<![CDATA[JH AGENCY, LLC - The Variety Page Blog]]>Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:01:58 -0400Weebly<![CDATA[God's Will: Have We Misunderstood?]]>Sat, 25 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/gods-will-have-we-misunderstood

Links to Peonies Blown in the Wind by John La Farge

Peonies Blown in the Wind, John La Farge, American, ca. 1880; Source: The Met

CEFR Level B2-C1

This is the final post on jhagencyllc.com. The site is moving to thevarietypage.com. New blog posts will be there.

In the Garden of Gethsemane

There is a scene in the Garden of Gethsemane where Jesus prays for God's will to be done. (Matthew 26:36-44) I have only heard this talked about as God’s will being that Jesus be executed. Under that understanding, God sounds cruel. What loving entity wants his son/himself to be tortured to death, even if it is for the greater good? What kind of messed up entity designs a plan for their child/themself to be tortured to death, even if it is for the greater good?

We can talk about God’s ways being hard for humans to understand, but what if we don’t have to in this case? What if God’s will means something else here? If this passage is read under the assumption that God is love and that love does not harm, then other interpretations of God’s will open up.

What could we learn about God’s character if in the Gethsemane scene, God’s will is that humans are free to make their own choices, even knowing that they will make the choice to execute Jesus-God?

What we might learn

We might learn that there is a possibility that God did not want Jesus to die, but that God was so committed to allowing humans to make their own decisions that God designed a way to make something good come from humans’ bad choices. We might open the possibility that if all the people Jesus encountered decided to follow the way of Jesus and accept him as Messiah, then there is the possibility that Jesus would not have been executed and we would be experiencing 2,000 of fulfillment of all the goodness and restoration that God wants. We would open the possibility that Jesus did not have to die in order to bring salvation and healing and all the goodness humans long for. We might discover more love and respect in God’s character than the crucifixion story suggests.

This interpretation also helps to answer the question about why God doesn’t just come to earth and fix everything. Through reading the Gospels, we learn that God already did that. The problem is, Jesus-God did not go about fixing things the way humans think it should happen. Jesus-God continued to allow humans to make their own decisions about how to respond to God. Jesus-God went around healing and restoring and teaching people a better way of living. Bit by bit, person by person, he brought God’s kingdom to earth, starting the process of making all things new. The humans without power didn’t understand why God didn’t come in, destroy all the people doing bad things, and protect God’s special people. The humans with power really did not like Jesus’ restoration project because it made them look bad and challenged what they accepted as the way things should be. In both cases, God stayed true to God’s nature of not forcing humans to do what God wants, of valuing all humans (even the ones doing bad things (see Jonah and Nineveh)), and of continuing to work towards restoration of Earth and its inhabitants despite humans working against it.

If Jesus’ prayer was for God’s will for humans to be free to make their own decisions to be upheld, even if it meant his own execution, that’s a very different picture from a god who wants a blood sacrifice in order to be appeased (AKA penal substitutionary theory of atonement). It also teaches us that God sweeping in to fix things won’t turn out the way we imagine because of God’s character and human responses to God’s character.

Course: Connect New Testament Culture to Yours

Your will be done

Your will be done: Let humans continue to make their own decisions. Don’t change that part of the relationship between you and them just to save me. Let humans continue to be humans. We will conquer all that harms them, no matter how long it takes. Your will be done.

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]]><![CDATA[Gods of Wrath]]>Sat, 18 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/gods-of-wrath

Statue: Saint Bridget of Sweden Master of Soeterbeeck ca. 1470

Saint Bridget of Sweden, Master of Soeterbeeck, ca. 1470; Source: The Met

CEFR Level C1-C2

Humans really like having a deity angry at them.

Search the internet for “deities gods goddesses” and browse the results. Many cultures have a god or gods that need appeasing. Some, like Marduk of Babylonia are depicted as being cruel, but also showing mercy. Some, like the apu of the Andean mountains are described as protecting people but also harming them if made angry. Greek Zeus and Roman Jupiter are depicted as powerful beings with the mental development of a spoiled teenager.

Then we come to the Hebrew God of the Old Testament. This God, according to the tales, has more power than any other deity he encounters. This god also expects very precise rituals in his honor and throws a temper tantrum whenever he feels ignored or those rituals are not performed. When humans follow his rules and give him enough of the attention he craves, he makes their lives easy and gives them all they need to flourish. Humans have to pay a price for this protection, though, because this god requires blood in order to be happy, but forbids human sacrifice except when he specifically requests it.

Human blood is so special that, as we move into the New Testament, this god is so fed up with humans not being perfect that he needs some very powerful blood from a very special human to keep him from destroying them all. Of course, no human is pure enough to fulfil this role, so this god sends himself as his son as a substitute human for the most significant human sacrifice in history. Over time, people began to end this story with an explanation that it is a sign of love that a blood-hungry god sent his son for the primary purpose of being a human sacrifice. Some even add that if a human does not claim to believe that this blood is a substitute for their own, then the blood-hungry god will allow their life to be miserable now and will torture them forever in the afterlife.

Does that framing of God and Jesus offend you?

Theories of Atonement

The academic term for that telling is “the penal substitutionary theory of atonement.”

This theory is common in most Christian traditions that come from the Reformation.

If you are unfamiliar with the term, read up on it, then try to tell the story without using academic or church language. Tell it like you are an unbeliever using the literary and spoken representations of this god to form a picture of his character. If the story you end up telling is one similar to mine, you might have questions:

Why is this god any better than any other chief god?
Why is a god that demands human sacrifice a god worth serving in a culture where people don’t think deities have much to do with the running of the world and human life?
How is a blood-hungry god that demands human death a loving god?
Given all the non-violent stories of Jesus in the New Testament, why do so many Christians fixate on the angry blood-lusting god?

Those are good questions. If you haven’t caught on by my lack of capitalizations, this is not the theory of atonement that I find most convincing and I think it describes a god that is not the one true God. There are many reasons for that, but one of them is how it contradicts the God Jesus represents. I think it also misrepresents the God of the Old Testament, but I’ll focus on Jesus today.

If we read all the Gospels, the majority of the stories are about Jesus being kind to people. If it is true that human nature doesn’t change across time and culture, then we can infer that many of the people Jesus helped didn’t deserve the kindness he showed them. Under penal substitutionary theory, they deserved Jesus-God’s violent anger. The few times Jesus is shown in anger or violence, it is worth considering if the anger was directed at the people themselves or at the systems that made it easy for people to do the things Jesus objected to. I’m not counting the frustration Jesus showed to people who tried to trap him with their religious learning because even in those encounters, Jesus doesn’t smite them with leprosy or whatever.

Even in the cleansing of the temple, we don’t have a record of X people injured or that all lost their livelihood and their families died destitute or the sellers’ hands shriveled up or any other act of destruction against the humans. Yes, the sellers lost income with broken items and the time it took to clean up, but even with that, this isn’t a case of the God Almighty using the Fist of Judgement on those whose actions displeased him. Neither did Jesus withdraw with his disciples and teach them about how those vendors needed to offer sacrifices of restitution in order to be cleansed from their sins. (John 2:13-21)

All through the Gospels, people wanted Jesus to be the conquering king taking vengeance on Israel’s oppressors. All through the Gospels, Jesus-God refused to act in violence towards one of the cruelest empires of the time.

The way penal substitutionary theory is usually talked about in churches, through sermons, traditional hymns, contemporary songs, and comments like “Jesus took my whoopin’ for me” make the god referenced sound horrible and little different from any other entitled deity. It also makes it sound like this theory is a proven fact instead of an attempt to explain something humans don’t understand.

There is some biblical support for the penal substitutionary theory of atonement, but like all theories, it has problems. I think the problems are big enough that this view should be retired from prominence. There are several other theories of atonement, some older than the penal substitutionary one. Each has support from scripture and church history, and each, like all theories, has problems. It is well worth a devout Christian’s time to have a basic understanding of the various theories.

Research for Yourself

Start with these terms:

Ransom (or Christus Victor) theory
Recapitulation theory
Satisfaction theory
Moral influence theory
Scapegoat theory

There are plenty of scholarly works about how each theory came to be and what was happening in the culture at the time it developed. Here are a few designed for non-academics to get you started:

Every Woman a Theologian by Phylicia Masonheimer (One chapter is devoted to doctrines of salvation, which touches on atonement)

After Class Podcast Series:

Indirectly about penal substitutionary theory, but well worth reading:

“What if God’s Wrath is not Anger?” by Christy Lynne Wood

Why do people believe in a temperamental god?

Stepping back from that academic approach, as I scan across cultures throughout history, I see a pattern of humans worshipping an emotionally-stunted god who will cause them problems if not appeased. Someone could argue that this is because this is the nature of God, which was made known to all people from the creation of the world (Romans 1:20). On the other hand, someone could wonder what a truly kind and loving God would look like and read the scriptures with that question. Someone could look at all the scholarly work and recorded personal experiences that speak of a God who is not waiting to strike down any who dare step out of line and ask why, when there is an option, anyone would willingly serve an all-powerful toddler?

One answer is because it gives humans divine permission to be cruel to others. If God causes human suffering as punishment when they don’t give him what he wants, then people who take God as an example of how to act have justification for causing human suffering as punishment for not getting what they want, too.

Another answer is because they have not been told of a God of love and justice, a God who wants to save humanity and restore creation, a God who does not ignore all the horrific things humans do to each other but who also refuses to turn people into puppets.

How can they believe if they have not heard? How can they hear if no one tells them? (Romans 10:14)

Course: Connect New Testament Culture to Yours

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]]><![CDATA[Product Review: Thigh Society Cooling Anti-Chafe Slip Short Underwear]]>Sat, 11 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/product-review-thigh-society-cooling-anti-chafe-slip-short-underwear

This is not a sponsored review.

CEFR Level B2-C1

I debated for a year about purchasing these. Anything form-fitting rarely fits my body. I hate close-fitting garments that pull up into my crotch because there isn’t enough room for my thighs or buttocks. I kept seeing positive comments on Wardrobe Oxygen, and even though Alison is a different body type from me, I finally decided the discomfort of bike shorts was worth risking losing the cost of one pair of Thigh Society cooling anti-chafe shorts.

I’m so glad I took the risk! At the time of ordering, I had 49-inch hips. That put me right at the end of the L/XL size. I debated going up a size since clothing rarely has enough room for my 30-inch thighs. Figuring I would have a better chance at some sort of resolution if I ordered according to their size chart and they didn’t fit, I ordered the L/XL size.

When they arrived, I was dubious. I know nylon knits are very stretchy, but these only measure 13.25 inches across. How on earth would that fit my body!? Deciding that since I already paid for them, I may as well try them on, I gingerly inched them into place.

Measuring tape across the hips of Thigh Society anti-chafe cooling slip shorts

Wait a minute! These not only fit, they don’t try to crawl into the deepest recesses of my crotch, either. How is that possible? Whatever the technological marvel was, I had found a pair of under-skirt shorts that felt comfortable on my body.

Course: Connect NT Culture to Yours

Over the next several weeks, I took them on ever-increasing stress tests. First, I wore them over underwear as I went out and about. They didn’t crawl up my thighs or give me a wedgie or do anything else uncomfortable.

Next, I wore them to drive a long distance before walking around town on a hot and humid day. So comfortable! Even while sitting for over an hour, they did not bind or pinch. The one downside is that the crotch does have an absorbent lining, so that particular area holds moisture just as much as cotton underwear would. That’s the one part of these shorts that won’t keep you cool and dry.

Finally, I wore these as underwear on a hot and steamy afternoon running errands. Again, they were comfortable for sitting for over an hour and for walking. They may have been slightly more dry and cool at the crotch, but the day wasn’t as humid as the previous test, so it’s hard to say. Personally, I won’t wear them as underwear again. The absorbent section is a little too far back to be useful to me and the front seam chaffed a little on my tenderest skin, but each body is different, so they may work perfectly for you.

FAQs

Question: Can you see the seams under your clothes?
Answer: These shorts are thin and invisible under skirts.

Question: Do skirts cling and ride up?
Answer: I did find that some fabrics cling to them, but I have a slip made from swimsuit-lining fabric and one of lingerie tricot and they slide over the shorts without problems.

Question: Do Thigh Society cooling shorts make a sound while walking?
Answer: The fabric makes a soft swishing sound when the thighs rub while walking, but I don’t think it’s loud enough for anyone else to notice. Even if they do, thin and cool anti-chafe shorts that fit my hips and thighs are so rare that I’m willing to live with the slight noise.

Question: How high is the waistband on a short petite body?
Answer: The waistband sits right below the navel of this four-foot, 11-inch tall body.

Question: Are Thigh Society anti-chafe cooling shorts good for a pear-shaped petite?
Answer: They fit comfortably on my 4-foot, 11-inch-tall body with a 35-inch waist at the navel, 49-inch hips, and 30-inch thighs.

Final Verdict

I would buy another pair without reservation.

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]]><![CDATA[Book Review: Simply Good News by N. T. Wright]]>Sat, 04 Jul 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/book-review-simply-good-news-by-n-t-wright

Simply Good News by N. T. Wright book cover

CEFR Level C1-C2

“What is the good news that Jesus himself announced and told his followers to announce as well (2)?” This question frames the purpose of the entire book and Wright takes readers along as he works through the question in the context of 21st-century Western Christianity. Appropriately, Wright does not use the modern context of the discussion to inform the answer. Rather, he answers the objections and questions he anticipates people living in 21st-century Western Christianity may have, using Jesus’ context when defining what the good news is. This historical context is what Wright calls the “backstory,” proposing that we cannot understand the good news if we do not understand the backstory (3).

Chapter 1 is all about defining “news,” particularly as distinct from advice and in the context of the 1st-century Roman Empire. Under both perspectives, “news” is something that has already happened which has an effect on the future, which influences how life is lived right now (12-13). Wright uses Chapter 2 to address the confusion that definition may cause readers who think of Christianity as a religion, philosophy, or moral code (16). In the process, he explains how Christianity was, and still can be, seen as silly, offensive, or life-altering. What makes Christianity news rather than a moral system is that Jesus came back to life after being dead (18). That turns the Christian message from being one of numerous suggestions to follow this or that god or philosophy and into an announcement of an event that changes things forever (19).

Christian news is not just that Jesus came alive again. Chapter 3 shows that it was also what Jesus came to announce (39), although many original recipients of the news were disappointed. Some Jews wanted to hear news of a military king who would make things like they were when Israel was an independent, thriving nation (38). Others were disappointed that his news contradicted the common advice to live a pious life either removed from, or quietly in, society (39). People wanted advice and Jesus gave them news that the fundamental nature of reality had changed (43).

That is confusing, and anyway, how do we know those ancient texts that claim to record Jesus’ news recorded the truth? Chapter 4 tackles that question and the false gospels that come out of Jesus’ life being news. This includes claiming that “the whole point of Jesus’ good news is that the one true God is not a tyrant” (63) and that “it is paganism that imagines a malevolent, irascible deity determined to take out his wrath on someone and eventually doing so on the one victim who didn’t deserve it” (74).

After leaving the reader questioning everything they thought they knew about Christianity, Wright uses Chapter 5 to ask them to rethink their conception of heaven. In his words, “To say ‘Jesus died for your sins’ ought to lead at once to ‘so you can freely pick up your role as a truly human being and discover your particular vocation within God’s purposes for his world’” (99). If that were not confrontational enough, Wright concludes the chapter by suggesting that heaven began forming with Jesus (101). This is not a chapter for those hoping for an expectation-free life now followed by a happily-ever-ever in a far-off mystical heaven.

Fortunately, Wright does not leave the reader fumbling for how to describe heaven if it is no longer the happy picnic ground over the rainbow. Chapter 6 explores more of what it means for heaven to be a renewal of this physical earth and how Christianity came to understand heaven as an over-there place separated from down-here Earth. All this could leave the reader reeling, but Wright gives a relatable analogy on page 111. He explains how scientists make discoveries, but the average person may not hear about it unless someone chooses to believe it. Even then, the discovery may not catch on in popular opinion unless it is something that people want to believe. Using this analogy, Chapter 6 helps to explain how popular ideas about heaven came to be popular, regardless of their origins or biblical support.

Having upended the reader’s notions about the good news and heaven, Wright takes on ideas about God. Chapter 7 summarizes philosophical and historical movements in Western thought that influenced how Christians think about God. Turns out, modern conceptions of God are influenced by secular thought, such as Deism (130) and the human desire to make things easy to understand (148). The chapter ends with news that doubles as a call to action: The trinitarian God “calls to [people] with sovereign love and summons them to join in his work of new creation” (150).

Supposing a reader may want to respond to this news with action, Wright uses Chapter 8 to suggest prayer. Wright does not suggest just any prayer, though. He suggests using the Lord’s Prayer as a template in a very specific way. Using the analogy of a guest going to a new friend’s house for the first time, Wright does not scold people for coming in the back door of prayer. He does, however, suggest that the front door may be a better experience and explains how to do that in prayer. Fortunately, this chapter is more about a concept than a rule preaching that if you do not pray in a certain order, then you are doing something wrong. As Wright says, “[I]f you're in, you’re in” (156). In other words, praying is better than not praying. Still, the chapter, and the book, ends with Wright commenting that if we do not pray “shaped the way the Lord’s Prayer is shaped,” then we run the risk of praying for our own ideas of how the news should happen rather than praying for God’s good news to continue (171). If that sounds like a rule destined to produce religious scrupulosity, his conclusion reassures readers that Christian prayer is useful, encouraging readers that “[i]n prayer, we learn to become good news” (171).

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How does Jesus' culture compare to yours?

]]><![CDATA[Imagining a Third Way In Dualistic Questions]]>Sat, 27 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/imagining-a-third-way-in-dualistic-questions

CEFR Level B1-B2

Cake or pie?
Brownies.

Pepsi or Coke?
Tea.

Cat or dog?
Bird.

Christian or not?
What do you mean by “Christian”?

Boy or girl?
Why is that the first thing you want to know?

Humans naturally think in binaries and this isn’t necessarily a bad thing (https://www.spiegeloog.amsterdam/beyond-black-white-the-risk-of-thinking-in-binaries/). Despite its usefulness in speeding up daily decision making, as beings capable of creative thought, there is also value in intentionally identifying the binary and looking for a third way.

Do we treat adult life with the same limitations as we give to toddlers? It’s certainly useful to the adult to limit a 2-year-old’s choice to Thing 1 or Thing 2. Why do we still do that with adults, though? Why do adults willingly accept being limited by others?

Even seemingly open-ended questions like “where are you from” can be used as binary questions. The answer can put the person in the category of “culture I like” or “culture I dislike.” A long time ago, in a non-fiction book I can no longer remember (it may have been a Strengthsfinder 2.0 book), a survey respondent said that they have to find out where someone is from as soon as they meet them because otherwise, they don’t know how to relate to the person. That may be an extreme example, but my own experience suggests the broader idea isn’t uncommon. People want to know where you are from so they know how to think about you without getting to know you.

The most common response I get when a new acquaintance finds out where I was raised is, “You don’t sound like you’re from there.” I don’t fit the binary of “people from X sound like Y; people not from X don’t sound like Y.” The hidden question is a request to explain why I don’t fit what makes sense to them. I don’t think this is conscious, but when it happens time after time after time, it does start to feel like there’s a hidden message of “I won’t accept you until you fit what I think you should be.” (The observation comes across differently in an established relationship. It’s just the first-time-meeting scenarios where it feels like a demand to conform.)

Cake or pie? This may be a superficial question with minimal social impact regardless of your answer. But why do we accept these binary questions to begin with? I usually answer “brownies” because I prefer brownies above cake, pie, and cookies. I’ve come to see that response as representative of how I try to live life. What is the third way? What is the question behind the question? How much does this binary actually matter? What comfort are we trying to create among ourselves with the question?

Boy or girl? Why is that one of the first questions we ask about babies? Certainly, there is a time when it is relevant, but in casual conversation with someone we are unlikely to encounter again, why does it matter? A baby is a baby. Unless you’re changing their diaper or live in a culture where one gender is preferred over the other, which genitals they have is irrelevant. Why didn’t we develop a small talk question that applies to all babies?

There are binaries in Christianity, too. Have you said The Sinner’s Prayer or do you simply choose to follow Jesus as the boss of the universe, including your life? Do you speak in tongues or not? Are you in our group of approved Christian traditions or in the group we say are not really Christian? These questions have more or less importance, but are they always the right question?

My challenge to Christians is to begin looking for the third way, the question behind the question, the meaning behind the categorization. You may end up at an answer that is part of the binary, but I think the process of looking for the third path can help reduce the pressure that comes from trying to get the binary answer right. When the question is no longer “in or out,” but rather “what does this tell us,” there is more room to see what is there.

If you prefer spiritual terms, consider the trinitarian aspect of looking for the third option within a seemingly binary question. Binaries are like God and Jesus. Being open to a third way is like being open to the Spirit. If you stick with binaries, you’re avoiding the full trinity.

Regardless of which terminology you use, what binary do you have that may benefit from exploring a third way?

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]]><![CDATA[Book Review: Professional Sexual Ethics: A Holistic Ministry Approach]]>Sat, 20 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/book-review-professional-sexual-ethics-a-holistic-ministry-approach

CEFR Level C1-C2

Professional Sexual Ethics: A Holistic Ministry Approach, edited by Patricia Beattie Jung and Darryl W. Stephens (Fortress, 2013) is a collection of essays on the topic of sexuality in ministry. The essays are divided into four sections. The book can be read straight through or essays can be read in isolation. The 21 contributors have diverse biases, but all the essays contribute to the premise that humans, and therefore people who work in ministry, are sexual, so sexuality is part of everything a minister does.

That premise may not be self-evident, so some essays seek to convince readers that sexuality cannot be separated from any other part of life. For Christians who struggle to see sexuality as good, Kate M. Ott reminds us in “Sexuality, Health, and Integrity” that if Jesus was a human body, then Jesus was sexual (15). Ott doesn’t suggest that Jesus engaged in explicit sexual activity (e.g. intercourse). That question is never addressed. The point is that a living human body is sexual, even the body that many consider the holiest of all - Jesus Christ. Other authors talk about the complexities of the premise and its implications for ministry.

Several authors directly discuss the actions a clergyperson should or should not do in order to maintain sexual integrity. These discussions, however, are less lists of rules and more concepts to integrate into ministerial practice. For example, in “Sexing the Ministry,” Stanley Hauerwas argues that sexual misconduct is more about the loneliness of a minister and the discomfort people feel in talking about sexuality in church than it is about a desire to use power.

From another perspective, Joretta Marshall suggests in “Pastoral Care and Sexual Ethics” that churches need to make a habit of talking about the meaning of the touch that is used during a worship service. She says, “It is a disservice to congregations to let them assume that all people like to be hugged or that everyone appreciates the same kind of physical touch” (104).

Connect NT Culture to Yours

This collection of essays is focused on thinking through challenging questions and giving ideas for how to minister in challenging situations, such as how to talk to teenagers about sexual topics (“Ministry with Adolescents” by Robert C. Dykstra). “Thinking” is the key term here. While authors do suggest actions or conclusions, the goal of the collection is not to provide a rulebook. Rather, it is to promote thinking about challenging topics. To this end, the essayists follow Joretta Marshall’s recommended perspective that sexual ethics is less about rules and more about a willingness to be thoughtful in nuance (101).

This thoughtfulness and recognition of nuance contributes to the usefulness of this collection of essays. Even if a reader disagrees with a statement, they will be inspired to think about why they believe what they do and what the outcomes are of those beliefs. Readers from diverse faith traditions can benefit from the thoughts in these essays. Even non-Christian clergy may find the collection useful for its focus on practical application and unflinching statements of the reality of the power of ministry to do good or to do harm (101). In short, Professional Sexual Ethics: A Holistic Ministry Approach is worth the time it takes to read it.

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]]><![CDATA[Does US Food Culture Train Our Religious Preferences?]]>Sat, 13 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/does-us-food-culture-train-our-religious-preferences

CEFR Level C1-C2

This article comes with a big caveat about economic realities. Nothing I wonder here is a condemnation of people doing what they have to do to survive or the choices someone makes on how to divide their income. This essay isn’t intended to comment on what we do. It is intended to wonder about the unintended, and perhaps hidden, outcomes of what we do. This essay is not advice; it’s curiosity.

Food

The bread I ate in Belgium has more substance and is less sweet than American sandwich bread, which I sometimes eat out of necessity, but I think it tastes and feels weird, even the more expensive multi-grain types.

Cabot, Sargento, and similar grade brand cheese has a distinct flavor and texture only found in each cheese type (e.g. cheddar, Colby) while store brand cheese tastes like salty something with a mushy texture making it hard to identify one type of cheese from the other. And American cheese? Is it even cheese? Or just a slice of salty something that might be a cousin to plastic? Wikipedia tells me American cheese is required to have 51% cheese, but that means just under half is something else. Mixed foods aren’t necessarily a bad thing, but for my money, Cabot cheddar has superior taste and texture to any brand of American cheese.

Margarine is still widely sold despite tasting nothing like butter.

Common US chocolate brands don’t even taste like chocolate compared to even cheap German brands like Moser-Roth. And don’t get me started on hot cocoa mixes compared to hot cocoa from scratch. The two beverages barely deserve the same name, their flavor and texture is so different.

Chicken nuggets are strange squishy sponges that bear no textural resemblance to meat and little flavor similarity.

Fruit-flavored all sorts of things are unlikely to be primarily flavored by fruit.

The list goes on. “Normal” US foods that are affordable by the average household are a pale shadow of higher quality options.

There are many reasons for this. An internet search would be an interesting way to spend an hour. Economics is a big factor. Either higher quality food is too expensive or a working family does not have time to prepare the higher quality food. Even something as simple as chocolate pudding can take 15 minutes or longer to make from scratch, and that’s not counting the clean up. A boxed pudding mix takes less time and fewer cooking tools. A pre-made pudding cup is even faster and uses even fewer utensils. In a household where it is economically challenging for an adult to stay home enough hours each day to prepare quality food, good-enough substitutes have to do.

As I thought about how different good-enough food tastes from from-scratch food and the economic reasons that some people may rarely experience the joy of tasting from-scratch cooking from a skilled cook, I started to think about how we might have come to accept good-enough church as top-tier church.

Connect NT Culture to Yours

Church

Andrea D. Price recently wrote, “I am worthy of truth.” When we accept good enough as the best thing worth pursuing, are we pursuing truth? Are we treating ourselves as worthy of truth?

This topic will take more research, more hearing other people’s experiences, more thought before I have more than a question.

But I wonder if somehow, whatever led US culture to recalibrate so that subpar food is seen as normal and delicious has also led us to see subpar church communities as normal and desirable.

Questions

Why would someone disagree with a major, life-affecting doctrine that a church teaches but stay because the youth group or small groups are active? How did this become the measure of a good-enough church? Why isn’t doctrine the top metric and programs a nice-to-have?

Why do we care a whole lot about the music and the emotional experience in a service but care much less what the outside-of-church lives of church leadership look like?

Why do we debate the value of custom rituals that can be changed at a whim versus pre-set liturgy but consider discussions on what the purpose of a church service is to be too academic for the average person to think about?

Why do we let someone else tell us what tastes good, what a good church is?

Why do we insist food tastes good and church is spiritually satisfying, condemning people who disagree, instead of admitting that the best we can do is offer low quality for [reasons]? If we’re honest, then people can decide if the problem is important enough to them to do something to fix it. Denying the problem trains people to ignore their own senses. Why does the church want to train people to deceive themselves?

Has necessity turned into a forgetfulness of what goodness tastes like? Have the limitations of necessity trained us to not want to look for better?

I am curious how the mindset that led to the general acceptance of artificially-flavored, second-quality food may have influenced the way people evaluate what makes a good church.

Buy Me a Coffee

]]><![CDATA[Nine Day Hiking and Campus Visit Trip: Part 4, On Campus and Home]]>Sat, 06 Jun 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/nine-day-hiking-and-campus-visit-trip-part-4-on-campus-and-home

Black and white mural on a black brick wall has leaves and other nature figures and says Johnson City

CEFR Level B1-B2

This is not a sponsored post.

Read Part 1
Read Part 2
Read Part 3

Monday

On Monday, I got up early enough to have breakfast and check out of the hotel, giving myself 45-minutes for the 20-minute drive to campus. I didn’t think I would need the extra time, but I didn’t see any reason to sit and twiddle my thumbs in the hotel room, either.

My feet told me that they would not hurt if I agreed that they would not be used as mountain percussion instruments again that week. I thought it a fair exchange. My knees said they would take it hour by hour, but I better be nice to them during class.

Arriving on campus, I sat in my car and scrolled Substack until 8:45, then walked in for my 9:00 a.m. class. I told the professor that I was sitting in the back and if I stood up, it was because I was old and needed to stretch. He understood.

In-person class is intense, especially when you’ve been working from home for three years. Being out all day is hard! Being “on” socially is exhausting. During lunch, I had to eat out of the back of my car and walk around in the sunshine instead of sitting in the lounge with other students. As much as I wanted to be friendly and get to know people more, I needed time to regulate.

When class ended at 4:30 p.m., I drove to my host family’s house.

We had emailed, texted, and spoken on the phone, but it’s still strange to not meet someone until you show up to stay at their house for a week. Thankfully, upon meeting, we discovered that neither party gives off creepy vibes.

Connect NT Culture to Yours

Tuesday-Wednesday

The rest of the week was what you would expect from a week of class. My host family was hospitable and their house comfortable. I came prepared to be a ghost in the background, doing everything in my power to not interfere with their routine. They came prepared to feed me dinner every night and heat up my tea water every morning. I’ve never had someone pack me lunch, but when I came into the kitchen, there was a bag of grapes or homebaked cookies or both for me to take to school. It was unexpectedly thoughtful.

Thursday

Our professor gave us Thursday afternoon off. The only rule was that we couldn’t use the time for class work. My knees no longer hurt, but they still requested that I not use them for mountain percussion again that week. Someone suggested that the class of 15 have lunch together on Thursday. We went to White Duck Taco. I like “normal” tacos, so got the Benji.

I expected people to sit around and talk or to gravitate to small groups going for coffee after lunch. Instead, people ate, talked for a few minutes, then scattered less than an hour after sitting down. I guess they all had things to do. I had an afternoon to kill.

I walked around Founder’s Park, but I didn’t really feel like walking. There was a light drizzle and it was cool. I should have gotten my raincoat, but I couldn’t be bothered. I ended up at The Moon Coffee and Tea House. (It looks much nicer now than the phot at the link. Unfortunately, The Moon doesn't have a website, only an Instagram.) It was packed, which made it noisy, but I found a comfortable seat against a wall and enjoyed a London Fog while scrolling through Substack and Wardrobe Oxygen. I then ordered a hot chocolate, which was delicious and not at all from a powdered mix, and enjoyed it while doing more entertainment reading.

I finally dragged myself up and walked up the street to Johnson’s Literary Depot. There was a bookshop pup, a big white dog with ears as big as her face. She let me pet her, then I went to The Generalist to look for a postcard.

On the way, a wiry man called out, “How’s it goin’, ma’am?” He was wearing a beanie and I couldn’t tell if it was The Moon owner I had spoken to, but I thought it wasn’t. As he neared, he repeated, “How’re you doin’?”

“Who are you?” The thought was unintentionally spoken and he laughed as he turned the corner.

While I was in The Generalist, the same man came striding through. I guess there is a side or back door. The cashier commented that he had shouted at the women as he walked through. He was gone, so we commiserated on the irritation of the confusing experience and then I left.

As I approached my car, the same man came striding from the opposite direction. When he saw me, he called “How’s your day?” Thankfully, he kept walking. If my brain and mouth were quick enough, I would have replied, “It would be better if you stop calling to me.” Then again, it’s probably better my words work on a delay in confusing situations.

Back at the house, we had quesadilla night with the best fresh guacamole I can remember eating.

Friday

We met for class at 9:00 a.m. and were finished by 11:00. I had planned to go to the Cantemus Women’s Choir concert that evening, but we didn’t need to leave until 4:30.

What can you do in an afternoon in Johnson City, TN?

To pass the time, I went to The Philosopher’s House.

This is a place where people understand tea. I told the woman what I generally like and she asked questions like, “Do you like florals?” After we talked a bit, she took down a jar of tea and waved the caramel scent towards me. Yum! She made me a tea latte that had just enough sugar to smooth the flavor but not so much to make the tea sweet. I also had a blackberry “pop tart” from Lazy Lady Baking Co. That was too good to use the description “pop tart."

Next, I visit the public library to ask the children’s librarian what is popular with second-grade girls. She gave me a stack of books and I ended up reading the entirety of Swim Team by Jonnie Christmas and then Sydney and Taylor Take a Flying Leap by Jacqueline Davies.

Wooden park sign reading Jacob's Nature Park at Sinking Creek

Feeling revived, a typical result of reading fiction, I drove to Jacob’s Park. It is hard to find if you don’t have someone looking for the parking while you drive. The parking is right next to someone’s house and looks like their driveway parking if you don’t see the park’s sign. I started down the trail, but the ground was muddy and the grass wet and I didn’t feel like getting my good sneakers muddy or like putting on my hiking shoes. I didn’t feel like walking, actually. So I didn’t.

How do you get to Jacob's Park?

Asphalt two-lane road with a house and church in the bakckground on the left

If you go to Jacob’s Park, the brown park road signs are incomprehensible. They took me down into a neighborhood and then vanished. A few handmade signs got me farther, then stranded me on another tiny residential street. The GPS took me to a spot of main road that had buildings on one side and forest on the other with no entrance or parking or signs.

This photo was taken while standing in the park’s parking lot, which is big enough for about 4-5 vehicles, and looking in the direction the GPS took me. Across the street from the parking lot are apartments. As you can see in the photo, if you reach the lighted sign at the church, then you’ve gone too far.

What can you do in Erwin, TN?

Mural of a mountain, lake, and Sasquatch has the word Erwin in the lower left corner

Then I went to Erwin and ordered a chocolate milk shake from Sam’s Snoball Paradise. It was the kind of milkshake that either has ice chunks in it or the ice cream was old and had ice crystals in it. I prefer milkshakes that don’t use ice and ice cream without ice crystals.

Next, I wandered towards the public library, which looks like it is in an old train station. I needed to blow my nose, so I knocked on the restroom door. When I opened the door, someone called, “Just a minute!” The man standing there said, “Oh, I should have told you.” I quickly wandered away, discovering a tissue box on the other side of the building.

Leaving the library, I discovered Sasquatch. I then entered Union Street Gallery (no website, just a Facebook page) where the owner offered to take my photo with the mural. Afterwards, she did her very best to sell me something. I like small, privately-owned shops, but I always feel bad when I don’t buy something, especially when the owner or clerk is friendly. Sometimes, the anxiety over knowing I won’t buy anything keeps me from even going in to look.

On my way back to the car, I stopped at Una Fetta (no website, just a Facebook page) to ask about gift cards. My plan had been to take my host family out to dinner to thank them for opening their home and feeding me all week. The timing didn’t work out, so instead I made sure the restaurant could meet the family’s food restrictions and sent them a gift card.

Cantemus Women's Choir

Arriving back at the house, I had a few minutes to regroup before leaving for the concert. The concert was beautiful. The choir blended well. The program was varied. The venue was a church. My knees were not looking forward to more uncomfortable stretching from chairs/pews designed for taller people. I contemplated standing against the back wall, but the soles of my feet still remembered their weekend use as percussion mallets. Seeing no one with infants, I gratefully took the rocking chair as my place.

Friends, if you ever have a say in seating, please incorporate some that is lower to the ground and some that is higher than average. Seats with shorter depth will be fought over by people under five feet (152.4 cm) tall. Diversity of seating will cause your shorter and taller neighbors to thank you. Contrary to popular declaration, tall and deep seating is not cozy or comfortable for all.

Saturday

I was on the road by 9:30 a.m. on Saturday, a Dunkin’ caramel latte in my hand, a tank full of gas in my car, and Wuthering Heights on Libby. Thankfully, I-81 ran smoothly. I saw two multi-vehicle accidents on the southbound side. If I had driven straight through, it would have been a 4.5 hour drive, but I stopped a couple of times. I got home around 2:30 and spent the next hour and a half unpacking and getting settled.

The on-campus time was encouraging. Distance education is a blessing, but I miss the regular conversation. I’m glad I added on the hiking. All my gratitude goes to my host family.

It was a good trip, but I’m happy to be home.

Buy Me a Coffee

]]><![CDATA[Nine Day Hiking and Campus Visit Trip: Part 3, Buffalo Mountain]]>Sat, 30 May 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/nine-day-hiking-and-campus-visit-trip-part-3-buffalo-mountain

White Rock Loop Trail sign screwed to a tree

This is not a sponsored post.

Read Part 1.
Read Part 2.

CEFR Level B1-B2

My knees and feet hurt so much on Saturday evening that I had decided to keep Sunday as a recovery day. I planned a gentle walk at Jacob’s Nature Park and then a stroll through downtown.

By Sunday morning, the pain was gone. When I went to the car, the air was so fresh that I ended up putting Buffalo Mountain into my GPS.

I ended up walking the 5.5-mile White Rock Loop, plus the extension to Tip Top.

The views were gorgeous and the weather perfect. The wind was still chilly and my nose dripped constantly. Nothing like trying to hike up a steep mountain when you’re out of condition and your sinuses are full of mucus.

As I was about to start the downhill part of the trail, I came to a fork. I paused to be sure I was following the correct turn. A man came down the left trail and commented, “Almost there!”

Connect NT Culture to Yours

In Which I Value Experience Over Comfort

Well, I knew he didn’t mean almost to the parking lot. I checked the trail sign and he had come down from Tip Top. I didn’t know what Tip Top was, but it sounded like the very top. I didn’t know what “almost there” meant and hadn’t downloaded the PDF map, but “almost” means “nearly.” I let my feet decide which path to take.

I was not “almost there.” I supposed if you’re counting from the parking lot, then I was, but it was a good 15 minutes uphill before I reached a slope with the trail going nearly vertical. I could see a picnic table peeking over the ridge, so I scrambled up and reached the Tip Top. The view was worth the climb and added walking.

A white woman stands in a clearing at Tip Top, Buffalo Mountain, Tn. A mountain range is in the distance.

One view from Tip Top, Buffalo Mountain, Johnson City, TN

After taking photos and sitting to rest and eat, I started down. I rejoined the White Loop Trail and walked and walked and walked. I began to regret my morning’s decision. My knees hurt. My feet hurt. The trail head was nowhere in sight. I came to a stream crossing. Water ran over sloped rocks. There was no level crossing.

My feet and knees hurt so much, I wasn’t sure how flexible they would be. I find flexibility a key component of stability. I sat on a water bar/step and waited. When my legs felt strong again, I carefully crossed the slippery rocks. Then I walked and walked and walked. I contemplated the reasons we do hard things and call it fun. I was not having fun in the moment. I walked and walked and walked.

View of a treed valley and distant mountain range

View from Sunset Point

I came to Sunset Point and sat on the bench, which was so tall that I worried I would pitch over the front as I tried to climb on from the back and swivel around. Considering the name of the overlook and how the ground had eroded from the base of the bench, I assumed I was near to a parking lot. I just didn’t know how near or if it was the same parking lot my car was in. I admired the view and contemplated the tallest item in the area - a burned tree.

I sat some more and scrolled my phone, answering a few texts. I normally keep my phone on airplane mode while hiking, but I needed a good long rest. Eventually, a man came. He declined my offer to take his photo and I left.

A parking lot was near. I was too tired to estimate distances, but I saw people wearing flip-flops starting up. I walked and walked, then saw signs for trails I recognized from the morning. I walked some more, then saw a trail intersection from the morning. I walked more and arrived at the parking lot. I was pleased I had finished the hike, but I was done with mountains for the day.

I went back to the hotel and showered and handwashed my hiking clothes. I asked the hotel clerk if the downtown shops were open on Sundays. He didn’t know but assured me that parking was free (he was right). I went downtown and walked up and down Main Street. A few shops were open.

Tired of walking, I drove to Kroger and got gas. It was only 4:00, but I was tired and hungry. I got a small Greek pizza at Portobello’s Italian Bistro and ate it all.

I then limped through Kroger to buy beef sticks and Babybel cheese for my lunches over the week. I have never been so hobbled in my life! My knees and ankles objected to movement. My feet hurt with every impact. I don’t know what I looked like, but I’m sure it would have been funny if good manners hadn’t trained people to not notice or laugh.

With a full belly, aching legs, and screaming feet, I returned to the hotel and finished the last of the lingering tasks. I could finally start the week free from the previous week’s duties. I then watched Vera until my eyes wouldn’t stay open, which was earlier than one might expect from a grown adult.

Buffalo Mountain FAQ

Q: Is it free to hike at Buffalo Mountain in Johnson City, TN?
A: Yes (as of May 2026)

Q: Is there a parking fee?
A: No (as of May 2026)

Q: Are there restrooms?
A: Definitely not on the trail. At the trailhead, I didn't notice any, but I wasn't looking for them, either.

Q: Are there picnic tables?
A: Not at the trailhead. I only noticed one at Tip Top.

Q: Is there internet access/cell data?
A: I mostly kept my phone in airplane mode, but whenever I took it off, I had good data and fast internet. I use Verizon.

Q: How strenuous is the White Rock Loop?
A: "Strenuous" is subjective, but you're definitely walking up and down a mountain! There are places, as of May 2026, where the trail is eroded and narrow. One false step could send you rolling down the mountainside until a tree stops you. On the other hand, you won't need mountaineering gear. Normal hiking poles may be helpful.

Buy Me a Coffee

]]><![CDATA[Nine Day Hiking and Campus Visit Trip: Part 2, Travel to Lebanon, VA]]>Sat, 23 May 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/nine-day-hiking-and-campus-visit-trip-part-2-travel-to-lebanon-va

Antique vehicles in a parking lot with houses across the street and the sun setting

I think the white car was dropping someone off, not parked there as part of the antique show.

This is not a sponsored post.

CEFR Level B2-C1

Read Part 1

Friday

Events: Reserve hotel for that night, 10:00 a.m. hair cut, pack car, drive four hours to the Super 8 at Lebanon, VA

Early Friday morning, I reserved a hotel room for that night, selected purely on low price and proximity to The Channels trailhead. A secondary desire was to go somewhere I hadn’t been before, which is partly how I ended up reserving a room in Lebanon, VA.

After my 10:00 a.m. haircut, I came home and rushed through lunch before packing the car, kissing my husband goodbye, and settling in for a long drive while listening to Wuthering Heights.

Even English Speakers Can't Understand Each Other

If you haven’t been to southwest Virginia, it is an area that has a distinct accent. When I checked into the hotel, they needed my email address. I have one I use for cases like this. I designed it to use common words. One of the words is music. I pronounce it /mˈjuzɪk/. The clerk was confused at how to spell what he heard me say.

“Is it m-y-o…”

I interrupted him, “‘Music’ like ‘listen to the music’.” He nodded and I was bemused. That’s the first time someone couldn’t understand what the word was, even if they pronounce it as /muzɪk/. Bonus points to the clerk for guessing the phonetic spelling, though.

After checking in to the Super 8 and verifying that the room was suitably clean, I went in search of a filling supper in a place that wouldn’t be too expensive or too loud.

Supper Time

I ate a burger and fries at Pat’s Kountry Diner. The food was good, but the hamburger had the look and texture of a frozen or pre-formed patty. The waitress was friendly. She seemed to know everyone and quizzed me to be sure she hadn’t forgotten that she knew me. I wondered if she were trying to gather gossip on the new face and was selective in what I said.

As I looked around the diner and at the people at the antique car show in the parking lot, it occurred to me that I had only seen white people since I arrived in Lebanon. Given the emotional state of the US right now, it made me wonder if it would be safe for a person of color to travel here. Maybe the pray-for-America sticker by the front door put this thought into my head. This is not a comment on the diner, Lebanon, or the area’s residents. It is only an observation from someone who regularly travels with a Black man. It’s an admittance of the thoughts that happen that didn’t occur when I only traveled with white people.

Connect NT Culture to Yours

After eating, I went to the hotel and used my laptop to finish some work I hadn’t gotten done during the week. Then I set my alarm for 5:00 a.m. and tried to sleep.

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Read Part 3

]]><![CDATA[Nine Day Hiking and Campus Visit Trip: Part 1, Packing]]>Sat, 16 May 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/nine-day-hiking-and-campus-visit-trip-part-1-packing

White woman sits facing the camera on rock outcropping. A valley is below and a mountain peak is in the distance.

CEFR Level B2-C1

This is not a sponsored post.

In May 2026, I was an online student at Emmanuel Christian Seminary. For some classes, we go on campus for a week. The first week of May was an on-campus week. After evaluating my travel options, I decided that it would be cheaper for me to drive in than to fly and rent a car.

This trip came a week after finals. That week was filled with doing all the things I let slide during the semester. I just could not get my brain to turn to packing. I debated removing the Channels hike so that I would have an extra day to prepare, but I had been putting off the trip for years and going now would only be a 30-minute (one way) side trip.

Context

Length: 9 Days, 8 Nights: May 1-9, 2026
Weather: Cold to hot, varying by the day; Heavy rain predicted
Accommodations: Hotels and Host Family
Transport: Solo Road Trip
Activities: Mountain Hiking, City Walking, Campus Classes

Itinerary

May 1: Travel
May 2: Hike The Channels, VA; Travel
May 3: Explore Johnson City, TN
May 4-8: Classes
May 9: Travel

Concerns

Clothes having no scent for class
Good hair for class
Feeling that I look like me for class
Period mishaps creating need for more clothes/more frequent laundry
Limited laundry opportunities

Packing Process

On Thursday night, I decided I wouldn’t try to pack as concisely as I am capable of. The goal was simply to get packed. I broke the packing into focus areas. First, what do I need to have a safe and comfortable hike? I packed that and put it in the car.

Then, what food do I need? Friday morning worried me because I wanted to be at the trailhead before 7:00 a.m. There is limited parking at The Channels trailhead and after going through the trouble of getting there, I didn’t want to miss out.

To alleviate that worry, I packed a mug and immersion heater. That would let me have a hot morning beverage, regardless of what the hotel offered. I tossed all the chips, cereal bars, and trail mix I had into two tote bags. I added my custom mix of hot cocoa, a box of my favorite tea bags, and some non-dairy creamer capsules. I washed and bagged grapes, putting them in the refrigerator until morning. It might not be a balanced diet, but I wouldn’t go hungry or have to worry about coolers or refrigeration.

The most anxiety-producing packing over, I turned to my week on campus. I reviewed my daily carry and re-filled anything that was running low. I packed medications and added them to my daily carry bag, the Pacsafe GO 1.5 L Micro. I put the bag by my keys. If I did nothing else, I would be okay. Maybe not happy and comfortable, but okay.

Looking at my toiletries, I tried to fill the squeeze tubes I normally use for body lotion. After one pump, I thought, “Forget this!” I got out my Cadence Capsules, took a guess based on ounce equivalency of my normal containers, forgetting I have tested and recorded how long each capsule lasts for various toiletries, and started filling the capsules. I did use a contact lens case for two creams/gels, but otherwise used the Cadence Capsules. I worked through my morning routine until I got to hair care.

Normally for travel, I’m less concerned with styling my hair. At the same time, feeling good about my hair is one of the strongest predictors of feeling confident. For an on-campus week, good hair felt important, so I took all the tools and products I normally use. I knew the hotels would have hairdryers, but I took my own for when I stayed with a host family during the on-campus week. Even though all this took up more space, I’m happy I packed it. I used everything I brought and started each day feeling like myself.

Then I considered make-up. I’m happy not wearing anything, but in the past couple of years, I’ve started feeling more like myself when I wear lip color and mascara. I considered taking only one lip color, but after trying to convince myself that I would be fine with only one, I packed the three that I use the most: plum pink, berry, fuchsia (my favorite). I wore all of them over the week. The plum pink doubled as blush. I packed mascara and a lash comb. I felt confident and prepared. I added cotton balls and make-up remover for the waterproof mascara. After adding a washcloth so that I didn’t risk make-up stains on my host family’s towels, I zipped the toiletries bag and moved on to clothing.

A wardrobe hole is shoulder-season clothing. I looked around and decided that I hate all my clothes. I took a breath and thought about the outfits that make me feel like myself.

What helps me to feel confident? Bright colors. Something unexpected. Okay. I'll pack for that.

Nightly temperatures were predicted to be in the 40s F (4-9 C). Daytime temperatures were predicted to be between 60 F (15.5 C) to 76 F (24.4 C). Would the classroom be hot or cold?

When I was there in February 2024, the classroom was much warmer than anticipated. Then again, if they had switched to AC, it could be freezing inside. How could I pack layers for inside that would also look good outside when I removed the layers?

I started with trousers. I have two pairs of brown trousers that are similar, but slightly different. They are comfortable for sitting, don’t stretch out too much (I did need a belt for one), and I don’t love them so much that I would be sorry if I ended up on an impromptu hike and wore out the thighs. They do need ironing after washing, but just look soft and well-worn if worn multiple times between washes.

I added sneakers that I can comfortably walk in but are more stylish than athletic sneakers (Lems’ Chillums).

I paused and remembered how exhausting class days are. I knew that I would not have the energy or desire to handwash underclothes. I also didn’t know what the host family situation would be, so I didn’t want to rely on handwashing there or on asking to use their machine. I decided to pack enough socks and underwear for the entire trip.

Except, I don’t have that many comfortable pairs of socks or underwear. I was able to pack enough that if I handwashed on the two nights in the hotel, I could get through the campus week with a clean set each day.

This turned out to be a good decision. I probably could have asked to use the washer, but I was too tired to think about doing laundry during my stay. Also, the host family’s bathroom had wood floors, so I didn’t want to risk water dripping on them from handwashing hanging up to dry. Could I have found a solution if I only brought three-four sets? I could have, but I’m glad I didn’t need to.

Connect NT Culture to Yours

With undergarments and shoes decided, the rest was easy. I took two light-weight long-sleeved t-shirts. I also had a long-sleeved shirt for hiking that I could use on-campus. I filled in the gaps with short-sleeved tees in my favorite colors. I added a tank top that could be used for layering or if the classroom were extra hot.

I pulled out my collection of net, crochet, and lace t-shirts. My favorite, a hot pink one, clashed with the undertones of the brown pants. All the others coordinated with the trousers and the shirts. I noticed that I didn’t have enough t-shirts for a clean one each day of the trip, but I figured that if I handwashed on hotel nights and didn’t care if I wafted old deodorant smell during my drive home, then I would be fine.

Clothing laid on a bed next to Eagle Creek packing cubes

I packed my trusty wool zip-up hoodie made from SBCC’s Brooklyn Hoodie sewing pattern. My raincoat was in my hiking backpack. I ironed my dark blue linen button-up that goes with everything and hung it over the passenger seat. It would be a layer if it was cold or a light jacket if it was too warm for the wool zip-up.

I added a paper notebook, pen, book we needed for discussion, and laptop for class. I put my Nanobag backpack on the pile just because I’ve been wanting a reason to use it. I have never used a roller suitcase, but we had one, so I packed clothing, toiletries, electronics, and classwork in that.

I’m constantly adjusting my pack until I leave, so photos are close, but specifics generally vary by the time I shut the door and drive away.

On Friday morning, I checked the weather again. I saw that Saturday’s forecast was to be in the 80s (26+ C). I quickly took the long-sleeved t-shirt out of my hiking outfit and replaced it with a summer tank top.

For better or worse, I was packed and ready to go.

Read Part 2

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]]><![CDATA[The Misery of High-Waisted Pants]]>Sat, 09 May 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/the-misery-of-high-waisted-pants

Links to St. John's Bay Women's Straight High-Waist Cropped Pants at JC Penney

Image Source: JC Penney; Click image to go to product listing

CEFR Level C1-C2

This is not a sponsored post.

If you’ve missed it, high-waisted trousers are all the rage in Spring 2026. I eagerly await the return of mid-rise pants. Why?

I’m 4 feet 11 inches (149.86 cm) tall. Even petite high-waisted pants come up to my bra band. I feel like I’m walking around with a tube around my torso. Plus, who wants double fabric over their body in the hot and humid summer? For both comfort and visual proportions, I prefer pants that sit somewhere between my hipbones and my navel. If I pull the high-waisted pants down to a comfortable level, then the crotch is half-way down my thighs. That leads to chafing.

Unfortunately, all my summer pants needed replacing this year. I *can* sew some, but it’s a time commitment and sometimes, I just want to buy a good-enough pair and be done with it.

I happened to be near JCPenney during a sale and found St. John’s Bay cotton gauze pants in the petite section. It’s rare to find petite pants that fit a 49-inch (124.46) hip, so I snatched up two colors.

Woman wearing a black t-shirt and olive green drawstring pants with the waistband almost to her underbust

I dislike the proportions with the shirt tucked in. Regardless, even if I tried to wear the pants pulled all the way up, the waistband doesn't pull tight enough for them to stay there.

Despite my dressing-room attempt to mimic real-life movement, these pants are annoying in daily life. The waistband doesn’t get tight enough, so it always slides down until my hips stop it. That leads to a dropped crotch. Then my thighs chafe from either rubbing each other or from friction from the seam. I could stand around trying to pooch out my stomach to hold them at a decent height, but who wants to do that, even if I could maintain the unnatural position?

These are comfortable for lounging, but I wanted something cool to run errands in during the summer. These are cool, but I feel sloppy wearing them.

Woman wearing tan sandals, loose blue pants, turquoise shirt, white jacket, and tan bag

This is after alterations. I wore this to a chorale concert on one of those April days where you didn't know if it would be 80 F or 60 F inside or out. That blue t-shirt? I drafted the pattern using SewHere's Easy T instructions (no longer available), then altering the pattern to be a V-neck. The fabric is from Boho Fabrics. I believe it is the Slub Sea Blue Cupro Knit.

I spent three hours unpicking the waistband and pockets on the blue pair. I spent another two attaching them lower. This worked great for putting the crotch at a comfortable level so that there is fabric between my thighs. It also put the waistband at a comfortable level right below my navel and high enough in back that I can squat without showing more than I want. Unfortunately, I ended up with a pouf of fabric between the waistband and my hips in back. There are a few possibilities for how to fix this, but I’m out of energy to deal with it. I’ll just wear a shirt long enough to cover it.

I’m still debating if it’s worth my time to alter the green pair. In five hours, I could have a new custom-fitted pair a third finished.

Although there is no comfort like that of custom-fitted clothing, I long for the day when I can just buy comfortable clothes when I need them. Maybe one day, there will be a clothing designer for curvy people under five feet tall who are “plus” below the waist but not above. There really is a gap for curvy petite plus clothing where the “plus” means big hips not big breasts. There’s an even bigger gap for people with adult bodies who are five feet and shorter. I await the day when someone fills this gap.

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]]><![CDATA[On Teaching Biblical Languages]]>Sat, 02 May 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/on-teaching-biblical-languages

Yellow page with Hebrew letters and the English word Genesis

CEFR Level C1-C2

Background

As of April 2026, I have spent two semesters each formally studying biblical Greek and biblical Hebrew. I also have a B.A. in Spanish and have informally dabbled in at least five other languages. Additionally, I am certified to tutor ESL. All this to say, I’ve spent a lot of time both learning languages and thinking about how to teach them. I acknowledge that biblical languages are no longer spoken (like 13th-century English is no longer spoken), but I think there are crossover principles in how adults learn.

TLDR

Teachers of biblical languages would benefit from learning how to teach languages.

Comments and Suggestions

These comments could apply to any type of teaching or any language, but biblical languages are fresh in my mind, so that’s what I’m envisioning as I write.

The Underlying Challenge

In all of my experiences formally studying a language, the one constant is that it feels like the class is designed to meet a checklist rather than to create an environment for learning. To paraphrase my orchestration professor, you can water all you want, but the plant will grow when it grows. In other words, you can do all the homework and review and drills you want, but the concepts will click and the words transfer to long-term memory on a timeline that is not always within the student’s control.

This is the great challenge of group education: How do you move quickly enough that students are neither bored nor left behind? I also wonder if in a college setting, there is some outside force, like accreditation, determining how much material is covered in a class.

I don’t have enough data on what is causing the problem to suggest a solution. All I know is that there has to be a better way to teach languages than moving through a checklist on a schedule.

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Repetition

Repetition is perhaps the one thing that gets lost in a checklist-style class. A concept is introduced. By the next week, the class has moved on and the teaching and homework is built on the premise that the first concept was fully grasped and engraved in long-term memory in the week devoted to it. The entire semester is a breathless fly by. In the language of Bloom’s Taxonomy, the concept starts with Remember, jumps to Apply or Analyze. The intermediate stages of Understand and sometimes Apply are skipped. The assumption seems to be that if you have Remembered, then you have Understood. That’s not how humans learn, at least not well enough to remember something three months later.

One solution is to build in repetitive instruction. Start the week by reviewing previous concepts. State them in different words or give a new example of how they function. You won’t be able to cover every concept every week, of course, especially as the semester progresses, but this systematic repetition of ideas can help remind students of that little detail they maybe forgot because their brain was busy focusing on the bigger picture.

Repetitive instruction can also be built seamlessly into the lecture or tutorial. For example, every time you say a word in the target language, follow it with the definition. Some words will be used so often that you won’t need to define them by the end of the semester. Other words will need constant re-enforcement.

A similar principle applies to conjugation and parsing. For example, “Talk talk talk Niphal 3ms imperative, notice the he-hireq prefix, talk talk talk.” You don’t have to go into a full explanation each time. Just briefly mention one diagnostic feature.

Define Your Terms

In a perfect world, adult students would enter language classes with a working knowledge of grammar terms like “prefix, suffix, verb root, etc.” In reality, a lot of students don’t know these things. When grammar and linguistic terms are unknown, it can feel like the professor is speaking a different language, even if the words are in English. Of course students get frustrated when they are trying to interpret a new language in order to understand a second language! It’s double the work! Plus, they might feel embarrassed or stupid for not knowing what the professor clearly assumes they already know.

There are various ways to give students the background vocabulary they need. A glossary sheet and defining the term the first time it comes up are two simple options. In-line parenthetical definitions, like in the Niphal example above, are also helpful. Later in the semester, these definitions might not be needed, but laying the foundation at the beginning can prevent a lot of frustration stemming from confusion.

In biblical Hebrew, specifically, I noticed that there is a vocabulary that I didn’t see in biblical Greek.

Numeral and letter abbreviations instead of pronouns (e.g. 3ms instead of “he”).
“Verb stem” to mean a conjugation system (where in modern languages we might say “verb stem” as an alternate to “verb root,” both meaning the part of the verb that stays the same during conjugation/parsing).
“Parsing” instead of “conjugation.”

The list goes on. There may be rational reasons the vocabulary is different, but part of teaching the language is teaching the linguistic vocabulary used to talk about the language. Teaching means intentionally explaining rather than assuming understanding will be absorbed through context.

Be Specific

Related to defining terms is giving specific answers. In an introductory-level class, explain that words have several possible English equivalents. You can even give examples. Then tell the students which definition you want them to learn. This isn’t teaching to the exam. This is narrowing the focus to what a learner new to the subject can handle.

It is confusing when a professor says “X, Y, and Z are all possible translations. You don’t need to memorize all of that. Just be aware that you might encounter any of those translations.” The student is left wondering what the difference is between not memorizing a translation and also being aware enough of the alternate translations that they can recognize them.

The clearer statement is “X, Y, and Z are all possible translations. Be aware that words have different English equivalents. For this level, focus on learning definition X.” You can then add nuance as the course progresses and alternate translations are encountered, but try to limit the amount of alternate translations encountered in an introductory course and certainly don’t expect students to use them in graded work.

An English example of this is the verb “fly.” Definitions of “to fly” include

a bird in the air,
a person riding in an airplane,
a person piloting an airplane,
a person moving very quickly (e.g. to run), and
an object moving quickly (e.g. the ball flew at my head).

The verb is also used in idioms (e.g. to fly off the handle).

In an introductory class, I would start with the definition of a bird in the air. In a separate lesson on transportation, I would introduce the airplane context. If students learn those uses, then the others will be more easily understood as they work with the language more.

Those exact suggestions change for intermediate and advanced classes, but the “be specific” principle remains.

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Slow It Down

In a perfect world, the syllabus would be flexible enough that things could be dropped from the end if the class isn’t grasping the concepts as quickly as anticipated. In the real world, that is unlikely to be possible. This is unfortunate and lends to the check-box feeling of classes.

Another aspect of “slow it down” is how quickly the professor recites formulas. To use a Spanish example that may be familiar to readers, instead of “hablohablashablahablamoshablan” say "hablo, hablas, habla, hablamos, hablan.” Give the students’ brains time to follow along, even to predict what comes next. Really think about the experience from the perspective of the learner. The material is second nature to the professor. The students may still be trying to remember the difference between first and second person.

Keep a Learner's Mindset

Students often tell you what they need, but you have to know how to listen. If you typically parse by simply saying what each part is and some of your best students parse by explaining each step and defining terms, maybe this is a process you should be incorporating. If some of your struggling students seem to have given up on telling the difference between Pual and Hophal U-Class and many of the other students make mistakes, maybe you need to take part of a class period to practice identifying the differences. If some of your students are teachers or in a teaching degree program, notice how they explain things when working through translations verbally. You might learn teaching techniques from them.

You could also directly ask acquaintances who teach modern languages, who are professors in the education department, or who teach K-12 (exact techniques may change for adults, but much of learning theory applies across ages). Be humble enough to know what you don’t know and ask the experts for advice. Higher ed can be siloed, but when it comes to learning how to teach, those barriers need to be crossed.

There is also value in professors having one skill-based hobby that they struggle with. Pick a hobby that you know you’ll never be more than average at. This helps keep the perspective of a new learner fresh in the professor’s mind. Ideally, this skill is something that is learned and practiced with other people. This will remind the professor of the fear that comes when you know that others will witness you failing. Thoughtfully applied, these experiences can help you become a better teacher.

Conclusion

Languages can be challenging to learn. This doesn’t mean that a professor should shrug and carry on because there’s nothing to do to change the fact that a language is hard. There are teaching techniques and mindsets that can reduce the friction of learning something challenging. I’ve included only a few here.

College professors should know how to do research. Go research how to teach. Attend CE for K-12 teachers or teachers of modern languages. Get certified to tutor ESL, even if you never plan to tutor learners of English as a second language. Experiment and adapt. Give conference presentations and write papers on your experiences. Just because a subject is classified as hard, that doesn’t mean it has to stay that way. If you’re going to be a teaching professor, then make it your mission to learn how to teach that subject, not just be an expert in it.

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]]><![CDATA[Independent Bookstore Day]]>Sat, 25 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/independent-bookstore-day

Picture: Indie Bookstore Day with Free Shipping on Bookshop.org

CEFR Level B2-C1

Independent Bookstore Day 2026 is Saturday, April 25.

Why do independent bookstores matter?

Depending on what you value, they may not.

Here’s why I think they do.

The Background

Growing up, getting a new item of clothing from Wal-Mart was a once-a-year event. If I had heard of The Gap, Old Navy, and other mall stores, then I didn’t associate them with a place normal people bought clothes. To me, they were as out of reach as some luxury designer with a name I can’t pronounce now and certainly hadn’t heard of then.

Through my 20s and 30s, my life was ruled by the necessity, and then the ingrained ethics, of shopping at the cheapest place available. If something functional existed at a cheaper price, then it didn’t matter if the more expensive thing looked a little nicer, fit a little better, or just appealed more. The only option, unless I wanted to be a bad person, was to buy the cheapest thing. I was also confused by people who declared that cheap clothes wore out faster. I could wear my clothes for 3-5+ years with weekly washing before they wore out.

I hated the bright lights, loud noises, and overwhelming hugeness of discount stores, but I accepted them as a necessary part of life.

Then I started getting older and experiencing body changes. Clothes at discount clothing stores often no longer fit on my body, never mind fitting. Out of necessity, I visited smaller stores like Soma. This was also when I had more discretionary income.

The difference! Soft music, quiet voices, gentle lighting, and just enough options to have variety. Instead of having to steel myself for battle before entering a store, then noticing my body unclench and breathe more deeply on exiting, I could, if not enjoy the shopping experience, then at least not dread it.

The Bookstore Connection

I suspect a similar experience applies to bookstores.

In full disclosure, I can’t remember the last independent bookstore I’ve seen. I think there might be one an hour away, but if I recall correctly, it’s the sort of dark, dusty, musty, overcrowded type that I don’t enjoy.

Even so, I imagine that there must be independent stores with natural, or at least pleasant, lighting. Ones that are selective with acquisitions to avoid overcrowded floorspace. Ones that dust and have reasonable airflow. I might enjoy visiting a bookshop like that.

So why do independent bookstores matter? Because the experience is one you won’t find at a mass retailer. Because the experience is more interesting, whether you enjoy it or not, than a copycat environment.

What About Online Bookstores?

If you buy books online, then none of that applies.

In that case, it comes down to what you value. Is your vision of the ideal world one where a few control the wealth, and therefore the well-being of the masses? Is your vision of the ideal world one where most people have enough and no one has so much as to take control? Do you want to live in a triangle or a circle?

It’s also worth thinking about the factors that go into stock selection and how those may differ between corporate and independent shops.

Today, if you plan to purchase a book, consider supporting an independent bookstore.

Bookshop.org has free standard shipping on April 25-26, 2026.

If you’d like to support me with your purchase, I’m a Bookshop.org affiliate. My shop’s name is The Variety Page Reads. I only add books that I’ve read (and Spanish-language editions of those titles, when available). The collection is slowly growing, so keep checking back to see what I’ve added.

I understand that it’s a luxury to be able to vote with your dollar. If you have that luxury, please consider supporting an independent bookstore, even if it isn’t me.

]]><![CDATA[Cultivating Imagination]]>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/cultivating-imagination

The top of a mountain rises like a hot air balloon. Cables are attached to a gondola underneath.

CEFR Level C1-C2

I’ve occasionally had conversations with people who say they like movies better than books because they can actually see what happens. These same people don’t like closed-door scenes because even though they understand what is implied, they say that without seeing it, they don’t know what happens. They say it makes it more real to actually see the action rather than having to imagine it from implication.

I know there are reasons why someone’s imagination might not develop or be accessible. When I worked as a public librarian, continuing education was full of ways that we might need to consciously adapt our programs to accommodate people with fewer resources than the middle class two-parent norm. One concept I remember is that extended trauma, such as poverty or lack of parental attention, has the potential to limit development in the part of the brain that imagines. From what I’ve gathered, this is one reason why a child with a challenging home life might shrug when asked what they want to be when they grow up. They can’t imagine growing up because all their brainpower is taken up with surviving now. (I couldn’t find an article that tidily supports my impressions, but if you want to do your own research, “poverty effects imagination” is one starting place.) We also learned about accommodating neurodiversity, including recognizing that some people might not be able to participate in imaginative thought the same way others can. Or at least, they may not be able to express what they are imagining the way we might expect. (Again, citation needed, so take these statements for what they are: my memory of what I was taught.)

Caveats aside, I wonder how cultivating imagination might help us in our religious life, which I believe should be integrated into all of our life. I don’t mean that in the obnoxious sense where we wear the Christianese t-shirt, leave tracks instead of tips, and view every moment as an opportunity to “witness.” I mean in the holistic sense where the awe we feel in nature can be understood as an experience of The Divine without us worrying that we’re creating an idol out of nature. I mean integration in the sense where we understand that paying our bills on time is a reflection of how we view ourselves in relation to others which is a reflection of our theology.

When I think about people I know who want The Answer, I wonder how much comes from a lack of security that their imagination is acceptable. Were they told that daydreaming was problematic? Did they grow up hearing that “storybooks” were childish and only “fact books” were worth reading? Were off-the-wall solutions laughed at for not being practical or dismissed as immature? Were they ever told they were too old for [imaginative play]?

Connect NT Culture to Yours

On the other hand, when people have a robust, active imagination, are they more willing to accept nuance? Is change and uncertainty more comfortable when people can engage their imaginations effortlessly?

I don’t have answers in this post, but if we take all these questions and apply it to religious convictions, could imagination be a partial antidote to black-and-white thinking? Could comfort with “what if” be a guard against looking for The One Answer to Rule Them All? Could facility in imaging yourself in a scene allow you to envision the happy possibilities in change?

Then again, I suspect imagination is a key part of fear. We imagine the worst that can happen and that scares us, so we glom onto The Answer that promises to relieve our fear. With The Answer, we don’t have to think about what could be; we are free to ruminate on the same thoughts. That’s less work. My understanding is that human brains like the way with less work.

But I wonder if this is a stunted imagination? If it is an imagination that was told to stop with the fantasy and focus on problem solving, as if they are separate things?

I wonder if giving our imaginations the freedom to envision whatever they come up with, and the ability to accept those thoughts without classifying them as childish or practical, creates a brain where imagining something previously unknown becomes the easier path. I wonder if imagination helps us to be calmer. If we are less fearful, I wonder if we would be less violent.

If we were able to imagine that there is enough for all, would we work to create that event? If we were able to imagine that anyone could be the kind of person we want to know, would we be appalled when some people are classed as an enemy before they have a chance to show who they are? Would we find it abhorrent to harm others under the pretense of protecting ourselves?

Would our energies go into creation and restoration instead of destruction and dismissal? Is the human capacity for imagination a protective measure God gave humans and we’re circumventing a tool God gave us by putting limits on the ways it is acceptable for an adult to use their imagination?

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]]><![CDATA[This Is More Than Fear]]>Sat, 11 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/this-is-more-than-fear

Woman in black full body veil stands facing away from the camera

This is more than fear
Each responding without thought
To some past violence so cruel
I gag to imagine.

The dog barks and pulls
The lead pulling him backwards
The woman cowers and hides
Her veil no protection

From scared growling fangs
That thankfully aren’t today
The attack her body fears
Knowing no one is safe.

I can do nothing
But give a sad, rueful smile
A hand half-raised in, I hope,
A sign of peace conveying

I see her terror
And wish it flung far from her
So she, too, can walk in joy,
Unafraid in the sun.

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]]><![CDATA[Meditation on Light]]>Sat, 04 Apr 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/meditation-on-light

CEFR Level C1-C2

Easter has me thinking about light/The Light (AKA Jesus Christ). I wrote a piano piece designed to improvise around a short theme and called it Meditation on Light.
Then I thought about communion and how free and light I feel during the ceremony in my current church compared to my previous experiences. Then I wrote a reflection (or poem or whatever term you want to use) to coordinate with the music (sheet music available… when I have the time to format and post it).

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Light sparkles.
Whether or not we see it changes nothing.

Light glints
Whether we squint or shout for joy at the sight.

Light settles
Into the tiniest crack and smallest pinprick.

Light soothes
The darkest room, even a sliver a defense from blindness.

Light grows
Life hidden, covered, forgotten, but waiting for its touch.

Light gathers
From caves and houses and solitude, the living responding to its call.

Light burns
Those uninformed, unprotected, or too proud to respect its power.

Light wins
Over darkness, hiddenness, obstruction, everything its opposite.

Light is
And was and will be and doesn’t rely on us.

Light responds
When we make space and ease its path.

Light stays
When we close it out, live like it isn’t there, block it from our senses.

Light is light.
What we think or say or do can’t change that.

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Also in Spanish.

]]><![CDATA[Consent in Church]]>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 13:41:57 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/consent-in-church

Men and women in a circle with arms around each other and heads titled into the center of the circle

CEFR Level C1-C2

Our Culture Approves of Assault

St. Patrick’s Day brought back something I think about often: consent. My understanding is that assault is legally defined as touching someone without their consent when that touch is harmful or offensive (https://www.law.cornell.edu/wex/assault). With that definition, the US has a holiday where we teach children to cause others physical pain and call it fun, perhaps especially if the person we are trying to hurt is running away from us. Accompanying that practice, we teach children that they are wrong to be upset when someone causes them physical pain during the day when society has agreed that a specific type of hurting someone without their consent is acceptable.

Take a minute to think about how those socially acceptable practices may or may not affect how a person thinks about domestic violence or sexual assault, then come back for my thoughts on consent and spiritual practices.

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I Know Better Than You

In my experience in charismatic-light churches (e.g. Four Square), it is common to physically touch someone without first gaining their consent. Now, I’m not suggesting that we always have to ask people before we hug them hello (hugging is the normal greeting in the Southeast, at least in my experience). I am saying that we need to learn cues that the person may prefer another form of greeting and submit to their desires (cue the Pauline “submit” passages).

I once heard a preacher declare from the pulpit that he hugged people even if they didn’t want him to because he believed that they needed it. He spent considerable time on this point. His comments led me to believe that he thinks he knows what someone else needs emotionally more than they know (and also that he seems unaware of the concept of consent and how repeatedly having your ability to consent dismissed can cause emotional, mental, and spiritual damage).

The arrogance around thinking that you know someone else’s emotions better than they do is not unexpected in my church experience. That’s a discussion for another day. More relevant to the topic of consent and spiritual practices is this person’s insistence on hugging people who he recognizes do not want that type of contact. Touching someone in a way that they have made known is unwanted seems to brush against the definition of assault.

Even when hugging in greeting, we would be kind to take the definition of consent that says that anything less than an enthusiastic yes is a no. Not because we are afraid of being accused of assault, but because respecting another person’s bodily autonomy is the right thing to do. To do otherwise is to exert power over that person, the exact opposite of what Jesus said we should do.

Who benefits from an unwanted hug? Not the person receiving it. Doing something that harms another in order to feel good about ourself is selfish. Selfishness is not a fruit of the Spirit (Philippians 2, Galatians 5).

I think it’s worth considering if a culture of hugging in church contributes to people feeling compelled to allow themselves to be assaulted. Social pressure to conform is strong. In church, there is an added layer of spiritual pressure, even if the act is not explicitly described as spiritual. Few people are independent enough to ignore social influences. This is generally good. Being influenced by society makes us easier to live with. People who completely ignore social expectations tend to be harmful to themselves and others. The trick is to develop enough independence to be able to act contrary to social expectations when a contrary action is for your own protection or for the good of others while having enough social compliance to avoid being a completely offensive person or worse.

I don’t think the solution is to stop hugging in greeting. I do think we need to think about what we do and actively offer people options, as well as train ourselves to notice and respond to signals that someone feels coerced into participating in our ritual.

Reading and Discussion Guide: Life in Year One by Scott Korb

Coercive Prayer

Coercion is what I most often think about when I think about spiritual practices like praying for someone. If someone offers to pray for you, how can you say no? (My church experience is primarily in traditions where it is normal to offer to pray for someone when they are telling you about their week. It is also normal to call other people over to join the prayer.)

Maybe you would welcome prayer, but not in that context, or not from that person, or not at that time. Maybe you’ve had enough of being prayed for, you and God have come to an understanding, and you’re leaving the issue with God, so praying feels like a burden rather than a comfort (Matthew 6:7). Maybe you know this person tends to use prayer to tell you their opinion and if you agree to prayer, you know you’ll feel compelled to stay and listen because it’s rude to leave or interrupt while someone is praying for you.

I have never once heard someone interrupt someone who was praying. Even in the most free-style “Spirit-led” prayer meetings, no one interrupted with the intention of stopping another person. I also have never heard someone say no to being prayed for, although I have had people later confide that they felt uncomfortable, but didn’t feel like they could decline the offer.

Just wait until I get my hands on you!

Related to prayer is “laying on of hands.” That phrase gets me every time because outside the church, when you “lay hands on” someone, it suggests an act of violence. Contextually, in the church, the laying on of hands is considered a kind, holy act that somehow enhances the Spirit’s power. In my experience, I have only seen hands put on a person’s head, back, shoulder, or upper arm. It wouldn’t surprise me, though, to hear tales of hands “slipping” to a buttock or breast during a prayer huddle (when a bunch of people surround one or more persons and put a hand on the person(s) being prayed for).

Like prayer, I have never seen anyone decline having hands laid on them (the church seriously needs a better phase). I don’t know how you could decline without coming across as extraordinarily rude and without having people question your spiritual health.

I can’t find the exact podcast episodes, but I have heard stories about people having panic attacks while being prayed over in a charismatic setting. In the story I’m thinking of, the panic came from being closed in by so many people. When their panic made them attempt to move out of the prayer huddle, away from all those hands on them, they were restrained. Some even ended up on the ground with people holding them down until they became still from exhaustion. I have not witnessed that, but those stories don’t surprise me at all. I could see it easily happening while the people praying thought they were really “pressing in” and “interceding.” When praying over someone, it’s worth considering Hosea 6, Matthew 6, and the multitude of passages urging us to think about others and their needs rather than pushing on with what we want to do.

Again, in my experience, for all charismatics preach about personal freedom to worship without the constraint of rituals, there is no mechanism for maintaining self-agency during communal religious practices. You can’t decline to participate and you can’t remove yourself if things start to make you uncomfortable. I suppose technically you could, but given the intense power of social and religious pressure, I don’t think it is reasonable to expect people to be able to assert themselves in that way.

What Are the Options?

Take a minute to think about the last time you prayed in a group. Would you have the power to suddenly interrupt whoever was praying and say, “We need to stop praying”? Seriously, who is brave enough to tell fellow Christians to stop praying? I suspect that if you felt like something was off, you would be more likely to quietly pray to yourself and hope that God made something happen to stop things or that you would start to question what was wrong with you that you weren’t “all in” during prayer.

My challenge to church leaders and attendees is to start openly talking about the fact that church culture coerces people into experiences that the person does not consent to have. (Using the “enthusiastic yes” definition of consent.) Then start modeling how to say no to prayer and other rituals. Reward people for being honest rather than acquiescing out of social and spiritual pressure. Explicitly say that it is acceptable to decline prayer or any other act offered to be performed for you and that declining does not necessarily mean you have a spiritual problem.

Does that last paragraph make you uncomfortable? Consider this:

If we force people into a religious act or social convention that they do not want to participate in, do you think God will honor your prayer or delight in your actions?

Are you more concerned with performing your rituals in the way that feels comfortable to you or with pleasing God by treating God’s creation, a human, with kindness and care?

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]]><![CDATA[How to Make Candles from Used Wax]]>Sat, 21 Mar 2026 04:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/how-to-make-candles-from-used-wax

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Lit small votive candle with blurred living room background

CEFR Level C1-C2

I love candles and wax melts. The wax melts from Bee Coco are my favorite (not an affiliate link). Their scents are more complex and sophisticated than I’ve found elsewhere. For candles, I like pure beeswax or the scented candles at Thistle Farms (not an affiliate link).

With wax melts, the scent eventually goes away or becomes subtle enough that I want to use new cubes. For candles, no matter what I do, there is always some amount of tunneling. What to do with the leftover wax?

The Problem

Leftover wax: I paid for it and didn’t get to use it; I don’t want to throw away usable things
Empty candle containers: I have a growing collection of empty candle jars; I don’t want to throw away usable things

The solution? Make new candles!

The Process

Candle Making: Two small votive candles partly poured

I bought candle wicks with tabs from Beesworks. I’m not a fan, even though I don’t have other wicks to compare them to. The wicks smoke more than any of the wicks in my bought candles. The wicks are floppy and don’t stay straight during pouring, even with a wick holder. The wicks fall over when the candle gets down to about 0.5 inch.

First Try

On my first try at melting old wax, I put water in a shallow pan and used old candle jars to hold the wax. It took a long time to melt the wax, especially beeswax and the jars fell over. It was a mess to clean.

I used clothespins to hold the wicks upright in the jars. It wasn’t a great solution, but it was better than nothing.

I was careful to keep like waxes together (e.g. beeswax with beeswax, soy with soy, etc.).

The candles burned fine, but like I said, the wicks are smokey and wavy, which left me with more leftover wax, except this time, it was contaminated with a sooty wick.

Second Try

Beeswax in wax warmer with a partially filled beeswax jar candle next to it

The candle jar isn't on a slope - it's an unintentional trick of the camera angle. This is one of the original candle jars I tried filling before I had wick holders. In this photo, I'm melting wax to add to the candle so that I have a full jar.

For my second try, I bought wick holders that look like popsicle sticks with holes in them. These work much better than clothespins. I highly recommend investing in them. They don’t cost much and can be re-used.

On my second try, I also used my wax warmer to melt the wax. Again, I was careful to keep waxes sorted by content. I read that this is important to get an even burn. That tracks with my experience since beeswax burns slower than soy wax which burns slower than apricot and coconut wax.

The wax warmer worked great! I clean it out when switching to a different type of wax. I recommend cleaning the wax warmer when the wax is still melted. It’s much easier. For reference, I have a wax warmer with a silicone insert that can be removed. Cleaning would likely be more challenging if there were no removable insert.

New Testament Culture Study Companion

Final Decision

Between the wax warmer and the wick holders, I found a rhythm. Once I use up these wicks, I’ll try a different brand. I’ve made so many candles from old wax, even giving some away. I like that I’m recycling and getting more for my money. For some of my $35 candles, the tunneling was so bad that I was able to get half a candle of the same size from it!

When re-using scented wax, I can usually smell the scent when the wax is cold, but it doesn’t always throw when the candle is lit.

I’m happy to have found a nearly-free way to turn waste into something useful. More candles for me!

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]]><![CDATA[Money: The Helpers & Givers]]>Sat, 14 Mar 2026 21:50:49 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/money-the-helpers-givers

CEFR Level B1-B2

Read Part 1, The Savers, Here

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Continuing with our consideration of how the different ways people relate to money could be connected to their theology of money, let’s look at the money personality that is characterized by spending money to help others. My summary of this type is that they find security in feeling needed by others and they create this value by giving generously. If there’s something to donate to or someone in need, helper types will probably give!

In the US culture I was raised in, this type of relationship to money was cautiously praised in church but discouraged outside of church. As we look at scripture, let’s do our best, with an ear turned towards the Spirit’s guidance, to separate cultural values from biblical principles. To help put us in a learning mindset, think about this question: Where in the Old or New Testament is there a caution about being generous?

I couldn’t find one. That doesn’t mean it doesn’t exist, but it does mean that it would be a rare concept.

What about being responsible?

You’re probably wondering about stewardship and responsibility. If you were raised in the type of culture I was, then make a note of this discomfort you’re feeling. This is a good topic for your personal bible study.

Briefly, I’ll say that there is a scriptural call to take care of our own responsibilities. Deuteronomy is full of commands for the people in power (men) to take financial care of the people without power, like their wives, including when other people with power have taken advantage of the powerless. Deuteronomy 26:12 can be understood as a command to provide for oneself, but also to provide intentionally for the vulnerable. There are other examples, but that’s a study on its own.

So, some people find value by giving to others. Scripture approves of giving, but this is in the context of fulfilling financial responsibilities to those who depend on you.

Shouldn’t others always come first?

I want to take a minute to speak to people who have been told that they don’t count, that they aren’t a good Christian if they take care of themselves. Has anyone heard of the JOY acronym? It stands for Jesus first, Others second, You last. I think this is one of those ideas that has a grain of truth, but its application misses the mark.

Jesus, who I take to represent the triune God in this acronym, should be first in our lives. Even if this isn’t explicitly said in scripture, I think “Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind” (Matthew 22:37) gets at the idea, along with Deuteronomy 5:7 (“You shall have no other gods before [Yahweh]”). If this were an exploration of who comes first in our lives, I would spend more time here, but for today’s argument, let’s accept that God comes first in our thoughts and actions.

In the Matthew quote, Jesus continues by saying in verse 38 “Love your neighbor as yourself.” That sounds like putting others before you, right? But if you’re putting others first to the point that you don’t take care of your own needs, to the point that you are not thriving, to the point that you think you don’t deserve to thrive, then what does that mean for treating others like you treat yourself?

It means you don’t take care of their needs, you don’t do what you can to help them thrive, you don’t think they deserve to thrive. I’m sure we can all agree that this is not what Jesus meant! So, without taking the time today to dig into all the scripture that would support my claim, let’s accept that the only way to love another as yourself is to prioritize yourself and others in such a way that you and your neighbor are filled with wellbeing. It’s not a hierarchy. It’s a both/and.

What I want you to take away from this is that self-abasement to the point that you no longer consider yourself worthy of the same status and care as others is not a biblical concept.

Thinking Deeply

Now back to helper types. I’ll focus the following comments on giving financially, but you could substitute non-financial helping in most cases, too.

Is there a problem with finding value by giving to others? In Christian jargon, is it sin? If you’ve been in a certain type of church for any length of time, you probably know that the approved answer is “Our value should come from God alone.” But is this statement faithful to the scriptural evidence?

I suggest that it isn’t and that God created humans to need direct contact from another living being rather than an emotional or spiritual feeling of connection without a tangible physical presence. In Genesis 2:15-16, God interacts with Adam. “Adam” is also understood to be a generic term for humankind. God puts Adam/a human in a garden and gives him a command. In verse 21, we have a scene of God performing surgery on Adam. Surgery is a direct-contact experience. Then in Genesis 3:8, we are told that God walked in the garden and Adam and Eve hid from God. Again, this suggests a physical presence of God. If God were able to be physically present in the Garden with Adam and Eve in Chapter 3, it seems like God would also be able to be physically present with Adam alone in Chapter 2, including before God performed surgery on Adam. If God were physically present with Adam and if it is true that God is all a human needs, then why did God say it is not good for Adam, also understood as humankind, to be alone?

If you believe that God was only spiritually with Adam, that connects even more strongly to our lives today. If God was spiritually with Adam and said it was not a good situation because Adam didn’t have another human, then why do some Christians today say that humans should only need God? The stories in Genesis tell us that Godself said that it is not good for a person to be alone with only God and no other human.

It doesn’t make sense to believe that God made humans to need other humans, therefore, a human should only get their feeling of value from God. Even stating the ideas in a different combination doesn’t help them to make sense together: God made humans to only need God, therefore God declared that it is not good for a human to be alone and gave that human another human as a companion. The only thing that makes sense is that God does not think a human only needs God alone and to deny that is going against God’s will.

We could test this against other scriptures, but for today, let’s accept the argument that humans need other humans in order to thrive, including emotionally.

Now, of course a good thing can be used wrongly. In the case of money helper types, making themselves feel valuable by giving money is problematic when they don’t feel valuable if they aren’t giving. Referring back to Genesis 1:31, God saw all that God had made, including humans, and called it good. The fact that God called humans good is an indicator that a human has intrinsic value simply by existing. A person’s foundational identity should be “I have value because God made me and called me good.”

If you’re wondering if things changed when Adam and Eve disobeyed God, that’s a topic for another day. My short answer is that I don’t think their sin changed the inherent value of something God creates, including humans living in the 21st century.

Perhaps this analogy will help. Think about a ruby before it is found by a human. That ruby still has value to humans, even if they don’t know about that specific specimen. When that ruby is found, it is rough and dirty. Maybe only an expert could identify it as a ruby. The fact that it doesn’t look valuable and is in a less valuable state doesn’t change its inherent value. I think humans are similar. Humans may do evil things and that’s bad, but the evil that has infiltrated their thoughts and actions doesn’t change the human’s inherent value. If you want to study this more, you could look for arguments for and against imago Dei.

Alright, let’s connect this back to money helper types. I suspect that in an Eden-like world, a person would understand their intrinsic value and that value would also be confirmed by the other humans that God gave as companions. As a side note, I absolutely am not saying that the biblical narrative says that a woman should be a man’s cheerleader. I am saying that a human needs the companionship of another human and this condition was acknowledged and provided for by God.

Unfortunately, the biblical narrative is one long story of how humans don’t live up to what God created them for, as described in Genesis 1-2 and other sections of the law books. The plan was for humans to live in harmony with God, with each other, and the natural world. This means that even if a person’s foundation is that their value comes from God, they may still lack the companionship of another human to confirm that value.

The challenge for the money helper type is to give generously because they care for their neighbor, but not because they are trying to manipulate others into liking them. I don’t suspect that most helper types think about their actions as manipulation. They probably think of their actions as helping and they probably often are helping. The problem comes when a helper type helps for the primary purpose of having others like them.

Wait, I’m confused

It may sound like I’m contradicting myself. Let’s summarize. Humans have value simply for existing. That should be the foundation of how a person thinks about themself. Humans also have a need for validation from others. This in itself is not wrong. The problem comes when a person either does not accept that they have inherent value or when the need for validation from others is so strong that the person makes decisions based on the criterion of whether or not the action will gain them acclamation. Helping because you see the other person as valuable and because the Christian faith is one of caring for others and then feeling good when praised for it is probably okay. It’s when the helping happens with the goal of receiving praise that it becomes a problem.

Going back to Jesus saying to love your neighbor as yourself, the natural follow-up question is, “Who is my neighbor?” The parable of the good Samaritan tells us (Luke 10:25-37) that the person you despise the most is your neighbor. The implication is that people you like better are also your neighbor. So, from yourself to the people you like a lot to the people you like a little to the people you dislike to the people you wish didn’t exist, that is the spectrum of people who are your neighbors. In other words, everyone is your neighbor. A deeper study can be done on who gets priority in our giving and how to give responsibly, but the one conclusion that is challenging to debate is that the Old and New Testaments expect God’s people to give to others so that everyone can have what they need - and “everyone” includes the giver.

Yeah, do I give or not?

That was a lot of theory, but what’s the practical use of this discussion?

For money helper types, I suggest reflecting on the parable of the bags of gold in Matthew 25:14-30 from the perspective of generous giving. The person who saved their money in order not to lose anything was told they made a bad decision. The people who invested the money and got more were praised. What we don’t know is what was done with the money that was earned. We’ve already established that God likes it when people physically provide for the poor and financially vulnerable. It seems to me that saving and investing money like planner types, but using the proceeds like helper types, is consistent with scriptural guidance. I would love to hear what helper types think about as they contemplate this parable.

I want to leave helper types with this set of questions: What are the motives behind your giving? Do your motives leave you feeling resentful if your efforts are insufficiently appreciated? Are you giving at the expense of caring for yourself or those under your care? Is your giving an expression of your faith, a way to ensure that you always feel valued, or something else?

Let’s turn this question set into a closing prayer.

God, it makes me happy to give. I like helping others. Please help me to understand clearly what my motivations for giving are. I want them to align with your will. Sometimes, I feel taken advantage of because I’m always helping, but no one helps me or recognizes the sacrifices I make. You gave me the gift of being able to give generously and cheerfully. Please help me to use that gift in a way that honors you. Help me to separate cultural expectations from your expectations. Sometimes, I may have given beyond my means or in ways that harmed me or those in my care. I’m sorry about that, especially when it caused my loved ones anxiety or harm. Help me to develop a holy practice of giving. Thank you for being with me as I encounter confusing and challenging ideas around biblical giving and helping. You are the God of light and truth and clarity. I look to you for all this as I seek to follow you with all my heart, soul, and mind in financial matters.

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]]><![CDATA[Money: The Savers and Planners]]>Sat, 07 Mar 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/money-the-savers-and-planners

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CEFR Level B1-B2

As part of a seminary class on money and ministry, I filled out a [confidential] money autobiography. That set of journaling questions is from Dan R. Dick.

After completing that exercise, I was curious about what other forms of a money autobiography there were. The internet loves “what are you” quizzes. Okay, fine. I am entertained by those quizzes, even if I have my doubts about the validity of the conclusions. I searched for “money autobiography quiz” and found various options, each with their own labeling system. I won’t use anyone else’s creative titling here. I’ll just talk about broad themes.

The Savers and Planners

Today, I want to talk about the group of people who carefully plan their money. These are the ones who set long term goals and save for them. They may have multiple savings accounts, each dedicated to a different goal. These people will skip out on social events if it means they have to spend rather than meet their saving goals. Their entire life is structured around ensuring financial security. For this type, the thought of living without a line-item budget necessitates calling for smelling salts.

The Caveat

Before I go farther, I want to acknowledge that this type of careful attention to money is sometimes the only way a family can meet its needs. The less money a person has, the more carefully they need to plan and stick to their goals. I’m not talking about people whose lives are controlled by money out of necessity. It’s not fair to evaluate someone’s decisions when those decisions are controlled by factors outside their control. Instead, this article is about people who have an income sufficient to meet survival and comfort needs and yet every decision is run through the metric of whether or not it is in line with their financial goals.

Thinking Deeply

The Dan R. Dick money autobiography asks, “In what ways can God help you with your relationship with money and material wealth?”

When I think about the planners in the context of this question, I think about Matthew 6:25-24. In this passage, Jesus tells people who are living in a political and economic system that may have kept them scrambling to stay at subsistence level not to worry about what they will eat or what they will wear.

Imagine that. The only life you know is one where taxes are added to taxes and ancestral lands are lost to the colonizers, making it harder and harder to support yourself and your family in the methods you are used to. Imagine being a woman in this situation. You have less social standing than men. Your options for working for income are limited. People may view you as a tool to be used more than they see you as a human. If your father or husband chooses not to give you enough to survive, you’re pretty much out of luck. If your male protector dies, you better hope he leaves you wealthy, which is unlikely when he can barely keep the family afloat while he’s working. Then Jesus looks at you and says not to worry because God knows you need to eat and have clothes.

Are You Sure About That, Jesus?

Maybe you want to believe that it will all work out in the end because God cares for you, but how does this claim match your experience?

And what about the parable of the bags of gold, also known as the parable of the talents, in Matthew 25:14-30? Doesn’t this show that God wants us to use the money given to us to get more money?

What if both things are true? What if God wants us to use what we have intelligently, not hiding it away in fear of losing it and also God wants us to not worry about our daily needs being met. Under this understanding, it isn’t wrong to save and plan. The problem would come when someone relies on their saving and planning to the point that they believe that is the only thing saving them from financial disaster. When we forget that God is ultimately the giver of all that we have, we can forget that God loves humans and wants them to thrive.

Of Course There Had to Be Christianese

Christians say that often: Everything comes from God. Is that true or is it just something we say that is a distortion of the truth?

It depends on what you mean by “everything comes from God.” I once asked a scientist this question. My summary of their answer is that the more they learn about the most elemental things - microscopic things that I don’t remember the names of - and how no matter how human-made something appears to be, it always comes back to things that simply exist. Many Christians believe that things that simply exist are things that come from God. Incidentally, you don’t have to believe in Young Earth Creationism to believe that things come from God, but that’s a topic for another day. If all things, even the most human-made things, like a plastic cup, ultimately come from things that come from God, then sure, everything comes from God.

However, if when you say that everything comes from God, you mean that your food, housing, and clothing is a direct result of God’s giving, then things get more complicated. If you believe that your paycheck that you work for is a direct gift from God, I have to ask if you believe that God controls a person’s mind against their will. What I mean is, why did your boss hire you and not someone else? Did God make them or was that decision a result of God allowing humans to make their own decisions and in this case, the decision another human made benefitted you? If you think both questions are the same, what would you say to another Christian who also applied for your job but didn’t get hired? Why did God not give the job to them? What if they are currently using public assistance to get by while you are thriving? Why didn’t God give them the job instead of you?

Okay, Now My Head Hurts

We can keep asking questions like this. They are useful for reflection, but they can also lead us into a muddle. Sometimes, these questions lead us to a place that is so complicated, we become overwhelmed and drop the matter entirely. I don’t think there is necessarily anything wrong with that. I think there is value in the asking, even if the answer we get to is “I don’t understand enough to understand the question.” In my experience, once the idea is put into our brain, even if it doesn’t make sense now, having that exposure helps us to understand a little bit more the next time we encounter the idea.

This is the concept behind skill or concept leveling in education. When we teach someone to read, we don’t start with a college biology textbook or a theological commentary. We start with the alphabet. Then we move to simple sentences. Then we go to stories or non-fiction works that are several sentences long. Then writings that are a few pages long. Then content that is paragraphs long. Then we move to chapter books. Then we might add in more complex material. By this point, the student has been learning to read for several years. After a few more years, we might introduce complex works like nineteenth-century literature. We generally don’t give them the biology textbook until they have a decade or more practice reading and understanding written work. Each time the student levels up, we expect them to struggle at first because we’ve asked them to do something harder. In a thoughtful educational system, there has been plenty of practice thinking about scientific concepts and learning to read scientific material. Even if reading a college level biology textbook is challenging, it shouldn’t be a totally new concept because components of the complex skills have been practiced throughout the years. Jump forward several more years and someone who has been working in the sciences professionally may easily read and comprehend a college-level textbook.

Thinking about how what we believe about God affects how we think about life is like this. Maybe we have lots of questions, but the questions themselves confuse us, or maybe the answers don’t make sense. That’s okay. Start with what you do know and ask God to help you understand what else you need. In my experience, if this willingness to be challenged paired with consistently asking God for instruction becomes a lifestyle, over the years you will come to understand more than you did at first.

Uh, Did You Forget This Is About Money?

So, back to those people who structure their lives around creating financial security even though they currently have enough to be comfortable. How could this way of relating to money be used in a way that is consistent with how God wants humans to live?

In the Old Testament, we see that God cares a lot about taking care of vulnerable people – usually referred to as the widows, the fatherless, the poor, and the “foreigner among you.” See for example, Leviticus 23:35 and Deuteronomy 24:19. A similar theme can be seen in the New Testament. In Mark 12:40, Jesus says that those who make widows homeless will be punished most severely. James 1:27 famously says that the religion God accepts is the one that looks after widows and orphans.

There is also evidence that God wants people to use money thoughtfully. Simply giving it away for the good of others and then living in poverty yourself isn’t something that I see promoted in scripture. Going back to the parable of the bags of gold, the person who used the gold to get more money was praised over the one who hid the money to keep from losing it. In 1 Corinthians 16:2, Paul recommends setting aside a weekly sum so that when he comes to collect aid for the poor, there won’t be a last-minute call for donations. This verse, in the NIV, has the phrase “in keeping with your income.” The implication is that Paul does not expect someone to go without so that another can be helped. The account of the widow’s offering in Mark 12:41-44 can be read as both an accolade of the widow giving up her last coin and a condemnation of a religious system that made her think her destitution was required to make God happy. I could keep going and include examples from the Old Testament about how God told the Israelites to manage their possessions so that they would have enough and those in need would also be helped, but I think I’ve given you plenty to think about already.

So, Can a Good Christian Save or Not?

In conclusion, I suggest that saving, budgeting, and having a plan for financial stability is not fundamentally inconsistent with living in trust that God will provide what is needed. The problem comes when our trust is put primarily in our financial planning and God’s care for us is an afterthought. Now, we can’t just flip a switch and suddenly have trust in God. Trust requires a shared history. When other people tell stories about how God has provided for them, that can help us develop trust, but it seems to me that personal experience is the most powerful. What thought pattern can you develop or what action can you take that will help you to see the shared history you have with God, with a view to creating conditions where trust can be built?

Let’s turn this question into a prayer.

God, you created humans and called that creation good. I am a human, so I chose to accept that you call my existence good. I am a saver and planner. I want to trust you more than I trust my financial plan, but I also want to use the skills you have given me. How do I do both in a way that complement each other? How does my thinking need to change so that I am developing trust in you? What financial actions would you have me do? What from our shared history proves that I can trust you? Please help me to see future evidence, too. Thank you for giving me understanding as I encounter confusing and challenging ideas. You are the God of light and truth and clarity. I look to you for all this as I seek to follow you with all my heart, soul, and mind in financial matters.

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]]><![CDATA[On the Danger of Education]]>Sat, 28 Feb 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/on-the-danger-of-educationCEFR Level B1-B2

The Background

Education is dangerous. It gives people ideas. When people have ideas, they start to think. Thinking means asking questions. Asking questions means authority cannot have unwavering obedience. That is bad for The Authority.

I was raised to obey The Authority without question. I was told The Authority always has my best interest in mind. Whether or not I was explicitly taught this, I came to believe that it was disobedience to even want something different from what the person in authority wanted. Any of my own ideas got shut up in a filing cabinet called “They Must Know Something I’ll Learn Later.”

College

Fortunately, my parents were strong advocates for college education. I didn’t even know not attending a 4-year college was an option my peers seriously considered. Unfortunately, I had been sheltered enough from the culture my peers experienced that I didn’t understand socially normal things I encountered at college.

I didn’t know how to make friends because I was too scared my parents would disapprove of someone. I didn’t know how to relate to people who weren’t my parents’ age. I thought the “s-word” was “shy” (IYKYK). I thought Pride Week was a week to be proud of who one was, like the college version of an elementary school self-esteem assembly. College would have been a great place to start investigating what I missed, but I was so conditioned to not do or think anything unapproved that I kept my head down, focused on my studies, and missed many opportunities to learn about how others understand life. Anything I learned outside of academics was incidental. Is that normal for education-focused college students?

As for the “They Must Know Something I’ll Learn Later” filing cabinet? It kept getting larger and larger - more like a filing room.

Grad School

My graduate program was Library and Information Science. There we learned about the principle and applications of intellectual freedom. Those discussions got me thinking. Thinking made me ask myself questions.

I had been taught that my version of Christianity was the only right one and that it was important for everyone to do what we did so that the US would be a Christian nation. A Christian nation meant that everyone would be happy and healthy and life would be rainbows and sunshine all the time. The principle of intellectual freedom says that people should be free to engage with whatever information they want and that one person or entity does not have the right to restrict access to ideas. I wasn’t sure what to make of that. Could I be a Christian and also a librarian?

The thought was too complex for me to deal with, so I did what I had been trained to do. I filed away my question and got on with the business at hand.

Beyond Grad School

Years later, when working as a public library director, I again came face to face with that moral dilemma. This time, I sat with the question. The other options were to live with conflict tearing me apart from the inside out or to quit the job that supported my family. Neither of those were acceptable, so I let the question roll in my mind. Because I am still a practicing Christian, I asked God what I should do. I started wondering when I would be old enough to be in the realm of “I Know Something They’ll Learn Later.”

I came to accept that if I, as a Christian, were to enforce my way of understanding the world and my practices on others, then I would be creating the precedent that said others had the right to enforce their understanding and practices on me. To me, the logical outcome of the way I was raised would be that if someone in power created a rule that was contrary to my beliefs, I would have no way to argue for my right to live according to my beliefs because I had already demonstrated that I believed the one with power had the right to dictate what everyone else did.

I concluded that I wanted to be free to live and worship God according to my conscience. In order to protect that freedom, I had to give other people the right to do the same, even if it meant that they contradicted my beliefs, even if it meant allowing and promoting media that I personally found problematic. Protecting things I disapproved of was self-preservation. This realization didn’t feel like a compromise. It felt like freedom from a way of life where you are never quite sure what the rules are but you had darn well better obey them. The threat was removed. Peace was given.

That sounds great! Who doesn’t want a person to live in peace rather than fear? Unfortunately for those who would be in total authority, that realization opened that massive filing cabinet. Files spilled out of the room and I started questioning everything. I began to learn that “they” don’t actually know something I don’t. “They” just are happy to equate truth with something someone said that got repeated enough “everyone” now knows it must be true.

The more I sought answers, the more I realized “they” got a second-hand kindergarten education and proclaim it as a first-hand grad school education. Once I moved into (metaphorical) first, fifth, seventh-grade territory, I realized that things make a lot more sense when you don’t have to have a definite answer for everything. The more I found answers backed by provable data backed by verifiable evidence, the less intimidating things without answers became. Having to know the precise right answer brought me anxiety. Knowledge brought me the freedom to not know. The freedom to not know brought me peace.

Who would object to someone living in peace rather than anxiety? Unfortunately for those who would be in total authority, this peace relies on the freedom to ask questions. Asking questions shines a light on the slap-dash stage dressing. This is bad for The Authority.

Mine wasn’t a quick journey and the process continues, but now, years later, I stand in opposition to much of what I was taught was needed for people to be happy and for the country to be at peace. I no longer believe The Authority always has everyone’s best interest in mind. I no longer obey without question. I no longer say that The Authority is right simply because they are in authority.

I now think. I question. I use my mind to think rather than to conceal.

Education is dangerous, y’all. It changes lives for the better. And that is bad for those who want unquestioning, complete obedience.

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]]><![CDATA[It Doesn’t All Depend On You]]>Sat, 21 Feb 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/it-doesnt-all-depend-on-you

CEFR Level B1-B2

This essay is for the people who, like me, became adults believing that if they hadn’t prepared for every eventuality, if they didn’t see every possible solution before anyone else did, then they were deficient, irresponsible humans.

Prefer to read the version that connects to ministry? Read on my Substack!

The Story

During the January 2026 Big Cold, my area got ice-snow several inches deep. It froze into a solid block. Adults could walk on the ice-snow without breaking through. This is not a normal occurrence in this part of the country, so people are unlikely to have the tools and skills needed to successfully adapt.

I was clearing the snow-plow bank from beside my vehicle when over the voices of Sam, Ron, and John from the After Class Podcast in my earbuds, I heard someone shouting. I looked towards the noise, thinking it was a child playing. The calls became more desperate, clearly someone calling for help. As I walked towards the sound, I saw a person lying on the ice in their front yard.

When I reached them, I started asking questions to figure out how to help. I didn’t want to get them standing if they had broken bones or a possible serious injury. I was wearing rain boots, which have no grip. The person was lying on a gentle slope. If I stood still too long, I started to slide on the ice-snow.

Just as I began to understand that the person had fallen, couldn’t get themselves up, and was worried about injuring a previous hip surgery, a vehicle stopped in the middle of the road and a man hurried towards us. He asked the person if they wanted us to call EMS. The person repeated what happened to them and their worries.

At this point, I could have been annoyed that someone came in and took over while I was in the middle of helping. I’ve had experiences where the person “helping” was actually being more of a bossy busybody than someone who knew enough of the situation to offer useful help. Plus, I was already here. Why did he think I was incapable?

Instead, I noticed that this man seemed to evaluate the situation and adapt. I accepted that two calm responders can be better than one. I also recognized that he was taller and stronger than I am, and therefore better positioned to help an adult get up.

“Can you stand?” I asked the person who had fallen.

“I don’t think I can,” they replied, before saying many things that showed what they were afraid of but left me unclear on the severity of their injury.

“Okay, well, we’ve got to get you off the ice,” I glanced around and didn’t see cardboard or anything else to use to insulate their body from the cold ground, “Do you think you can lift your…” I was pulling off my thermal sweatshirt to put under the person’s torso, when the man interrupted, “I have jujitsu mats in my truck.”

The next thing I knew, the fallen person was getting up with the man helping. I offered support from the other side and the fallen person clung to me. I noticed that they were not putting weight on one leg.

Here, I could have been irritated that my plan wasn’t being followed. What if the person caused more injury by getting up? Did the man initiate the move? I was the first person on the scene. Why weren’t they deferring to me? What did I miss that indicated the person could get up?

Instead, I recognized that the injured person needed to feel some form of control over the situation. I remembered my training that said the most helpful emergency response is one that seamlessly adapts to changes.

Now we were standing on the icy slope, the man supporting the patient and the patient clinging to me as I tried not to slide down the hill and into their injured leg. The man noticed I was having a hard time being a stable support and calmly told the patient, “I’ve got you. I’m not going to let you fall,” while nodding to me behind their back.

I gently disentangled my arm from their grip and pulled over their trash can for them to hold onto. I wasn't sure how a wheely bin would help on an icy slope, but it seemed to help the injured person feel more confident to grip its handle.

“I’m going to call EMS, okay?” I confirmed with them. An emergency squad visit can be expensive and I didn’t want to put that burden on them if, now that they had the dignity of standing upright and the comfort of knowing they weren’t alone, they realized they were just bruised and scared, not actually injured.

Receiving no objection from the patient, I dialed 911. Once the dispatcher ended the call, I checked with the patient and the man supporting them. “What do you need? How can I help?”

I wasn’t asking for instructions. I was checking in to see if anything had changed while I was on the call. Maybe the man was worried about his truck sitting in the middle of the road and would want me to move it to the side. Maybe his nose was about to drop a snot stream and he would be grateful for assistance with a tissue. Maybe the injured person realized they were bleeding or wanted their coat zipped up more.

The injured person asked me to turn off their car, which was warming up a few feet away. I did, then knocked on the back door of their house.

I had learned that the patient had a house-bound family member and I had seen them at the window, so I wanted to update them on the condition of their relative. I gave the family member the car key. They gave me the patient’s wallet just as a firetruck pulled up. Less than two minutes had gone by from the time I made the 911 call.

“Do you think they’ll go with the paramedics?” I asked the family member. They nodded, so I took the wallet.

Three men came from the firetruck. After briefing them, they took over the support of the patient. Even with their good boots, they were slipping down the hill, too. The man observed that he was no longer needed and left. See, not a bossy busybody.

One fireman said that they would help until the paramedics arrived. Another asked if there was a chair for the patient. They got one from the house and got the patient seated in a flatter part of the driveway.

At this point, I could have been embarrassed for not thinking about a chair first. When I was younger, I would have thought I was a bad person for not thinking of everything.

Instead, I now understood that I am not a trained paramedic nor do I have the level of first response training a firefighter receives. Also, my job is not one where I quickly think of solutions to relieve physical pain. There was no reason to be embarrassed or feel deficient. I operated within the bounds of my training and experience.

Once the firemen got the patient stabilized, I handed the patient their wallet.

I told a fireman, “If you don’t need anything more from me, I’m going back,” and gestured towards my house. He nodded and I left to resume hacking ice slabs away from my vehicle. See, also not a bossy busybody.

About five minutes later, an ambulance showed up. I don’t know what else happened because citizen first responders don’t get updates. You help where you can, then you leave and wonder what happened.

Reflections

I’m not sharing all this to make myself sound like some kind of hero. The purpose is to give relief to people who maybe feel anything that I could have felt. This post is for people who feel guilty when others know more than them, who feel like they deserve bad things because proper planning would have prevented it, who are constantly exhausted with trying to predict the future so that they aren’t a bad person for “letting” something happen. (Planning is good, but no one can control everything. No one “lets” something happen when that thing comes from unpredictable events or another person’s decisions.)

That used to be me. Now I know that I’m not a bad person if some people are good at things I’m not good at. I’m not irresponsible if some people think of solutions that I didn’t think of. One person can’t know everything or think of all solutions. We need a team of people. We need to respect where our training ends and others’ begins. Having learned that gives me freedom. I hope anyone who is like I was can also gain that freedom.

]]><![CDATA[St. Valentine Was a Criminal]]>Sat, 14 Feb 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/st-valentine-was-a-criminal

St. Valentine by Jacques Callot

CEFR Level B2-C1

At least, if you believe in obeying laws that violate your religious beliefs.

There are few confirmed facts about the person or persons who became known as St. Valentine. There is a legend that Valentine was a priest or bishop in the 3rd century who secretly married soldiers and the women they lived with (or men of an age to be conscripted and the women they lived with). The men were forbidden from marrying because the Roman emperor thought unmarried men made better soldiers. Because St. Valentine broke the law by performing these marriages, he was executed. This legend is reported on the Catholic Answers website and repeated by Wikipedia, Britannica, etc.

Either way, the legend shows St. Valentine as someone who broke the law, and helped others to break the law, because of his religious convictions.

Who else from history lived out their beliefs, regardless of what the law required?

Be thoughtful about whether or not you comment with a name and brief bio. To protect people still living and the families of people recently living, let’s keep the people mentioned here firmly in the realm of history and be thoughtful about the international nature of the internet.

For comments related to the religious application of this topic, read this post on my Substack: The Variety Page Limited.

]]><![CDATA[Book Reflection: Warrior Girl by Carmen Tafolla]]>Sat, 31 Jan 2026 05:00:00 GMThttps://www.jhagencyllc.com/variety-page-blog/book-reflection-warrior-girl-by-carmen-tafolla

Book cover for Warrior Girl by Carmen Tafolla

CEFR Level B1-B2

I recently finished reading Warrior Girl, a novel by Carmen Tafolla. If you’re feeling overwhelmed by current events in the US, I think you would benefit from reading this book. It isn’t long, it’s a story, and the writing is easy to read.

Instead of doing a formal review, I want to share what I wrote the morning after staying up too late to finish the book. What I’ll read has quotes from page 52 of the book. I'll indicate those sections with an asterisk after them. You can also hear me read this.

Could It Mean Me?

“It doesn’t matter if
I AM a great writer
Or not
Or if the poems I write
Aren’t perfect.
It only matters that they’re in
MY voice.”*

I read and wonder
Could she also mean me?
And yet,
And yet…

Children are told
It doesn’t matter,
Just try.
Your voice has a say.
Don’t let perfection get in the way.

People love reading what a child wrote.

Adults, adults are different.
Be perfect.
Just try
But only if you’re funny
Or an expert
Or beautiful
Or have friends who will make you thousands more.

People don’t care to read what any old adult wrote.

“It only matters…[Your] voice.”*
Could it be?
Does she also mean me?

I was given my voice.
I showed up with courage.
I tried and failed and cried
And tried.
Then somehow
I had a voice.
And yet,
And yet…

I did my best, but I didn’t know,
Didn’t understand.
I’m sorry
You had to suffer
Because I had to learn.
I don’t want another
Olivia, Justin, Qan, and more.

What right have I to say anything?

Much better to be silent.
Learn.
Let the experts,
The brave,
The foolish
Have their say.
And yet,
And yet…

What happens when I spend a lifetime learning,
Never saying?
What good does that do anyone?
Someone is speaking.
Why can’t it be me?

“It doesn’t matter if…
[The things] I write
Aren’t perfect.”*
Could it be?
Does she also mean me?

I took a chance.
I wrote what I meant.
I felt like I did something bad
And also
Powerful.
Honest.
Seen.

Sometimes professors don’t want to read what a student has to say.

And yet,
And yet…

A friend said,
“That’s powerful.
You’re a good writer.”

But they don’t know
All I don’t know.
How scared I am,
Wanting
To not cause harm
While saying what
Can’t stay silent?

(Or maybe they do and don’t care. People can be smart like that.)

A friend said,
“You have something.
Protest and teach.
I want to hear all you have to say.”
And yet,
And yet…

Could Ms. Yáñez also mean me?

“It made me cry
(In all the best ways.)”

“Thanks you for speaking
For the vulnerable.”

“You’re funny.”
(That’s the first time I wasn’t scolded for using humor.)

“It’s about service,
Not perfection.”

Am I a bad person
Because I care
What others think?
Feel more brave
When someone says,
“You can do this”?

Who taught me that friends are suspect,
That good people aren’t supposed to care,
Aren’t supposed to listen to what others say
(except for The Authority, of course)?

Who insisted that responsible, healthy, desirable people
Act out of their own strength,
Not needing the support of friends
(but God’s support is good, as long as God agrees with The Authority)?

“It only matters that they’re in
MY voice.”*
Maybe,
Just maybe…

One day
I will make someone
Very, very angry.
I hope -

I know
I’ll cry.

I hope -

I then invite my friends to a party,
Celebrate writing something
Meaningful enough
To be threatening
To those who fear
Living seeing others as themself.

This crazy dream,
Could it be
Service
Overcoming perfection?
Hope
Overcoming fear?
Action
In spite of regret?
Friends
Soothing my wounds?

Could it be?

Maybe,
Just maybe…

Ms. Yáñez

Somehow

Maybe

Just possibly

Also means me?

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