In Stillness the Dancing

The created world itself can hardly wait for what’s coming next. Everything in creation is being more or less held back. God reins it in until both creation and all the creatures are ready and can be released at the same moment into the glorious times ahead. Meanwhile, the joyful anticipation deepens. All around us we observe a pregnant creation. The difficult times of pain throughout the world…

by Geralt from Pixabay CC0 Public Domain Today I read Isaiah 11:1 – 5. The first verse stuck with me throughout the day … “A shoot will come up from the stump of Jesse; from his roots a Branch will bear fruit.” I’ve been thinking all day about the imagery. A stump, broken … a reminder of a once stately tree. But no longer with any beauty to speak of – an unlikely source of life. Yet, a shoot…

And the angel told her,“The Holy Spirit will come upon you,and the power of the Most High shall overshadow you.And the Holy Thing which shall be born of you shall be called the Son of God.”What an amazing, what an impossible messagethe angel brought to a young girl!But Mary looked at the angel and said,“Be it unto me according to your word.”And so the life of Jesus began as it would end, with the…

Paul Laurence Dunbar, a black poet, was the first of his family to be born free. During this season, as we contemplate Advent, we realize that freedom comes in many forms. In what ways have our hearts been set free? Our spiritual freedom is the result of Christmas in our hearts! The snow lies deep upon the ground,And winter’s brightness all aroundDecks bravely out the forest sere,With jewels of…

I’m always struck by how often the scripture reminds us to “fear not!” That concept appears four times in the Christmas story. Fear not! God answers prayer! The angel said to Zacharias, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard …” Zacharias had prayed for his wife to bear a child. I can’t help but wonder how many years he might have been praying. The reassurance of answered prayer…

It seems that when November arrives, the world begins turning faster. I find myself chasing the checklist, juggling plans, and trying to prepare for every possible activity. Yet in the midst of the hurry, a quiet longing stirs—what if this year were different? What if Thanksgiving became less about what must get done and more about what God has already done? From Survival to Celebration In…

(Written a few days after the horrific flood, July 4, 2025) Dear Reader, There are no quick words for this kind of grief.We watched flood waters swallow roads, homes, histories.The earth is soaked with sorrow, and so are we. But Jesus is not distant.Deeply sorrowful that they were missing the truth, Jesus wept over Jerusalem.He stood at the tomb of Lazarus and wept for his friend –In…

For the past two years, we have splurged on two “big” trips, 2 weeks each year in Europe to travel to Rome, Florence, London, Edinburgh, and Paris. We are late to the party when it comes to big trips like these, and we realize that traveling will only get more difficult due to our age and the wear and tear on our bodies. I might like to take another trip to Paris since it is my favorite, and…

Hi Readers – Thank you for visiting this site. Recently I started posting on Substack. For a while, I posted on both sites, cross posting. But in the last week or two, I have only posted on Substack.I haven’t decided for sure yet, but I like the Substack platform. I invite you to join me there. My work there is free – not behind a paywall! Simply enter your email address and you’ll receive my…

I published this piece in a blog a few years ago. As I revisited it today, I was reminded of the wonder and awe of God’s leading and response to our prayers. Let’s be the ones who ask the Lord! In reading through the books of Samuel, I was struck by this repetitive phrase – “David asked the Lord” Notice these verses- David asked the Lord, “Should I go and attack them?” “Yes, go and save…

John 14:6 — “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me.” They had never been in a jungle like this before. The thick vines seemed to reach out and grab their legs; the heat was suffocating. Each step forward felt more uncertain than the last. The group followed their guide closely, listening to the rhythmic chop of his machete clearing the overgrown…

The old shepherd The old Shepherd knew the hills like the back of his wrinkled hands. He had walked a thousand times through each twist of the path, every hollow in the earth. Tonight, the wind howled through the ravines, and the moon cast only a thin silver light over the rocky terrain. He pulled his cloak tighter around his shoulders and listened. There it was again—the faint, desperate…