Shade for our Souls

The hot tropical sun baked every pore of my exposed skin. How thankful I was to my Vietnamese daughter-in-law's family for their insistence that I wear some kind of long sleeves. Six years ago I was in Vietnam, riding past the rice paddies on my first motorbike excursion. The young nephew who had been assigned to … Continue reading Shade for our Souls →

The River is Eternal

"And always, from a time before anybody knew of time, the river had been there. From my sitting place where the woods stood up at the edge of the pasture, I could see the river, risen a little, swift and muddy from the spring rains, coming down the mile-long reach above the Willow Run bend, … Continue reading The River is Eternal →

Preserved in the Wilderness

Blazing sun Glaring sand Baking heat The Wilderness prevailed. Burning pain Stumbling gait Weary heart The Wilderness consumed. Wandering warriors Hiding caves David’s men The Wilderness protected. When the curse fell on me When the evil one shouted I saw the shadows of defeated soldiers Huddled in the back of the … Continue reading Preserved in the Wilderness →

The River is Rising

Have you ever read a sentence in a book that makes you stop dead in your tracks? As I was reading Jayber Crow, by Wendell Berry, for the online study over at Michele Morin's site, Living Our Days, I read these closing words of chapter 7, and felt the hair on the back of my … Continue reading The River is Rising →

The Invitations

Birthdays come no matter how we feel. Young and energetic, or weary and worn-out, those years add up! And while we know we should be thankful for every breath that comes our way, if we would be honest, I think each one of us has had a year or two when we just weren't sure … Continue reading The Invitations →

Are Questions Allowed?

When questions swirl hereFloat like hazy fog of mornWill my heart trust love?As I woke to a fog that covered everything in sight, I thought of the questions that faced me when this Rheumatoid Disease first struck. And I thought of the questions raised this week when Jayber decided that Seminary was not for him, … Continue reading Are Questions Allowed? →

Revival

"And then an old woman I knew as Aunt Cordie gathered me up without asking and sat down in the rocking chair and held me and let me cry. She had on a coarse black sweater over a black dress that reached to her shoetops and a black hat with little white and blue flowers … Continue reading Revival →

Who Goes Between?

Has your heart been stirred with a longing to help those who are far away and in such heavy need? Maybe it's the heartbreaking news coming in from the Texas flooding?Or maybe it's the concern over those you love who are in difficult places? One morning recently, I was overcome by the beauty of the Morning Glories … Continue reading Who Goes Between? →

A New Heart

"Jesus calls us; o'er the tumult Of our life's wild, restless sea, Day by day His sweet voice soundeth, Saying, 'Christian, follow Me.'" --from the hymn by Cecil Alexander, 1852 When you find yourself in an unexpected season, how do you react? I have found myself taking up both hardness and surrender, with a … Continue reading A New Heart →

Where is Hope?

When you take a break from something, do you ever have a hard time rejoining that activity? I have so missed being able to join in with the Haiku Poetry Challenge offered by Ronovan Hester over at his site, Ronovan Writes. So when his words for this week's prompt showed up in my inbox yesterday, "Hope&Stay," … Continue reading Where is Hope? →