For collegiate faculty, tenure is an important career stepping stone. But its pursuit can be a challenging, lonely, and personal journey. The results are also largely out of your control. Once a file is submitted for review, you are at the mercy of others to ultimately find you worthy or not. Not long ago I […]
During my senior year of undergrad, I signed up for a class far outside my mechanical engineering curriculum—Freud Debates Lewis—offered through the honors college. As someone who had grown up loving C.S. Lewis’s The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe, but had never studied Freud, I was intrigued by the chance to explore faith, culture, and reason […]
It happens frequently throughout my academic career. I feel nervous before speaking with a colleague about a challenging issue. Or demanding students barge into my office when I have precious little time and energy to give them. How will I display Christ? How will I display Christ? Now, I am about to stand before an […]
“Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” Galatians 6:9 The trouble was—I had become just that: weary. On the outside, everything in my ministry at work looked the same. I identified myself as a Christian in the classroom, […]
In March of 2020, I was over halfway through my final semester of coursework for a full-time, in-person doctoral program when COVID-19 changed everything. As the wife of an essential worker and mother of two kids in 1st and 4th grades, I suddenly found myself homeschooling while completing my own courses virtually and drafting my dissertation proposal. […]
The longer I have navigated the classroom, the more I’ve come to embrace the old saying “They don’t care how much you know until they know how much you care.” Throughout Scripture we also see that God looks at the heart—our motives and thought life—as more important than our behaviors. I have found it helpful […]
Early in my time as a professor, I quickly learned that some colleagues dedicated a lot of time to service, and others dedicated, well, not so much. One of my colleagues simplified it this way: “If you want something done, find someone who is busy.” I became one of those busy people, serving on various […]
As I started my academic career as a young assistant professor, I wanted to make an impact. I was not, however, very open about my faith in academic settings due to fear of what people would think of me. All this changed when a colleague invited me to attend A Common Call virtual conference on October 17, […]
Recently I stumbled upon Max Lucado’s enchanting children’s story, “You Are Mine.” It’s a tale of little wooden people who obsess over collecting the biggest empty boxes and balls, and the madness that ensues. One wooden person, however, finds solace and identity in the embrace of his wood-maker. I recall the early days of my […]
My daughter’s name, Alaina, means “bright shining light.” It fits her. Consequently, when she was little, I spent my time at many church music shows. As she grew, she went from being on the floor in front to being further back, and finally on the last row on the riser. I could celebrate the journey, […]
