Tag: giving

It’s heavy, isn’t it? All this stuff happening in our world? It makes me feel sad and angry and fearful and all of those other emotions that erupt simultaneously when senseless acts of violence occur. But it also makes me feel helpless, and that might be the worse feeling of all.

Three years ago, I wrote an article for my Kindness ... Read More


The bad thing about striving to live a life of kindness is that you realize when you fail. And you fail every day. Or maybe I should say, I fail every day.

The minute I keep the conversation trivial to avoid entering someone’s pain, the minute I cut the conversation short with an impatient answer, the minute I lower my eyes ... Read More


About six years ago, I met a woman who changed my life. Her name is Cris Linnares and just for the record, she happens to be married to the man who publishes this column. I didn’t know that when I met her. I just knew she had an infectious personality and a heart for God and I needed to be ... Read More


There are certain things that will never be on my bucket list.

Skydiving. Every person I’ve ever known who has done it loves it. I’m not buying.

Alligator wrestling. I’ve never met anyone who has done this, and there is probably a reason.

Finishing (or starting) an Ironman race. That’s where you swim a lot, bike a lot and then run a full ... Read More


I got a fun letter over the Christmas break from a college student who was perhaps misidentified.

Jared Nash is from Galchutt, N.D., a little community near Wahpeton, where I imagine everybody knows your name. He had an interesting encounter that got me thinking about how and why we treat people the way we do.

Here’s Jared’s letter:

“I was on my way ... Read More


One of the best things about having three kids in elementary school is that I get to spend a lot of time as a fly on the wall. Some people call it “volunteering,” but I call it “pretending to work while I’m secretly spying on my children.”

I got to be part of a very special event at the school recently. ... Read More


I may or may not have been scammed, and I may or may not care.

I was walking into the Dollar Tree the other day to help Santa with a little pre-Christmas elf work. Planted on the puddle-filled sidewalk about three feet from the door were two men who had set up a small stand. Sitting on their square folding table ... Read More


I let an opportunity for kindness pass me by, and I still regret it. I was at a restaurant when the server mentioned that she liked my necklace. A quiet voice in the back of my mind was nudging me to give it to her, but a louder voice was telling me how silly that would be and how uncomfortable ... Read More