Lord, teach me. . . .

If we will be quiet and ready enough, we shall find compensation in every disappointment.  –Henry David Thoreau There he stood, hood up over his head, cloak pulled tightly around him. He had laughed at lesser gods, taunted and murdered the prophets and really, really ticked off the queen.  He was running for his life, sleeping in a cave, shivering in fear. The prophet Elijah had never felt so alone in his life. The few he loved, he had to leave behind in his mad flee to safety. Elijah was too terrified even to realize there were angels of the LORD caring for him, providing him rest and sustenance. Elijah prayed to the LORD to die, to join his ancestors. At least then he wouldn't be alone. But now Elijah is waiting. How will the LORD arrive? With a fanfare of angels and trumpets? In fire and glory? A demonstration of might and power? Not at all. As Elijah waited, there was fire and wind and earthquake-- but the Lord was not in any of those things...

Keep every promise you make. And only make promises you can keep. –Anthony Hitt Covenant is definitely a "church word," or once in a while, a legal beagle term. Its origins come from Latin, and mean "to come together in agreement." Kind of a handshake and a promise. But when God makes a covenant, suddenly it becomes  more . God makes a covenant with Abraham, and he becomes the father of nations, offspring too numerous to count, like the stars in the sky-- and he gets a late start in the game. And even when Abraham and his wife Sarah aren't completely faithful to God's plan-- God remains faithful. No matter what. And so it is with each of us. We may not be capable of unwavering faithfulness, but the God who created us is  always  faithful. Remember that, the next time things in life seem to be sliding south. All the peoples of the earth will be blessed through you. Think about  that  for a minute (or ten)-- and believ...

All that is gold does not glitter;  not all those who wander are lost.  The old that is strong does not wither;  deep roots are not reached by the frost. –J. R. R. Tolkien Some people always have to have a  path . They just have to know where they're going-- and how they're going to get there. I think these are the folks who created MapQuest and GPS. And that's fine, I suppose, sometimes. If you have someplace you  have  to be, and a time you  have  to get there-- best know where you're going. But every now and then, I believe it's important to ditch the path and wander. Why not? What's the worst that can happen? You get lost. (And you may even have to ask someone for directions. Gasp !) Years ago when I first moved to a new town, I had a mission: I set out to get lost. I started at our apartment-- and I just drove. I paid little attention to the ways I was turning or the streets I was on. And then-- I set out to ...

Year’s end is neither an end nor a beginning, but a going on, with all the wisdom that experience can instill in us.  Cheers to a new year, and another chance for us to get it right. –Oprah Winfrey Every single newscast, every talk show has been running year-end memories, celebrating those who have died and reminding us that the 2010’s are over—it’s a brand new decade ! But is it really? (Actually: no.) Think about it: when we start counting, we start at one , headed for ten , where “things” change. So in reality, this brand new decade doesn’t begin until . . . January 1, 2021. So what’s my point? Does it really matter? Probably only to language purists, and I only barely fill that bill. But this whole discussion made me think of that place in Matthew 24, where Jesus’ disciples are quizzing him about when the Son of Man will return. No one knows the day nor the hour , Jesus replies, not even the Son of Man himself . And he goes on to instruct them to live each...

Kindness in words creates confidence. Kindness in thinking creates profoundness. Kindness in giving creates Love. --Lao Tzu Hey, what’d ya get? Remember the old Charlie Brown Halloween special, when all the kids went out trick or treating? When they looked in their bags, each child would announce what they got:                          I got a giant candy bar!                          I got three pencils! And some jelly beans!                          I got peanut butter kisses—my favorite! And at every single house, Charlie Brown got the same thing:                          I got—a rock . Makes you wonder how he fared...

Eyes Wide with Wonder This week, pause. Open your heart and your eyes to the wondrous beauty and mystery and magic of the Christmas miracle and the true Gift of the season. Wander and ponder through “ Sharon’s Christmas Prayer ,” by John Shea. Merry Christmas! Monday  “She was sure of the facts, and recited them with slow solemnity, convinced every word was revelation.” Isaiah 9:6-7 Tuesday    “She said they were so poor they only had peanut butter and jelly to eat, and they went a long way from home without getting lost.” Luke 2:1-4 Wednesday  “The lady rode a donkey, the man walked, and the baby was inside the lady. They had to stay in a stable with an ox and an ass ( hee hee ).” Matthew 5:3-10 Thursday  “But the Three Rich Men found them because a star lited the roof.” Matthew 2:1-12 Friday  “Shepherds came and you could pet the sheep but not feed them.” Luke 2:8-12 Saturday  “Then the baby was borned. And do you ...

The highest and most beautiful things in life are not to be heard about, nor read about,  nor seen but, if one will, are to be lived. --Soren Kierkegaard Pretty ugly. Last summer, I found this amazing Christmas sweater on clearance. It was $7. It’s green and has trees and snowflakes and so much more . After I got it home, I saw a couple of places where the knitting had come unstitched, so I went to the local craft store and picked up some appliqués to hide the holes, thus making my special sweater even more special! It’s pretty ugly. It really is. When I wore it recently, someone I care deeply about told me, seriously, how much they really liked the sweater. It was so colorful, and happy—and that cat appliqué made it just perfect. They went away smiling, and so did I. Life can be like that. Someone, or some thing that looks ordinary, at best (or ugly, at worst), through a different lens takes on unexpected beauty. We laugh at warthogs and cuttlefish,...