The Lily

The lesser and greater lights,  and all living things thrive, cradled in your robes.  But not I.  Hidden in the  pierced place  of the  palm of Your hands,  my soul takes rest and my spirit sparks upward into everlasting love. How can I keep saying thank you as  the lily? Her sun-scrubbed face upturned into…

I Am Jesus

In the scorched earth of the October 7th war and against the black shroud of inconceivable inhumanity, death,  and mourning, I unexpectedly discovered a riot of living and colorful resilience, hope,  and even joy among Israelis during our recent trip to the Mid East. I had not imagined this response, and it captured my attention…

A Second Book

This morning while picking up the house and getting ready for the day, it occurred to me with stunning, non-negotiable truth that this November I am turning 75! I did not wince at this serendipitous reminder. Pastor Olen Griffing, a very wise man, mentor, and friend told me once that it is only in your…

Firsts

My grandson, Emmett, wiggled and wiggled as I tried to put on his pajamas. His silly mood made us both giggle and fall on the bed with laughter. Then suddenly, Emmett grew quiet and still for a moment, and his eyes gleamed and grew as big as planets.  “Marmee, we saw Christmas lights tonight!”  “Yes, we…

Incandescent Grief

For me, Christmas light shines brighter each year; and it is so important to every aspect of my life as I move on from this annualized celebration and illumination into the cold and sometimes dark realities of a new year, 2025. I am simply pausing for light—to soak in it, see it in reality and…

Kneeling

I’ve spent a lifetime  bandaging my feet, partly from ill-fitting  shoes, traveling too  many miles in a day,  losing my way, making  a wrong turn, or  carrying too many  burdens. Also, there are the roads I’ve traveled  long just to gaze upon ancient stones, a rusted  filigree, or become dizzy with the scent of an …

Transformation

Transformation Is there any gold in the world more valuable than this— other than the golden moment when the red, red rose bled into the desert wasteland, transforming it into a green green garden? Bonnie Saul Wilks Even the wilderness and desert will be glad in those days.    The wasteland will rejoice and blossom with spring…

The Zeal of the Lord

Here we are a number of years ago in Odessa, Ukraine, the birth place of the Messianic Jewish Bible Institute. “For out of Jerusalem will come a remnant, and out of Mount Zion a band of survivors. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this,” (Isaiah 37:32). The above scripture was part of my…

The Frayed Hem

Earth’s latitude and longitude run as high as humankind’s intelligence and as long and wide as our strength and life span. Here we live caged.  We run the circled courses of these by the second—up and down and around—our machinations are profound. We are curing cancer and changing sexes, flying beyond the moon and putting steak sauce…

Scottish Revival 1923

You can’t visit Scotland and not drink from the deep spiritual wells there, dug by stalwart Scottish Christians proclaiming salvation with changed lives. Right where I am standing here in Portsoy on the Banffshire coast, in front of the Shore Inn, a revival broke out in 1923. Here is an excerpt from, “Floods upon Dry…