Unmerited

To spurn all of this— To credit no one for the systematic order and glory of the universe—that He spoke into existence by the breath of a Word, conceived by the sharp-edge of wit, unmatched, cared for by the extravagant heart of a benevolent Father, and held together by the surge and swell of unbending…

One Nod

In time, you stop gathering things and begin to collect moments. You learn to draw a deep furrowed line in the world to hedge off the chaos and begin to measure life by the wealth of blessing without sorrow and suffering that has spurned evil for good. At long last, you cease competition and cleave…

Winter Sweep

The fire crackles hot, while I drink steaming mugs of tea on the run. I would like to pause to mark these moments laden with winter beauty, the icy limbs of barren branches, the silver silence of powder snowfall, the midnight, moonlight sparkle of downy flake, and the blinding sting of noonday. But my closets…

Canadian Geese

Suspended in mid-air between heaven and earth, they soar. No preparations—not for a nano second do they fret, stew, holdback, or shirk this 3,000-mile, seasonal passage. Oh, those black wings beating over and through the windy currents. Heads held high. Hearts pumping fortitude for the long haul, and eyes focused due south. Inner radar, as…

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…

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…

1000 Generations!

My maternal grandmother and mother have been the caretakers of an old Bible that belonged to my great grandparents, William and Grace Coston. It’s huge and heavy—almost too big and cumbersome to read from my lap. The tattered leather cover is bound by an old brass clasp, and it’s pages are yellowed and fragile. Both…

DAYSPRING

DAYSPRING,  noun: The dawn; the beginning of the day, or first appearance of light. Webster’s 1828 I’m a huge fan of morning! My husband is too. Usually you marry the opposite; but in this case, we are alike—up early and sitting in the dark waiting for the dawn. I might add usually with joy! This is…

The Common and the Holy

I love the almost holy tranquility of this old photo. This morning while preparing my thoughts for a teaching on understanding the purpose and place of Sabbath rest as Gentiles tonight at Queen City Church in Cincinnati, I meditated on the differences between the common and holy things of life. Sabbath is the first thing…