Grace in a Time of Turmoil

It’s difficult to live in Grace in a time of turmoil — for me, anyway. Thoughts and feelings get tumbled around as everyone and everything clamors for attention: COVID numbers, politicians, protests, counter-protests, job hunts, healthcare providers, bills, friends and family. I easily get tumbled around and lose my center, my grounding. How can I …

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Facing Volcanoes in Life

We all face volcanoes in life, whether we realize it or not. The recent eruption of White Island/Whakaari in New Zealand has had me pondering this thought. Maybe it’s because I was there for Mt. St. Helens in 1980. For anyone who was in the Pacific Northwest, they can tell you exactly what they were …

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Just a Smile

It was just a smile. But it made a world of difference. It was an early morning doctor appointment. I hadn’t slept well, hadn’t eaten, and didn’t really want to be there, but this doctor is difficult to schedule with, so there I was. When the nurse called my name, I met her at the …

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Some

Something shattered into pieces, Someone crushed them under foot. Somewhere the scattered pieces lay, Somewhen, long overlooked. Somewhen, an artist found them, Somehow he scooped them up; Someone loved with tender hands Something I had given up. Something forms beneath the artist’s touch: Mosaic full of grace. Someone else would never think to make Beauty …

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A New House Full of Grace? Hah!

When I decided to explore the concept of Grace with this blog, I had no idea what I was getting myself into. It’s kind of like asking God to give you patience; such lessons aren’t comfortable. For example, take the house we purchased last winter — please! I’d always dreamed of owning a house full …

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Flat Tire

What good could possibly come from getting a flat tire? Friday night I was on my way home when I ran over something. While never expected, flat tires are nearly inevitable in west Texas. You’ve got the potholes, of course. Weather extremes and big, heavy trucks will do that. Then you have the road debris. …

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Walls

Walls come in various shapes, sizes and types. And even though creatures such as termites and bees also use them in making their hives, walls have become a defining element for humankind. Archaeologists get all excited when they find walls at a dig. Why? Because they indicate an element of permanence. Instead of roaming with …

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Grace or Politics

The news has been filled with the story of the guy from Mali who rescued a four year old dangling from a balcony in Paris on May 26, 2018. This is a story of grace. The young man heard a commotion, saw the child dangling from a fourth-floor balcony, and began to climb. He didn’t …

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