The Deepest Gloom
This morning I read Psalm 107, and I remember. I remember what it was like to battle depression all those years. I remember the doctors, the therapists, the medication, and the despair. I remember the mornings of waking up and thinking, “I cannot do this anymore. I cannot do this another day.” I read Psalm […]
It Can Be Anything
Today I recall a thought from over four years ago that I’m so thankful I wrote down. It’s about finding beauty in anything. I think I remember this post because the Italian Mama recently fed me a wonderful grilled cheese sandwich with tomato soup. Enjoy this old post from a time gone by: Tuesday, December […]
If It Can’t Be Said in 2 Minutes
When asked about the available means of persuasion in society today, college students talk more about YouTube, twitter, and photo-sharing (Instagram and Snapchat) more than anything else. They share that they’ll view short videos–less than three minutes long–and short news or blogs, perhaps only what fits on a screen. If it can’t be said in […]
The Rich Club
Last night a dear neighbor and I were talking about our fascination with birds. I’m seriously thinking about joining a Pennsylvania birding club. In the woods behind my home, I can find snowy owls, barn owls, woodpeckers, and even eagles. By my kitchen window, the northern cardinals dance about all day. I’d love a great […]
Around the Glassy Sea
I love just thinking about Revelation 4. Last night, graduate students gather and sing the old hymn, “Holy, Holy, Holy!”accompanied by guitars, piano, and even a mandolin. We sing the following, and I’m caught up in imagining it: Holy, Holy, Holy! all the saints adore Thee,Casting down their golden crowns around the glassy sea;Cherubim and Seraphim falling […]
“Epiphanies cannot be scheduled, but they can be invited.”
I’m teaching from a chapter in Writing to Change the World that talks about “orchestrating moments” to experience awe and realize the hope and beauty of the world. At their root, I think of these moments as worship and connection to God where I’m growing as a person. I begin to think of how I […]
Because You Need To
Last night I ask a local artist why he creates art. He’s been making art for over forty years.He’s patient with my question. He simply says, “I make art because I need to.” He’s happy if someone likes it. He’s fine if no one likes it. He does it because he needs to. That’s why […]
New Light on the Same Old Thing
The snow sits like frosting on the fence and tree limbs. In the Winterberry Bush (which I’m not actually sure is a Winterberry anymore, but that’s its name now), snow offerings of white cotton candy fill up the branches. The Northern Cardinal and the Sparrow hide out there. It’s the same view as always from […]
“A state of perpetual recovery from falling…”
Trudging through the snow this morning, I recall the statement by American poet Oliver Wendell Holmes that “walking is a perpetual falling with a perpetual self-recovery.” Here are his thoughts in full: “Walking, then, is a perpetual falling with a perpetual self-recovery. It is a most complex, violent, and perilous operation, which we divest of […]
A Different Kind of Living: A Little Voice Under a Great Wing
This morning I read something astonishing: David writes in Psalm 63 that he “sings in the shadow of [the Lord’s] wings.” Not in the spotlight, not on the stage, not on the bestseller’s list, not trending on twitter or shared a million times on Facebook, and not going viral on youtube. He sang from the […]