A pandemic can suspend our plans but it can't cancel Spring!
Peace in a Pandemic
The drumbeat of fear over coronavirus is hard to avoid. Is it starting to get to you? Although I am not generally an alarmist, I have to admit it is starting to freak me out. You can't buy rubbing alcohol or hand sanitizer anywhere. For goodness sake, people are hoarding toilet paper, batteries, and water. …
Beautifully Flawed
I was once a potter. It was a hobby, but it brought me great joy. I still use some of the bowls that I made so many years before. I loved the shapes and textures of different clays: the silky white porcelain and the grey stoneware. I enjoyed playing with different glazes and experimenting with …
Celebrate in the Midst
I just read a piece written by Katherine Wolf that inspired and encouraged me. In it, she challenges us to celebrate in the midst. In the midst of a scary diagnosis, the middle of a nasty divorce or the ongoing care of someone with a chronic mental or other illness. Celebrate now. Throw a Tribulation …
Peace and Politics
So, then, we should try to live in a way that brings peace. We should try o help each other so that we become stronger as God's peopleRomans 14:19 Remind the people to be subject to rulers and authorities, to be obedient, to be ready to do whatever is good, to slander no one, to …
When Real Life Derails Resolution
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 …
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. …
