2 Cor. 12: 9-10 Buffeted by ocean tumult Crucified on timeless beach Buried by storm and sand Risen whole Exposed by tide Bleached by sun Carried home as talisman Lesson in adversity Delicate as baby’s breath Brittle as old woman’s bone Weightless as Christ’s presence Powerful as confessed weakness Flawless flower etched on orb Hollow [...]
In morning prayer today, my friends and I centered our lectio time on Psalm 25:1-10. The verses that shimmered for me were from the beginning of verse 5: “Ease me down the path of your truth. Feed me your word” (The Voice). I sank into silence to be met by images of being fed. I [...]
This morning, during Lectio Divina, I find myself in a wrestling match. The verses are from Genesis—the story of Jacob wrestling with an angel on the fork of the Jabbok as he prepares to return to his homeland—to the brother he had cheated out of their father’s blessing many years before. To give you the [...]
The heavens are telling the glory of God, and the firmament proclaims his handiwork. Day to day pours forth speech and night to night declares knowledge Psalm 19:1-2 I’m sitting on the deck, meditating, when a wren’s raucous song jolts me back to earth. Open your eyes, she cries. Open your eyes! I open my [...]
After Wally leaves for work, I bring my Bible, journal, and tea into the garden. A light mist hovers over the fields across the road, and I am surprised to see tender green shoots of corn forming rows where yesterday there was nothing but dirt. All around me, Dame’s Rocket thrusts purple and white spires [...]
Last night a wind blew in from the north, leaving frost on the fields across the road and a nip in the air. I have the day to myself, and plan to sit inside with a cup of tea. This autumn afternoon invites a time of prayer, a good novel, and maybe even a nap. [...]
“Our vocation is not only to do what the Word told us to do but also to say what the Word told us to say, until the whole world is transformed by the news.” Barbara Brown Taylor, When God is Silent Is there anything more beautiful than a walk in the woods in the middle [...]
Heel, toe. Heel, toe. Heel, toe. Amazing, how such a small, controlled movement on my part puts the swing in motion. Heel, toe. Heel, toe. Heel, toe. It’s a matter of moments before my heart rate matches the rhythm of the swing, my spinning thoughts calm, and my tense muscles relax. I’ve entered another realm. [...]
Wally and I spent the night last night in New Harmony, Indiana. He had business in the area, and I came along for the ride because we both needed a break in the action, and we wanted to spend some time together. New Harmony truly is one of those “thin spaces” the Celts talk about—a [...]
Epiphany: (1) : a usually sudden manifestation or perception of the essential nature or meaning of something (2) : an intuitive grasp of reality through something (as an event) usually simple and striking (3) : an illuminating discovery, realization, or disclosure. (Miriam Webster Dictionary) Today I slept in (9:45 am!) read the Enquirer, answered e-mails, [...]