My name is Cindy, and I’m a cynic. I assume every holistic health product is a scam; if a deal sounds too good to be true, it most certainly is; and though I hope it doesn’t happen, I assume my favorite sports team will blow it on the big stage (if they even make it … Continue reading A Word to My Fellow Cynics
Author: Cindy Matson
Be a Soul Strengthener
You probably remember the craze from the mid-90s. Chicken Soup for the Soul books were suddenly everywhere, showing up on shelves in bookstores, grocery stores, gas stations, and libraries. These collections of feel-good stories quickly gained popularity and began to target specific audiences with titles like Chicken Soup for the Teacher’s Soul, Chicken Soup for … Continue reading Be a Soul Strengthener
Discouraged? Think About Harps and Bowls
And in despair I bowed my head:“There is no peace on earth,” I said,“For hate is strong and mocks the songOf peace on earth, good will to men.” Though the bells of Christmas have long since ceased their ringing for the year, perhaps you can relate to this stanza written by American poet Henry Wadsworth … Continue reading Discouraged? Think About Harps and Bowls
You Might Be a Stingy Forgiver If…
The name Ebenezer Scrooge has become synonymous with the concept of stinginess. The protagonist in the Dickens novella A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge, though a wealthy man, refuses to share his wealth or to enjoy it. He scoffs at the notion of donating to charity and rations his coal so that his employee Bob Cratchit … Continue reading You Might Be a Stingy Forgiver If…
Court Is Adjourned
Though I enjoy legal fiction in all its forms—books, movies, television—I have only set foot in an actual courtroom on one occasion: jury duty. Not surprisingly, the courtroom bore little resemblance to the Hollywood depictions. I sat in the gallery, observing the voir dire proceedings with waning interest, wondering if pregnancy would be an acceptable … Continue reading Court Is Adjourned
Our Trouble with Tribalism
Tribalism1—(n): 1) a tribal consciousness or loyalty, especially: exaltation of the tribe above other groups. 2) strong in-group loyalty This word, which rocketed to popularity in the 1960s, is currently experiencing another renaissance. Likely the factionalizing of our society has caused this resurgence. We form groups with people who think, act, and believe like we … Continue reading Our Trouble with Tribalism
The Good Life in 2022 (Part 2)
A quick Twitter search of #blessed will yield literally hundreds, if not thousands, of results. Scrolling through these will give you an idea of how popular culture thinks of being blessed. In the brief time I looked at these Tweets, I found shout-outs for homemade beef barley soup, Christian country music, a life that is … Continue reading The Good Life in 2022 (Part 2)
The Good Life in 2022 (Part 1)
With 2022 still in its infancy, perhaps you're thinking about goals and resolutions for how you want your life to change in the next twelve months. Undoubtedly all of them will, in one way or another, be tied to the concept of living a "good life" (or a better one than last year). Whether, physically, … Continue reading The Good Life in 2022 (Part 1)
Favorite Books of 2021 (Part II)
Every six months I like to share my top reads in both Christian-living/theology and fiction. Hopefully one of these will strike your fancy. If you’ve got any recommendations for me, I’d love to hear them. I’m always on the prowl for my next great read! Flourish by Lydia Brownback—Brownback tackles a universal problem in her … Continue reading Favorite Books of 2021 (Part II)
Come. Behold. Adore.
I taught English for over a decade, so indulge me a simple grammar lesson. English sentences can be classified into four different categories, based on their purpose. (They can also be classified according to their structure, but we’ll save that lesson for another day.) Most sentences are declarative. Like this one, they state a fact. … Continue reading Come. Behold. Adore.