-
When You Least Expect It
There are many times in life when circumstances nearly take your breath away. I have put off writing about this in detail because it still seems almost surreal. It has taken me months to begin to understand it. On March 13, 2021, Brad and I met just west of Mineral Wells, Texas. It was misting and overcast, not exactly a “Chamber of Commerce” morning. We were going to look at property with the hopes there may be a parcel we would be able to purchase. Lots started at 5 acres and went up. Neither of us had ever been to a sale like this. The plat was not released in…
-
Recollections
Have you ever had one of those memories where it was so strong and fragrant that it nearly took your breath away? The past converged on the present and time simply slipped away…ah, yes. Today that happened. There are so many sweet memories I have of Mom and Dad. Even though today is Mother’s Day, let’s face it, I wouldn’t be here without both parents. So, I stop and smile and thank God He put me where He did, with whom He did. Even my brother. 🙂 I remember once looking at Papa and saying, “You can’t pick your parents, but if I could have picked, I would have picked…
-
The Veil – Let’s Go
As a child, I was always fascinated by veils…with exotic places, covering faces, and then there was the Veil of the Temple. In my mind, a veil is a flimsy, diaphanous piece of elegant cloth that floats in the wind, conforming itself to whatever it is near. When Jesus died, the Veil was torn from top to bottom. This veil was nothing like I imagined. It was a piece of densely woven carpet that was at least 4 inches thick and 45 feet tall . It was ripped starting at the top. The top. No ladder. Today, I’d like to focus intently on the word “tear”, or “torn”, as in:…
-
Springtime Roots and Reaching
It is Saturday in northern Texas. The wind is chilly and the sky is blue. It is springtime in all its glory – with flowers and blossoms everywhere one looks. On the surface, one could easily believe, like in Robert Browning’s Pippa’s song, “God’s in his heaven–All’s right with the world.” Is that true? Could it be? Perhaps. Can you feel the stratifying of our world? Factions? Divisions? People with vaccines, those without…all kinds of differences among us. Focus on “us and them“, rather than God. This is a tactic…one that has been around for a long, long time. Jesus warned us about this. “But Jesus knew their thoughts, and…
-
Hosanna!
When Jesus rode into town, he was on the back of a donkey, a colt that had yet to be ridden. There are multiple layers of meaning here. First and foremost, His appearance fulfills Scripture. If anyone or anything goes against the inerrant Word of God, watch out! Second, donkeys were not instruments of war, but of peace. When rulers entered on a charger, that indicated conflict and war was coming with them. When they arrived riding a donkey, it symbolized peace. Jesus came to restore, to bring us back into harmony with what had been broken years before in the Garden. The people rejoiced, waving palm fronds, shouting, dancing…
-
Perspectives
Life is a strange series of events. In the past year we have experienced a number of things that, if asked 18 – 24 months ago, we would have probably thought they were outlandish. Crazy. Impossible. And yet, here we are. Before the Polar Vortex of 2021, I was driving home from work. I saw a number of young children walking home from school. They were masked. Their steps were measured. They looked relatively serious for it being the end of the day. Where was the exuberant playfulness expected in the mild Texas sunshine? It was sobering. Then, last week a friend and I sat huddled in a darkened room…
