“Did not a great grey servant Of all my sires and me, Build this pavilion of the pines, And herd the fowls and fill the vines, And labour and pass and leave no signs Save mercy and mystery?” –G.K. Chesterton, from the Ballad of the White Horse, Book IV The holiday weeks are often heralded as the most wonderful time of the year; God … Continue reading Christmas: Mystery, Miracle or Magic?
I realize it’s still a few days before Halloween, but unless you’ve been under a rock (or in North Dakota somewhere) you know the Christmas parade has started in stores all across the land. (My apologies to anyone in either of the Dakotas). Yes, the holidays are fast on the heels of All Hallow’s Eve and we’ll be reminded once again – I hope! – … Continue reading God With Us, Always
Jesus and I are on an outing the week before Easter. We pull up to a strip mall; He unbuckles his seatbelt and I turn off the ignition. As we climb out of the car and walk towards an open door He remarks, “Oh, a Christian bookstore; let’s see what they’re selling.” We step inside and nearly run into a banner displaying “Resurrection Eggs.” The … Continue reading Christian Bookstore, Holy Week
“So take up what we’ve been given/ Welcome the edge of our days Hemmed in by sunrise and sunset/ By our youth and by our age Thank God for our dependence/ Here’s to our chasm of need And how it binds us together/ In faith and vulnerability This cup, this cup, I wanna drink it up To be right here in the middle of it … Continue reading How Can I Get into ‘The Christmas Spirit?’
Dry, peeling globe, whiskered, spidery tendrils bottomside. Topside, a thumbnail pokes through, plays at growing green, threatening strong stalks up, up, up. Blooms are said to hide within– secrets in scarlet, crimson, peach pearly white, the palest pink– a plantiferous palette of possibilities. But I do not see their beauty now Cannot feel any joy at what is there unseen. I’m feeling bulb-like these … Continue reading Thoughts on an Amaryllis
After the garden— The giving away, the giving up The ghastly truth poured out, Words like threadbare sheets Could not cover the lies, I do not know him! Yet He Who Can Be Known Returned for this one, Walking first in The Way Then across the waves, Wooing with words and An outstretched hand, Covering falsehoods with A grace-laced cloak of Red, the once and … Continue reading Peter & I, Good Friday {a #poem}
We’re standing in the kitchen. I move fluidly from dishwasher to counter, bending, stacking–bowls, dishes, cups, goblets. Husband is at the cupboard behind me. I rotate, wordless, and hand him his favorite glass-he replaces it to the shelf and continues swallowing his vitamins. I interrupt his healthy intake once again, this time with the rainbow-colored stack of Ikea cups. Without a word, he fits them … Continue reading A Very Married Christmas
A few weeks ago I had a revelation at 3 in the morning: I was feeling very overwhelmed with how and what and when to write on this wonderful blogging space every week. So I decided I’d just take a break from Veteran’s Day until Christmas. (I wrote about it here.) The idea was to give myself some mental and spiritual space to focus on the season … Continue reading Prepare Him Room
Halloween has come and gone, the elections are settled. Now it’s begun–the Holiday Season is officially upon us. How do I know? Well, because there are Christmas decorations next to the harvest decor at the grocery store and Costco is already selling imitation trees. It is a bit too much for my soul and spirit–this assault on the senses when I need to find a way … Continue reading A Circle of Seasons–Book Review
Romans 8:11 King James Version “But if the Spirit of him that raised up Jesus from the dead dwell in you, he that raised up Christ from the dead shall also quicken your mortal bodies by his Spirit that dwelleth in you.” “quicken”–to make alive, to revive or resuscitate, as from death; hence, to excite; stimulate.” Visiting friends in New Orleans, the ‘big easy’ where … Continue reading Resurrection–What Now?