Dead Clay, Quantity of Work, and Masterpieces

John Maxwell tells the following sotry in the book Failing Forward.The ceramics teacher announced on opening day that he was dividing the class into two groups. All those on the left side of the studio, he said, would be graded solely on the quantity of work they...

Quote of the Day

“The will to win means nothing without the will to prepare.” Juma Ikangaa (born July 19, 1957) is a world-class marathon runner from Tanzania, a sentimental favorite in Boston after finishing second three years in a row at the Boston Marathon from...

Heath Ledger (1979 – 2008)

Heath Ledger died today of an apparent drug overdose. The media hasn’t announced whether his tragic death occurred due to intent or mistake. We’ve lost a talented actor. Talk radio hosts—who sometimes seem to love the sounds of their own voices more than the content...

More Words Used by Lewis that I Don’t Full Comprehend

I have spoken–and even used for my own writing–a few of today’s words. But in transparency, I include them here because I wanted to understand these words more fully.(Didn’t know Lewis ever made the cover of Time. Cool.)lassitude: a state of...

Words I Learned Today

I started a habit a number of years ago. When reading, I try to keep a pencil handy to underline words I don’t know the definitions of. I then look up the words and expand my vocabulary. Normally, I don’t have to do this when reading fiction. For...

Joyful, I Hope

My favorite hymn is “Joyful, Joyful, We Adore Thee” by Henry Van Dyke. The lyrics hit me today like a dodge ball to the chest when you least expect it. I heard the lyrics today with the ears of a 38-year-old father of four nursing a running injury while...