Life – a cup at a time
Ever find yourself doing something stupid, but pride — or sheer stubbornness — makes you keep going despite your better judgement? Yeah, me, too. Those kinds of mistakes can be deadly. But they can also turn into valuable lessons, and be the source of unexpected Grace. I’ll explain what I mean with the tales of …
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 …
When the answers are absent or unfathomable In journalism, you’re taught to ask the six questions for any story: Who, What, Where, When, Why and How. Scientists tend to concentrate on the What, When and How, with the others feeding into that mold. Philosophers and spiritual leaders look more for Why and Who might be …
There once was a farmer with five sons. He had a large farm, with crops, cattle, pigs and horses. He and his sons had worked hard and improved the land, and they prospered. Next to them was another farmer, who had a wife and daughter. His wife was comely and his daughter beautiful. But while …
[While writing an earlier post about volcanoes and tasting ash, a memory flashed of another time and place where I tasted the grit of ash, and my mind wouldn’t let go. I wrote this before I learned that January 27, 2020 was the 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz. While this is simply my …
As both a Christian and an American, I firmly believe in the separation of Church and State. Please hear me out. We are nearing Thanksgiving in the U.S. and are surrounded by reminders of the Pilgrims sitting down with their new neighbors to give thanks for surviving to that point. It’s easy to forget why …
“Why is it that those who hold the Bible in high regard also tend to be those who are judgmental and self-righteous?” Eddie Chu It’s a fair question. In fact, it sums up the dissatisfaction of many who have changed churches or left organized Christian religion altogether due to bigotry, with or without their faith …
Why are people so passionate about walls? In an age of airplanes, drones, mass media, and the internet, physical walls are obsolete in the face of terrorists and opposing ideas. But walls abound, between nations, between neighbors, and within our own selves. As a child, I grew up learning that emotions weren’t allowed. “Quit crying, …
We all have our own ways of coping with stress. If you’re like me, you probably have a mix of good, bad and neutral methods. I used to think I handled things pretty well over all. Then I got married and was quickly disabused of that idea. The last several months have found me employing …
Expectations are tricky devils. We all have them. Sometimes they are called goals, or rules, or values, or job descriptions, but anytime they can fit into the sentence “I expect you to_____,” they are expectations. They can bring security and happiness or heartache and depression. Expectations helps us work together as a community. When we …