Category: Blog
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Keeping the Cross in Clear View
Our crosses connect us as members of His Body and call us in faith to follow Him and be strength and courage for one another.
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Our Lenten Journey Begins
I pray these weeks ahead enlighten our souls, ignite our faithful hearts, and ultimately renew us in the healing redemption of the Resurrected Lord.
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“Come Closer”
‘Come closer’ is a gentle, loving call to all of us….Before we engage on this incredible journey of repentance and healing, let’s consider how we can best respond to God’s invitation to ‘come closer.’
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Surrendering Our Questions…and Answers
It’s natural for us to be curious and seek answers. From TV shows to life’s complex situations, we desire to KNOW.
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‘Behold’ Moments
Behold. It gets our attention. Whether we read it for ourselves or hear it proclaimed, we know what follows deserves our faithful focus and prayerful reflection.
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Not One or the Other – Both
Colors make a difference. I remember discussing in a marketing class years ago that fast food restaurants often use bright colors to discourage their patrons from staying too long. Customers eating quickly then leaving make room for new customers to do the same. It’s a plan that satisfies both the…
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Trust in God’s Timing
Though it’s January, several shrubs and small trees that typically bloom in late spring are starting to bud months ahead of their ordinary schedule. This new growth seems unnatural for this time of year. Though we may not think this timing is ‘right,’ the trees are responding as they should…
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Our Faith is Not ‘Still’
When I walk through my neighborhood, I encounter the beautiful and melodic sounds of many windchimes. Each one is unique in design, and in the breeze, each one moves to create the sound it was specifically made for. Now that I know where the windchimes are, I see them regularly.…
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The Love of Advent (and Christmas)
The Love we recognize and receive this week doesn’t just complete our Advent preparation; it encompasses our journey. The unwavering and faithful love of God that binds our hope, peace, and joy now envelops us and invites us to renewal. ‘God so loved the world….’ (John 3:16). He still ‘so…
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The Joy of Advent
We reflected on joy about a month ago, and here we are again. It’s worth revisiting! As we ponder joy through the lens of Advent this week, we know it is something very special. So special that we are given the bold signs of the rose Advent wreath candle and…
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The Peace of Advent
While preparing for today’s entry, I had ‘peace’ on my mind, and the sight of the unusual stillness of this squirrel in the tree caught my eye. Normally, the squirrels in our yards are hurried in multiple directions, so I noticed this one remaining in place while very strong winds…
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The Hope of Advent
Now that we have stepped into the spiritual journey of Advent, we are invited to fully encounter the theme or meditation of the first week – hope. We already look toward several things in our lives with hope. There is a superficial (perhaps even fun) hope of ‘I hope my…
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All Things Hold Together
I see the beginning of Advent this Sunday to be kind of a ‘start’ button, a renewed beginning to a time of welcome, awareness, and surrender. A simple but telling line in last weekend’s second reading reminds us that the Lord is our connection to all three of these: “…in…
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Not Always a Straight Line
Though I did well enough in my math classes, math was not my favorite subject. Yet when I look up directions to a new location, one geometry ‘rule’ usually comes to mind: The shortest distance between two points is a straight line. Makes perfect sense. I thought of it again…
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Finding Joy Along the Way
On my walk today, I saw quite a few houses with Halloween decorations still up which wasn’t really a surprise. I’m sure they’ll come down pretty soon. However, as I rounded a corner, I was struck at seeing a new house decoration (that wasn’t there yesterday). I was moved not…
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November’s Graces
November arrives, and we begin thinking about upcoming holidays, shopping lists, travel plans, wrapping paper, greeting cards, etc. There’s nothing wrong with any of that. It’s helpful to get a start on these details if we haven’t already. However, there is a richness in the month of November that invites…
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“There is Need of Only One Thing”
A few nights ago, I tried to watch shows on three different TV channels at the same time. I don’t have the ability to record programs, so that wasn’t an option. I don’t have a split screen feature, so that wasn’t possible either. The best I could do was flip…
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“Be Constant in Prayer”
Several years ago, I had a friend who often wore a round pink button on her coat that read “PUSH” (pray until something happens). I appreciated her testimony of faith, and it was a nice, simple reminder to not give up on prayer. Our call to be persistent in prayer,…
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It’s Simple – God Loves You
I try to be good about reading various articles, reflections, and books on God, prayer, and spirituality. I am especially enriched when others share their faith experiences, and I welcome the helpful insights, encouraging perspectives, and useful prayer methods that help strengthen my faith and bring comfort. There are occasions…
Journeying to Grace 