This morning did not begin well. I had gone to sleep last night nursing an emotional wound, not seeking healing or comfort for it, just deciding to hold on to it. I went so far as to plan how I would coldly respond if my offender approached me in a Read more
Reading in Jeremiah, it can seem like God’s responses to Jerusalem and Judah are harsh and punitive; the truth is that God has faithfully kept all his promises and covenant commitments to them for centuries, lavishing on them gifts and blessings, and His whole-hearted devotion. The response of almost the Read more
Last week’s post was certainly not about an everyday event, but the God who was active in such an event is still active in my everyday life, offering me choices about how I will live… When astronomers are exploring the surface of other planets, they are all interested in one Read more
Due to my recent knee replacement surgery, I must change position often and take many short walks. Sunday morning, my first time playing and singing for worship in five weeks, I got up during the sermon to pace the back of the worship center. A dear brother in the Lord Read more
A thousand humble apologies! My website and I have both been unavailable due to maintenance. The site has needed to be migrated to another hosting company. In the meantime, there are a lot of links that are not working. I can relate! I have recently had a full knee Read more
Word choice is an important aspect of speaking and writing. If I say, “walk,” it might make any number of pictures in your mind. But, what happens when I use a word like “stroll” or “stride?” How about “amble” or “strut?” “Pace” or “march?” All have the idea of covering Read more
(Warning: Longer than usual post.) I love volunteers! Not the kind that make the bake sale a success (though those are lovely and needed as well!), but the kind that appear in my yard and garden without human agency. These are the plants that appear somewhere I didn’t intend for Read more
When I began to grow grapevines, one of the hardest things to do was to prune them. I understood that pruning was necessary if I wanted grapes and not just vines, but apart from that, I had no idea what I was doing. It was heart-rending to remove so much Read more
Is it hard to say, “I love you” to the One who loves you most? For me, it is. I felt prompted recently to take up a more disciplined approach to prayer, primarily for the sake of the many I have in my heart to care for. Discipline requires structure. Read more
R.E.S.P.E.C.T. How I treat other humans is a function of how I view other humans. If I respond to them as annoyances or as servants, co-laborers or competitors, or whether I regard them at all is because of how I see them. The important truth that I must understand is Read more