We finally got around to watching “Amazing Grace” this week. It was an utterly satisfying film. It depicts some of the life of William Wilberforce, who was the primary force behind banning the slave trade in the whole British Empire in 1833. After 66 years of pushing, pulling, and risking Read more…
When we have an invasion, plague, or onslaught of (unwelcome) critters, it usually doesn’t take long for me to start asking, “Okay, God. What are You after?” (If you’ve been following me for a while, this is not unfamiliar territory. If you haven’t, this is part of following Jesus in Read more…
Grief is funny stuff…not funny-humorous, but funny-quirky, unexpected, unlooked for. This morning I noticed my mother’s ring on the window sill in the kitchen. It rests on the neck of a little, clear-glass bird (a gift from my late sister-in-law) made for just such a purpose. My mother’s knuckles were Read more…
One very everyday thing is the news. The headlines are alarming. The trends are disheartening. The need for prayer is great, the list long. It can be overwhelming, and anxiety-producing. Jesus says not to fear nor be anxious, but to take heart and never stop praying. Good luck with that…I Read more…
It started at 6:19am. A text message arrived, “I need prayer.” I was taking advantage of the opportunity for a little more sleep, actually having a weird dream, so I was glad for the “interruption.” A friend with troubling health conditions was having a rough time prepping for a test, Read more…
How long, O LORD? Will you forget me forever? How long Read more…
Good morning, Papa-God, My heart is heavy, my body weary and pained, my mind restless. I need You, Your peace. You know the source of my trouble. I know the circumstances (at least in part) but, You alone know the end from the beginning, and You know the true root Read more…
There is much sadness in our lives: disease and decay in our bodies; deaths of dear ones; divorce and distress in marriages, international war and interpersonal conflict; rebellion against God that brings disaster, both personal and global. It is no wonder that the most abundant type of Psalm is a Read more…
Not neat and tidy. Nope. This following-Jesus stuff is messy! Questions come up that don’t have any neat solutions. Or even straight-forward ones. Conflicts arise for which there is no resolution. Depression hits and won’t let up. Disease and death still affect and afflict us, cheating and robbing us of Read more…
Little numbers on the scale, little words spoken, little words unsaid, little seeds and little seedlings…Little fingers and toes, little hugs, little squeals… As much as I would, or think I would, like to have a monumental impact on the worlds around me, most of my life is made up Read more…