Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,for I have put my trust in you.Show me the way I should go,for to you I entrust my life in you.Teach me to do your will,for you are my God;may your good Spiritlead me on level ground. Psalm 143 I am usually excited about the new year. Fresh …
Author: Phyllis Argent Castren
Joy to the World
Hey, stressed-out friends, I have news for you. Joy is not tied to perfection. Consider this as you struggle to find that last gift, tie the perfect bow or assemble matching outfits for the kids: Christmas doesn't need to be rendered perfect. Christmas is perfect because Jesus is perfect, and He is the founder and …
Thankful for Thanksgiving
They celebrate your abundant goodness and joyfully sing of your righteousness.Psalm 145:7 I was thankful for clear roads as I dropped off our daughter at the airport for what ended up being a long wait to fly home. As I drove home, buffeted by winds under a threatening sky, I thought about what makes Thanksgiving possibly …
Bird Song
Sing to the LORD a new song; Sing to the LORD, all the earth. Psalm 96:1 A blackbird sings outside my window. It is the sound of fall, reminding me of my childhood, when blackbirds would feast in our almond trees. The air was filled with their rich chorus.I am always grateful for bird song. The bird may be singing his song of woe, but to me, it is a life-affirming sound of hope and beauty. Can we find hope in human songs of woe? Maybe just the fact that we can be open and …
The Rock
The rock is a ghost in the mist. I have captured its form countless times with a camera and many more with my mind's eye. I know it is there - strong, rugged, unmoved by the pounding surf. Yet, I cannot see it fully on this foggy morning. The morning we must leave this place and go back to our lives. In reality, though, our lives followed us here, intruding on what was supposed to be a relaxing beach getaway. …
Stop and Smell the Pencils
Happy New Year! I know the year begins in January. But doesn't September feel like a fresh start? School has begun - complete with that new backpack and first-day outfit the search for which drove everyone crazy. Soccer season, Bible studies, football, dance classes are all under way. Anyone who knows me knows that fall is my very favorite time of year (Pumpkins are coming!!), and part of that appeal for me is the plethora of possibility. A blank page on the calendar to fill. New things to consider. In the movie You've Got Mail (a good movie to watch in the fall), the Tom …
Can Simplicity Be Simple?
At the end of each summer, our part of town celebrates "stuff" - Grandma's unwanted china, T-shirts, board games. Odds and ends that fill closets, attics and garages. Technically, it is the annual Niles Antique Faire and Flea Market. Over time, it has become an area-wide yard sale. People wander by with backpacks, bags, strollers and wagons, searching for treasure. Treasure is unique to each shopper and thus the hunt. It is a festive time with huge crowds and street fare to tide them over. I often find at least one thing that I can't …
When Peace is Shattered
Once again violence shakes the nation, and we wonder what will secure peace. Sadly, we are part of a fallen world and short of glory, there will always be hatred and racism and violence. In the vacuum created by a lack of political will, the nation seems to think that the killing is inevitable. We look for emergency exits; we walk our kids through active shooter drills. We are sad, angry and feel powerless. But remember that peace -- that deep sense of harmony, wholeness, and healths even in the midst of chaos -- is a choice. We achieve it by fixing our attention on God, choosing thankful prayer over …
Seaweed
Seeing rubbery tendrils of seaweed on the beach always make me think of clam digging. To be more precise, it makes me think of one particular time I went clam digging at Morro Bay with my family -- Mom, Dad, Grandma and Grandpa. Even my great-grandparents once dug clams here. My dad and aunt on the beach in Cayucos circa 1926. Armed with clamming forks that looked like small pitchforks and burlap feed bags in which to put their catch, they would set …
Lacing Up My Shoes Of Peace
"How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of the herald, who proclaims peace, who brings news of good things who proclaims salvation, who says to Zion, 'Your God reigns!'" Isaiah 27:7 HCSB Peace seems to elude me of late. Unsettling questions, what ifs and scary possibilities have crowded into my space. So today, I am seeking peace on my patio, where my hydrangeas bloom in cool shades of pink and blue. Tomato vines thrive in early summer heat, lush green, offering a promise of sweet fruit to come. Even my sweet peas continue to bloom past the point …
SMALL MOMENTS FULL OF GRACE 