I’m sitting on the deck of an A-frame cottage on the shores of Silver Lake, Michigan. It is windy, and it’s a good thing the orange sun umbrella on the edge of the deck is tied down tight. It twists and turns in the stiff breeze, looking as if wants nothing more than to fly […]
I sit on the deck, the morning sun warming the back of my head, and listen to a choir of birds and cicadas as I drink my cup of tea. My silk robe softly flaps around my legs as a cool breeze blows in from the east. The sky is summer blue, and wispy […]
I sit on the deck in the (relative) cool of the evening. 96 degrees has dipped to 89, and a hint of a breeze plays through the walnut’s leaves in the humid soup of air. I sit, limp and dejected. While the humidity has frizzed my hair, anxiety over Joel’s new placement at Safe […]
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 center
cradles dove
Strength in weakness
Christ in me
His grace
sufficient
Whenever I’m at my lowest, my most frustrated; when I feel close to defeat or despair, God gives me a gift. I’ve come to count on it. This particular day was no different. Losing the struggle to bring some clarification in my mind and my words to the theme of an article I was working […]
Lost
One diamond ring
25th anniversary gift
Antique filigree setting
Priceless
I feel naked
Vulnerable
Exposed
Out of sorts
Angry
I’m quick to blame
Joel, resident
Tidy-upper,
Tucker of found objects
Into hard-to-find places
On hands and knees
With flashlight I search
Under couches, beds, dressers,
In baskets, drawers, cupboards,
Behind wardrobes, desks, bookcases
Sadness bubbles up
Inexplicable grief,
As if I’ve lost
Part of myself, not
Simply a piece of jewelry
What’s this about? the Lord
Asks in a whisper
This […]
In my Lenten reflections this morning, I came upon this strange passage from the book of Numbers:
“The people came to Moses and said, “We have sinned by speaking against the Lord and against you; pray to the Lord to take away the serpents from us.” So Moses prayed for the people. And the Lord […]
“And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, “This is the way, walk in it,” when you turn to the right or when you turn to the left.” Isaiah 30:21
I sit with a cup of cappuccino and my computer on a balcony in Rome, overlooking Roma San Pietro. An occasional train speeds past, […]
“…(Jesus) said to Simon, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.” Simon said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” It was no sooner said than done—a huge haul of fish, straining […]
“The most frequent commandment given in scripture is so simple, so plain: ‘do not be afraid.’ And it is so hard to practice, so hard to model, so hard to live.”
Thom Shuman, Occasional Sightings of the Gospel
I am most likely to shed my well-worn cloak of fear over Joel’s future when I take […]