The Tongue in the Cheek My tongue became en-lodged in my cheek recently... It took some doing, but ... We were able to extract it ... Though still a bit sore ... And gravitating toward the cheek ... I think it has learned from its errors ... And will lead out in a more serious frame of mind ... Next time. Continue reading

Take a moment or two. Pause. Listen. Remember. Reflect Recommit. Continue reading

More to Do ... Much More There is more to do than can be done. There is a smorgasbord of fun. The race is longer than can be run. Face it; we are under the gun. So ... do what you can while you can. "“As long as it is day, I must do the work of Him Who sent Me. Night is coming, when no one can work.” John 9:4" READ MORE Photo by Robert Bye on Unsplash Continue reading

Jacob Jordaens - Abraham Grapheus as Job Job never prays for his own restoration or prosperity. He desires only to know the mind, heart, and ways of God in the midst of his suffering. When he does encounter God in face to face meeting, he turns, repents, and humbles himself. Then, he prays for the friends who have misjudged him in their own ignorance. "And the LORD restored the fortunes of Job, when he had prayed for his friends. And the LORD gave Job twice as much as he had before." (Job 42:10 ESV) Continue reading

It is HARD to get where we are going and it was HARD for Jesus too, Continue reading

Elijah in the wilderness, by Washington Allston Elijah was tired. He was sick and tired. He sank deeply into a despair that was not touched by logic or surface encouragement. He needed the deep encouragement of "The Presence." He received it ... but he also received a tangible answer from God: a successor. He was being called to a new phase of life - to invest in others and especially one other, Elisha, who would not only carry on his work and give meaning to his life, but would do even greater things. Thus, the title of this brief entry:... Continue reading

Love is and always will be, beyond what you have already mastered. However, the good news is that the Master who has mastered love is your Master and, to the extent that His mastery is at work in you, you are becoming a masterpiece of love. Continue reading

The heart of God is holy, ruthless, furious love. The heart of God's people is to flesh out that love in service to suffering humanity without judgment or conditions. Continue reading

The heart of God is holy, ruthless, furious love. The heart of God's people is to flesh out that love in service to suffering humanity without judgment or conditions. Continue reading

If we will remember, then we can commit to being our best as Americans and working together for common good. Continue reading

One word or two. That is all it takes. One moment of caring. One pause to refresh another. Continue reading

When we look at the poor. we first see Jesus, the suffering image of God. When we look at the poor, we also see ourselves, for we have been there or will be there. Continue reading

Beware lest we get caught up in a solomonic power grab. Continue reading

We have to get from fainting away in unfulfilled longing to exhilarating praise It does not come with a finger snap, but it may come with a good night's sleep and a movement from one verse to the next. We look upon God. We behold. We experience His unfailing love. We praise. Keep moving through those verses and living them. " O God, you are my God; earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you; my flesh faints for you, as in a dry and weary land where there is no water. So I have looked upon you in... Continue reading

Writing is an excruciating joy. It is to be avoided at all costs, but one ... ... the horrifying option of not doing it at all ... ... and that is unacceptable. Continue reading

Jesus is the master of contradiction. To the one who skims the surface of superficial consideration, he is a contradiction within himself. To those whose only lenses on God is a moralistic and vindictive vision, he contradicts God. To those rooted in the rat race of winning at all costs, his approach contradicts reality. Continue reading

We can choose our perspective. I cannot understand despair until I am touched by my neighbor's. Continue reading

Be blessed, you who often fall down and mostly, rise up. Continue reading

In a day of many wagging tongues and much strife and verbal violence, may we speak grace and filter out the graceless dissonance from our spirits, while hearing the genuine pain and heart cries of our broken and wounded neighbors. Continue reading

"Blessed are the dead which die in the Lord from henceforth: Yea, saith the Spirit, that they may rest from their labours; and their works do follow them." Continue reading

That night, he won a major victory within himself and paved the way for all sleepers to be awakened. Continue reading

We can live in awareness of and to reflect the presence of Christ in the world. Continue reading

If the heavens declare the glory of God, how much are we perceiving? Continue reading

If I can be unknown, unheralded, and unremarkable, that will be more than OK. Continue reading

Frontispiece from edition of Everyman published by John Sklot c. 1530. I am every man. I embody every extreme. I am the plundered poor. I am the plunderer. I am he who treasures and keeps the Word. I am he who wanders. I am guarded. I am he, from whom the guarded must be protected. I am pure and I am vile. I am all in one - a complete package. I am beloved ... I am grateful. I need and receive grace. At every punctuation mark of this precious Word, I see myself. I identify. I do so, reluctantly.... Continue reading