Difficult choices
There is a scene in J.R.R. Tolkien's The Fellowship of the Ring wherein the hero, Frodo, is desirous of advice from a very wise elf…
On reading
One of the great ironies of our age is that we read more words per day than any other generation in the history of the…
Trade places?
Seneca advised that people should allow only those to influence them “who teach us by their lives, who tell us what we ought to do…
Bald tires
I just got new tires for my truck. Honestly, I let them go a bit longer that I usually do. They were looking pretty bad.…
Advice and orders
In C.S. Lewis's Prince Caspian, there's a Dwarf named Trumpkin who is very important to the story. He's presented as a cooperative and wise leader--happy…
Advice and warnings
Middle-age is disorienting. You arrive at this place where you shift from mostly asking questions to mostly answering questions. This is not to say that…
Breakups
In my work with college students, I've done a fair amount of breakup counseling. Usually I'm helping a student process the grief of a lost…
Licensed friends
Friendships level up when we give each other permission to call each other out. I once heard this called "Giving your buddy a hunting license."…
Emotional expectations
Diedra and I went on a three-week study tour of Israel while I was in seminary. It was fascinating--and of lifelong value to a professional…
Solicit advice
People love to give advice. However, unsolicited advice is often considered a faux pax in today’s society—probably to everyone’s impoverishment, but that is the subject…