Selective Attention
I consider how, when we learn something new–like a new word or concept–we suddenly seem to encounter it everywhere. We have what scientists call “selective attention.” When I focused on my love of verbs like grapple or fritter, I would hear or see these verbs several times a day, as if my love of them somehow […]
Something New
I notice in Psalm 33, 40, 96, 98, 144, and 149 how we’re invited to sing to the Lord a “new song.” I wonder: Why is it a new song? In Isaiah 42-43, we see the same concept. The Lord is doing a new thing. We sing new songs. As I search the scriptures, I […]
Mostly Worship
I love learning more and more about worshipping God. Worship, I’m thinking, means delighting in Him, honoring Him, celebrating Him, responding to Him, communing with Him, and just enjoying Him (to name only a few possibilities of worship). It’s what we do with earthly fathers, in smaller ways, on Father’s Day as a natural, unforced, […]
The Feast!
I sit in front of a cherry tree. So many birds hang on the branches, and they gobble entire cherries, swallowing them whole in one or two gulps. It’s a joyful, abundant moment. I notice how many kinds of larger birds find refuge here: robins, thrashers, warblers, and sparrows. It’s a feast! The birds stay […]
Some Things Stay the Same
My daughter invites me to play some hand-clapping games with her, and I’m amazed how little they’ve changed! Miss Mary Mack, Billy Boy, Down, Down Baby and so many others have stood the test of time. In the 1980’s on the playground, we stood around and played these hand clapping games. I enjoyed this nostalgic […]
“It is I who hold its pillars firm.”
This morning I read this in Psalm 75: We give thanks to you, O god. We give thanks, for your Name is near. Men tell of your wonderful deeds. . . You say, “When the earth and all its people quake, it is I who hold its pillars firm.” How wonderful to consider the nearness […]
Do the Next Thing
I remember the advice of so many who, when overwhelmed, say, “Just do the next thing.” We don’t need to live this whole life, year, summer, month, or even day all at once. We don’t need to live this whole morning or afternoon. We just need to do the next thing. And the next. And […]
A Prayer for Peace and Order
This morning, I acknowledge that God is a God of peace and not disorder (1 Corinthians 14:33). I recognize that where sin grows, disorder grows along with it (2 Corinthians 12:20; James 3:16). In the original language, disorder means instability, confusion, and disturbance. It’s a restless, upsetting kind of word. I pray for order! I […]
The Climbing Roses, Climbing
Praying to Delight in God’s Will and Commands
This morning, I think more about delighting in God’s will for my life and in His commands. So many times, I don’t particularly delight in obeying or in doing things that I know God has called me to do. Too often, I consider the cost, the inconvenience, and the burdens of new tasks. But what […]