There are many pain surgery centers in my area and, unfortunately, I’ve visited a few. In the last five years or so, I’ve been going to just one, and all the steroid injections and ablations have made me a familiar face to the nurses. (I always fill out my “patient survey” forms when I get…
Tag: hope
Sparrows
My slightly chubby orange cat Jasper is sitting on the rug next to my desk, biting his nails. My new kitten, Haven, is locked in the guest room so that Jasper can unwind from her never-ending assaults. My sweet, first (animal) child no longer acts like a large, aloof kitten, but sits and stares at…
Quail from Heaven
I love the Pentateuch. Not only is it fascinating to read the birth story of both the universe and the Jewish people, it offers a deep level of context to almost every other book of the Bible. In my studies of Matthew chapter six this week, I’ve been reminded of one of my favorite Bible…
Write or Right?
Today is Mother’s Day, and I lost my mom’s present. Even worse, because I spent so much time yesterday and this morning dumping out drawers and checking under furniture for the gift I bought her a month ago, I forgot that I hadn’t even written in her card. I just tucked it into my purse,…
All Things
He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation. For by him all things were created, in heaven and on earth, visible and invisible, whether thrones or dominions or rulers or authorities—all things were created through him and for him. And he is before all things, and in him all things…
Emmanuel
I woke up at 4:15 this morning, and I am not a morning person. But, as I desperately tried to fall back asleep, my mind wouldn’t cooperate. Unusually for me, I left some Christmas errands until the last minute, and I spent too many hours yesterday trying to deep-breathe my way out of parking lot…
An Inheritance of Gold and Glass
The Revelation of John. How many Christians are frightened of studying it? Controversial interpretations and the manipulation of numbers and symbols have discouraged too many from studying, or even reading, this book. Gruesome beasts and a lake of fire, a slain lamb with seven eyes – who wouldn’t be intimidated? Like any other book of…
Perfect
For a long time, my family and friends agreed that the only life I could be entrusted with was that of my cactus, Jed. Then Jed, unlike all my previous plants, didn’t die. He grew. In fact, he tripled in size and is still going strong. So, having proven myself worthy of parenthood, I adopted…
Mercy
Yesterday, an 18-year-old man, barely out of childhood, walked into an elementary school and murdered 19 children and two teachers. Children. I don’t know why he did it and I’m not going to wade into the gun rights debate. As an American, I’m past the point of asking why and wailing, How could this happen?…
Weep With Me
Sometimes it’s easy to see why the “health and wealth” perversion of Christianity is so popular. Just be a good person, just check off these boxes, and life in this world will go well. I’m a box-checker by nature. I have five whiteboards in my house devoted to various lists of activities. But I also…
Before the Fire 