It is in vain that you rise up early and go late to rest, eating the bread of anxious toil; for he gives to his beloved sleep. Psalm 127:2 (RSV) Reflection “How do you do it?” I asked a friend. We're sitting at an afternoon tea honoring adjuncts. My paper plate is stacked with small squares of cheese and a meager number of strawberries because the unborn baby squeezed underneath my swollen abdomen demands that I eat or feel sick. Fat or protein seems to work the best. “My students have so many needs, and I … [Read more...] about Releasing the Helm: Letting Go of “Excellence in All Things” (Scholar’s Compass)
Psalms
Navigating Knowledge: God Knows Each Nucleotide
For you formed my inward parts; you knitted me together in my mother's womb. I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Wonderful are your works; my soul knows it very well. - Psalm 139: 13-14 (ESV) Reflection Scripture tells us that God knows each hair on our head (Matthew 10:30; Luke 12:7). Each strand is counted. God almighty, creator of heaven and earth, knows you—intimately. God made us, loves us, and understands how we are put together. But God didn't give us a lot of the details! Instead, we … [Read more...] about Navigating Knowledge: God Knows Each Nucleotide
Scholar’s Compass Navigating Transitions: In the Middle of Things
“And surely I am with you always.” - from Matthew 28:20 (NIV) How long, Lord? Will you forget me forever? How long will you hide your face from me? - Psalm 13:1 (NIV) Reflection If I had known the cost involved with starting my new job, I might have reconsidered. It's not that I hadn't expected it to be hard. We were, after all, moving across an ocean, and thus moving away from my husband's family and many mutual friends. Furthermore, my husband and I were switching roles. He was quitting his job of 9 … [Read more...] about Scholar’s Compass Navigating Transitions: In the Middle of Things
“Downstream” Author Interview
Over the past several years via the Emerging Scholars Network I've gotten to know David L. O'Hara, Ph.D. (Associate Professor of Philosophy and Classics, Augustana College, South Dakota). I particularly appreciate the refreshing manner in which he addresses material on his blog Slowly Percolating Forms. After the release of his new Wipf and Stock publication, Downstream: Reflections on Brook Trout, Fly-Fishing, and the Waters of Appalachia (co-authored with Matthew Dickerson, Ph.D., Computer Science Professor, … [Read more...] about “Downstream” Author Interview
Summary and Reflection on the Christianity and Science Series
Introduction Are Christianity and science at war? This was a major concern for me when I came to faith in Christ 22 years ago in the middle of my career as a biology professor at Iowa State University. Although it did not prevent me from coming to faith in Christ, it continued to trouble me and caused doubts about my faith in the early years after my conversion to Christianity. I wondered whether modern science is really compatible with belief in God and whether it is possible to reconcile the Bible's account of … [Read more...] about Summary and Reflection on the Christianity and Science Series