Seeking to be CONTENT in all things, JOYFUL in HOPE, PATIENT in affliction.
He covers the sky with clouds; He supplies the earth with rain and makes grass grow on the hills. Psalm 147:8 Today, the sky finally opened up. Real rain at last. The flash and crackle of lightning and the boom of thunder preceded its arrival. It was a welcome sight after all the dry months. …
Grieve not the future nor the past but in the moment. That is where joy can be found along with peace and wonder and, yes, sorrow can be there, too.
Look up and away from the turbulence all around you to the one true source of power and peace.
For God alone my soul waits in silence; from Him comes my salvation. Psalm 62:1 Until just recently, porch pumpkins and Christmas cheer coexisted on our front porch. Unlike most of my neighbors and friends, I do not rush into the Christmas season. I like to ease into the idea, not unlike savoring the last of the Thanksgiving stuffing and gravy. This is how I’ve always done things, so this pause didn’t really strike …
California typically rushes through spring in its frantic dash to summer. Bulbs bloom in February and are gone. Trees bloom and leaf at the same time. If you want to see wildflowers, you better not blink.This year, however, is very different. For the first time in many years, a cool wet spring is unfurling slowly.Buds form and pause, teasing us with what is to come. Wildflowers paint the landscape with wide brushstrokes of yellow, orange, purple. Bulbs – some of them …
Silent Night has long been a Christmas favorite. Did you know it started with a broken organ? A broken church organ in an Austrian town more than 200 years ago. The words were penned by a young priest in Oberndorf, a reflection on the night angels announced the birth of the long-awaited Messiah to shepherds on a hillside. He wanted the poem set to music for Christmas Eve mass. But the church …
Do you know what day it is? I still have a problem remembering. This has been a problem ever since we began staying at home those many months ago. Our routines changed. We shopped for groceries online. Church services, study and social groups started meeting online. The usual markers of time were missing. Our neighborhood’s end-of-summer Antique Faire was cancelled. The first day of school was anticlimactic because it was virtual, too. Here in California, the weather stayed hot …
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. …
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 …
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 …
SMALL MOMENTS FULL OF GRACE 