Gaining a heart of wisdom
Sunday Scripture I'm fascinated by the spiritual growth of my grandchildren. At 5 and 2, they know for sure that God made them. They know he loves them, and whenever we have "theological discussions," I am usually the one who walks away enlightened, because their thoughts about God come through uncluttered and full of joy.… Continue reading What Do You Know for Sure About God?
Sunday Scripture From of old no one has heard or perceived by the ear,no eye has seen a God besides you, who acts for those who wait for him."Isaiah 64:4 Once again, Israel was in trouble. Enemies on every side threatened to swallow them up, and this time, instead of turning to the Living God, they were… Continue reading What Does Waiting for God Look Like?
Sunday Scripture The ticking of our truck's hazard lights beat a cadence only a little faster than my pulse as we waited for roadside assistance. A blown tire on the mowing trailer (and a useless jack in the truck) had sidelined our plans for a productive Friday afternoon on the mowers, and I could see… Continue reading Is it Time for You to Take a Dependency Inventory?
Sunday Scripture Criticism is hard to hear. Even if it is well-intentioned and comes from someone who is qualified to critique my work, it has taken a long time for me to learn that criticism is more helpful to me than praise, because it will, ultimately, result in improvement and growth--if I receive the criticism… Continue reading Jesus Always Has Something to Say to You About Your Life
Sunday Scripture Captain Zsakhiem James has served on the police department in Camden, New Jersey for twenty-eight years. He laments the poor judgment and use of force that resulted in the death of George Floyd, and in an interview with World Magazine, he shared that "Camden's use of force policy has as its foundation 'sanctity… Continue reading What You Leave Out Is Just As Important As What You Put In
Sunday Scripture It's a short journey from regret to blame, from sorrow to anger, from sadness to bitterness. Defying the pull toward bitterness seems to be one of the tasks of mid-life and beyond, but the movement toward peace and contentment, while challenging, is also life-saving. The prophet Isaiah was gifted with staggering insight to… Continue reading God Will Always Get It Right
Sunday Scripture God is the ocean, and we keep writing about a cup of water."Charlie Peacock, musician and producer One cannot be too careful about one's reading material, especially at thirty thousand feet where confined airplane space and a four hour flight leave plenty of room for pondering a powerful metaphor. "God is the ocean,… Continue reading Will You Play It Safe–or Will You Take on the Ocean?
Sunday Scripture For me, Round One was not such that I would have predicted a mushy Father’s Day blog post in my future. (Who would have ever predicted blogs, anyway?) My experience with this Hallmark holiday was aptly described by author, Leslie Leyland Fields: Some will turn away from thirty minutes at the card rack empty-handed and sad.”… Continue reading Father’s Day: A New and Better Celebration
Sunday Scripture Patriotic holidays seem to be slipping by me this year. The challenge of distinguishing one day from another only complicates my nose-to-the-grindstone manner of living during this season of recovery from pandemic. In years past, we created red, white, and blue T-shirts with copious globs of fabric paint every Memorial Day and then… Continue reading Working Hard at the Practice of Patriotism
Sunday Scripture Spring is the season of hyperbole. Here in Maine, we live in the grip of winter's clutches long after the calendar makes its equinox announcement--picture a foot of snow the week before Mother's Day! Therefore, when yellow and green begin to show up in earnest, my eyes can't take it in fast enough.… Continue reading Get Used to the Idea of Abundance
Living Our Days 