He Never Misses A Beat

I turned my back on them, forced my feet to move, and fought the tears that threatened to spill. My heart begged me to turn around, but my head knew I couldn’t. I walked on. The tears refused to cooperate, and I quickly wiped my eyes. Please don’t let them know. Please don’t let them…

Which Way Are You Running?

She paced the gym floor like a caged animal. “I need to get out of here!” she blurted as she grabbed my arm and pulled me towards the door. “It’s the middle of the night! We’re not supposed to leave!” I responded tensely. “I can’t stay here. I need to breathe.” “Where do you want…

Breaking Free From The Safe Zone

Breaking Free From The Safe Zone by Jill Printzenhoff It was the last day of high school tryouts when the head volleyball coach called myself and another girl into the athletic office. “You’re not good enough for the team, so you have two choices. Go to 6th period PE class, or become the volleyball manager.”…

A Casualty of the Move

A casualty of our impending relocation to New York came the day after our youngest daughter told her boyfriend we were moving. He decided to end their relationship . . . via text message none-the-less. In an attempt to help her feel better, I unearthed my diary from the early 80s and read some of…

Throwing Down the Gauntlet

What would happen if you challenged a group of students with a stack of cardboard and this statement: “Here’s the construction material. Your goal is to build a piece of furniture that will withstand a specified mass for a specified time. However, the only thing you can use for adhesive is hot glue.” Once the…

WHATEVER! vs. Whatever…

WHATEVER! – A single word that can be used in a derogatory fashion. WHATEVER DAD! WHATEVER MOM! WHATEVER GOD! WHATEVER! Vs. Whatever – A single word that precedes a positive action or quality. “And whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God the…