Pondering Destructiveness in Ants and Humans
One fairly ubiquitous creature we encountered in Costa Rica was the ant. We frequently came across lines of ants, marching alongside or across our path. In fact, Luis, our guide, told us that whenever we stopped along a path, we needed to look down to make sure we...
The Best Chocolate Is the One You Like
Do you prefer milk chocolate or dark chocolate? Most people have a definite preference. Then there’s the science, which says we should prefer dark chocolate because it’s healthier. Because of that science, some people feel they ought to say they prefer dark, even when...
Coconut Cures Everything—or Is It Cacao?
One afternoon, in the small town of Tortuguero, Costa Rica, our small band of travelers sat together on plastic chairs under a veranda alongside a small hotel and listened to Cloied Taylor tell stories as he cooked up his family’s recipe for coconut candy. Cloied grew...
Challenge by Choice
One thing I learned while I was recently in Costa Rica is that ziplining originated there. A scientist who studied life in the tops of the trees (the “canopy level”) in the rain forest of Sarapiqui faced a lot of time, effort, and danger climbing up and down trees to...
Understanding Pura Vida
I recently returned from a trip to Costa Rica. I think the country is on many people’s bucket lists, and I certainly found it to be gorgeous and inspiring. In fact, it’s been called the world’s leading ecotourism destination, and their national motto is pura vida,...
Releasing Old Understandings of Christianity
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been pondering how we might need to let go of outdated understandings of ourselves, our nation, and our culture. A full exploration of each of those topics could fill a book—or a library! Today, I tackle another major institution with an...
Releasing Old Understandings of Our Culture
What holds us back? This question can arise frequently over the course of a lifetime—whether we’re talking about the lifetime of a person, a community, our nation, or our culture. What prevents us from thriving, from being the best version of ourselves? It might be...
Releasing Old Understandings of Our Nation
Last week, I pondered the need to revisit our self-concepts and release what no longer serves or supports us. It’s important to do this on levels beyond the individual too. As I think about what’s facing our nation in the weeks after a definitely divided celebration...
Releasing Old Understandings of Ourselves
There’s a wise saying that the only constant is change. The world, and our bodies, are in a constant state of flux, though we do not realize it. For example, scientists tell us that our skin cells are all replaced every few weeks! The mountains that seem eternal are...
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