Prisoner of Hopes

Category: Perspectives

  • Somewhere Beyond the Sea: Travel Goals Ireland

    Somewhere Beyond the Sea: Travel Goals Ireland

    We visit Ireland for simple pleasures. Today was a classic Irish adventure. We took our time leaving the farmhouse. I had a nice chat with the sheep in the front yard while packing my roadtrip snacks of oranges and Taytos. Our destination was the west coast of counties Sligo and Donegal. It was overcast as…

  • State Park Adventure: Rural Road Trip Missouri

    State Park Adventure: Rural Road Trip Missouri

    There is something very relaxing about a camping trip. I sound hypocritical to my own ears when I say that the trick is a minimalist mindset (we own a class A motorhome). I know people who won’t camp that talk about the work involved. Less is truly more. (And I still think a backpack is…

  • Character Matters: Educating For Sanity

    Character Matters: Educating For Sanity

    When we talk about “character,” we’re referring to the values and traits that guide how a person thinks, feels, and acts. It’s the compass people use to navigate relationships, challenges, and decisions in school, at home, and out in the world.  A person of strong character consistently chooses to do the right thing—even when it’s…

  • Along the Byway: Travel Goals Ireland

    Along the Byway: Travel Goals Ireland

    Some of my best days in Ireland are simply unplanned drives in rural counties. I use google maps and find an area to which we haven’t traveled. A simple “things to do” or an “attractions”tag in the search bar yields lots of options. It is how I found an awesome Gaelic Warrior statue in a…

  • Is it true, is it necessary, is it kind?: Educating for Sanity

    Is it true, is it necessary, is it kind?: Educating for Sanity

    Peter 2:1: “So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech.” So much rancor in the world. So much unrest. There have always been people who say provocative things for notoriety, money, entertainment, influence, revenge, attention or because they are simply cantankerous. The point is to…

  • You know you are in Ireland when….

    You know you are in Ireland when….

    Ireland may be one of my favorite places in the world. I feel at home as soon as I step off of the plane. From the moment I hit the concourse I instantly know I am on the Emerald Isle. Certain things are unmistakably Irish. People are greeting each other on the turd (third) of…

  • Nature Heals: Travel Goals Ireland

    Nature Heals: Travel Goals Ireland

    The world is in turmoil. Why, I can’t say. Much of the anger and hardship seems to be unnecessary and self induced. Manufactured crisis designed to make cold hard cash for someone….certainly not me. Old wounds ripped open to manipulate strong emotion. Ancient prejudices exploited for power. It is too much to contemplate. The world…

  • Home Away From Home: Travel Goals Ireland

    Home Away From Home: Travel Goals Ireland

    When we travel, we try to rent locally. Ideally, we find a property that has been in the family for awhile. I look for local hosts who have great reputations. We avoid corporate rentals. I love spaces that feel lived in. I want local connections. But it is hard to make a selection from photographs…

  • Origins: Travel Goals Ireland

    Origins: Travel Goals Ireland

    I like to dabble in family history. I have heard and sought out the stories where I could. Scots Irish traders settle in Appalachia and meet Cherokee women. English settlers meet somewhere along the way and mingle in one twisted tree. Some branches dry up as written record and oral traditions meet. I have traced…

  • Some Days Are Just Beautiful: Rural Road Trips Illinois

    Some Days Are Just Beautiful: Rural Road Trips Illinois

    Some days are just beautiful. The sky is unbearably blue. The air is cool but the warmth of the sun kisses your cheeks. A slight breeze teases your skin and all seems well with the world. It is an impulse stop. I am on my way to a work related training. We are headed north…