The holy mystery of Christmas is not hidden. It shouts in the streets like a vendor and blocks the highway like a barricade. It’s the crazy unexplainable that flashes with bright clarity for a second and collapses in the warm arms of hope that yearn for home. It’s the beauty of heaven that falls with…
Tag: Faith
Slow-Smoked Meat
Outside the barbecue smokehouse, a tattered flag waves, “Tr*mp W0n.” Apparently this theory does not effect the good eats inside. “It takes time to get the flavor just right—you can’t hurry,” said the smokehouse owner with a slow southern drawl. People flock from miles around to tickle their palates with southern barbecue favorites. Not a…
Lavender Shirts Not Required
Leaning against the wooden porch fence at the wayside barbecue stand in his crisp lavender shirt and black dress pants, he explained that he’d just come from the church up the road. With a defined zest for life, the man spoke about local news and history to us that stood in line for our Sunday…
Roundstone, Ireland
Roundstone, Ireland I walked the stony beaches of Roundstone, Ireland, and stood under the shadow of the old lighthouse. The salty, icy Atlantic wind blew through to the heart of me. I saw the sun glistening upon lapping water pools by ancient, abandoned stone houses where Irish fisherman lived and died and sustained a generation…
Oak Trees and Anchors
Last weekend, our daughter, son-in-law, and both grandchildren visited our lake house for the first time. You can imagine how much preparation grandparents do anticipating the patter of little feet. Our goal is smiling faces and happy hearts. In buying this home of course we thought about respite—a place by still waters and green meadows…
Secret Cove
Secret Cove The barren season moves with stealth behind the scenes of autumn, steadily edging toward the razor cold and lacy veil of ice and crystal. Then suddenly she falls, winter’s glorious mystique reveals in a day. In sparkling white layers, she manifests and penetrates deeper than surface chill and snowdrift for earth and sea…
To Safe Haven Inch-by-Inch
Hurricane Harvey, summer of 2017. We are sick of hearing about it, and we are not. It’s heart wrenching and heartwarming at once. On August 22, the wind howled while the black stormy sky dumped 50 inches of rain in the Houston area. Some heeded warnings and “got of of Dodge” in time, while others…
Bonnie Saul Wilks 