Over the summer I have been reading the Psalms. I have noticed several themes. In a majority of Psalms, God’s steadfast love is mentioned. When great difficulties occur, the psalmist cries out to the Lord for help. The Psalms acknowledge that God is sovereign. This morning I was reading Psalm…
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Words that Linger
In the last years of my Mom’s and my Dad’s life, they experienced memory loss. They struggled to remember names of friends and sometimes family members. But they remembered the words of hymns that they had sung over the years. There are hymns that linger in my memory, associated with…
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A Path of Life and Light
Life on earth is an adventure. We experience both joy and sorrow. Sometimes we encounter very difficult challenges—illness within the family, loss of a job, tragedies caused by extreme weather, death of a loved one. My brother’s illness was a crisis in my family. He was diagnosed with schizophrenia when…
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Curiosity and Possibility
We live in a time when it is important to have a positive attitude, despite the divisiveness in our culture. Is it possible to engage in a productive discussion with someone that holds a viewpoint we can’t understand? Perhaps . . . I am reading a book that encourages curiosity, Faith for…
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Truth and Violence
While continuing through the one year Bible, I am now in the book of Acts. Chapters 6 & 7 record events in Stephen’s life and death. The violence is both startling and tragic. Stephen was a man of faith, chosen to administer help for widows. First he was accused and…
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The Book for Our Time
On Wednesdays I meet with several women on zoom. We are studying the Psalms, reading a few during the week and meditating on them. We meet to discuss each Psalm and then spend time praying together. The Psalms tell the story of human life. There is joy and sorrow, conflict…
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Steadfast Love
How precious is your steadfast love, O God! Psalm 36:7
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Springtime Gardening: Flowers, Tomatoes and Berries
He made the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows its time for setting. Psalm 104:19 The weather has warmed and the trees are in blossom. The robins and cardinals visit my yard, while the rabbits munch on grass. The squirrels are busy doing acrobatic exercises in the trees and on…
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A Good Day?
Today is called Good Friday, but it was also day of incredible suffering. Jesus, who was without sin, was crucified for our sake. At church this evening, our Pastor read from the 23rd chapter of Luke. This chapter records eye witness accounts of the crucifixion. And when they came to the…
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When I Am Afraid
When I am afraid, I put my trust in you. Psalm 56:3 During the years that my son battled leukemia the Psalms were a comfort and a guide for me. I found permission to cry out to God with my questions and my pain. I kept praying, kept communicating with the Lord…