

  • God is My Pointer

    God is My Pointer

    When I was a kid, my father had a quail hunting buddy who was also a deacon in our little church. The man’s name was Bob White. Okay, that was a joke🥁. Bobwhite quail are what my dad and Brother Mart liked to hunt together. Anyway, I remember Mart used to say “God is my…