The Tree in Winter The winter, barren branch, firmly rooted, standing stark against a scarlet-stained sky has long been one of my favorite metaphors for life. I have spent close to 50 winters contemplating its beauty and message. In every testing period of my life, its sermon of hope becomes my winter song of making…
Category: Culture
Gleam
Millions of pinholes twinkle across a midnight sky, a bubbly mountain river shimmers in sunlight as it flows to the sea, sand glistens through the water at the ocean shore, bright eyes gleam from a distant playground, and a smoldering ember glows red hot to the end. A small thing it is not…to shine, to…
Beautiful Words
I’m tenderly moving the stones around the velvet-lined box of cedar. Some, I pick up to examine—peering into their deep and light shades of color. I’m looking for beauty, clarity, and roughed authenticity, scars—yet polished by time and conflict. The gems will string together to tell the story of what I see and don’t see,…
Searching for the Light Switch
This is part 2 from the post below, “See Jesus in the Flames.” Update on Julia…Thank you so much for your prayers. We got the biopsy report that Julia did have renal cell carcinoma as the doctors suspected, but it was stage 2 and grade 2. Stage 2 is because of the size (8.5 cm,…
To Julia
Today is only reserved for coffee, poetry, music, and lovely thoughts of you. Little Princess Julia played dressup for hours—for years until the velvet dresses thinned and tattered. We planted tulips together and dressed your bears up and had tea parties with friends. Your childhood favorite food was pintos and cheese, and we watched Barney,…
Four Words
“Bunny” became one of my granddaughter’s first words and first security-blanket, stuffed-animal-companions, leaving her side momentarily with great heartbreak—only accidentally to fall behind the crib for a few seconds or to succumb to a thorough scrubbing in the washing machine. This brought on tears and angst. Another cuddly rabbit was added to her collection for…
Today I Ate Hair
Subconsciously seeking a distraction, I mindlessly flipped through the photos on my Instagram feed. I had been mulling over the day and especially a curious happening at an outdoor mall. Wayne and I had gone out to do a little Christmas shopping and walked in separate directions, agreeing to meet again later. The day was…
Part 2 The Long Mynd
“I sometimes wonder if all pleasures are not substitutes for joy.” CS Lewis On our second evening in Norbury at The Crown B & B, we heard about a Eucharist service that evening at the St Michael’s and All Angels’ church. Just a short walk from the pub, we grew eager to attend the liturgy…
The Right to Speak
Sometimes you must engage in a dozen or more casual conversations before you earn the right to speak into someone’s life. It is worth it! There is a proper order for leaders as well as lay people to offer a significant hand in bringing healing to the hurting and making disciples. There is so much…
Healing
The river of disappointment and sorrow—the one that catches in your throat and you swallow back, the one that stings your eyes hot with betraying tears—if you release that pain to stream freely, it will push out, out to empty itself into the vast deep of the salty ocean brine that scrubs clean the wound….
Bonnie Saul Wilks 