My neighbor, 7 year old Bingham, wanted to have a squirrel eat out of her hand, but naturally, the squirrel was afraid, so wouldn’t come to her. So she laid the food by the tree and waited at a distance. Every day. After a month, she waited a bit closer to the food, and moved... Continue Reading →
I use twist ties for lots of things--bread bags, computer wires that snake across my office, organizing loose keys, and so forth. And, unfortunately, I sometimes treat people a bit like twist-ties, looking mostly for what makes them useful. Yett in my more spiritual moments I remember that people aren’t things. I need to love... Continue Reading →
I’ve experienced disaster. Sometimes it’s impersonal, as with hurricanes, tornados, floods and the election of politicians I believe are corrupt. Sometimes it’s very personal: Death. Illness. Being fired. But I absolutely must remember Jesus’s redemption promise! He not only gives me strength to endure these tests. He gives me the deep-down promise that these aren’t... Continue Reading →
"Isaac Hayes Memorial Highway" was the sign I saw on Interstate 40. I believe he was a singer some years back, but I don’t remember any of his songs. And that got me thinking. Isaiah 35:8 predicted that God would create “a way, a highway. And it shall be called the Highway of Holiness.” Jesus... Continue Reading →
Everybody needs vitamins. So my doctor says. But, I don’t like swallowing pills the size of a quarter. So, someone came up with the brilliant idea of children’s chewy vitamins. The brilliance is noticing something obvious -- that un-taken medicine is wasted. So, make it enjoyable! And as always, God had that good idea, long... Continue Reading →
Have you ever heard someone say something like: “Life’s an adventure”? And I suppose I would agree, but I wonder if anyone has noticed that another word for that is "trouble." I mean, after all, who would pay to see an “action” movie where the hero didn’t have trouble with anything? Even Superman has trouble... Continue Reading →
My aunt encouraged me to try my hand painting a landscape.Why not start with the sky? So, I started with blue paint. It was way too dark. Light blue didn't work either --neither did lighter blue-- in fact, nothing worked. Then she suggested that I need to begin with pure white, adding just the ever-so-faintest... Continue Reading →
I watched my father-in-law turn a rusty knife into a beautiful, shining blade with a razor-like edge. He simply used a sanding belt in his shop, being careful not to press too hard to too long on any one spot....
I get excited when I’m with people I love, and who love me.
Yet Jesus showed that love involves pain.
Paul felt love’s pain when he wrote: .....
I get excited when I'm with people I love, and who love me. I'm blessed because, being human, I can experience the joys of love. But Jesus showed that sometimes love involves pain. Paul felt love's pain when he wrote: "I will gladly spend and be spent for you, although I know that the more... Continue Reading →
