I go to prepare a place for you
Until that which we write, we think, we pray, comes to life, we are noisy gongs and clanging cymbals. This is the pre-Easter world, the pre-Easter us. Oh, the list. Thank God, the baby Jesus was born into a smelly stable. At least He knew what He was getting himself into, or at least He […]
Life story, a poem
Art exposes. Love discloses. Hate hides. Fear folds. Power peeks, then peers, then prevails. Humility holds. Rest redeems. Quiet waits. Art explodes.
In Sync
Imagine walking into a room full of people, totally unannounced, and having one remark, “Ah, it’s amazing what prayer can do!” And they meant you. They didn’t know you were coming. Had no idea to expect you. They weren’t looking for someone to save or rescue them; they were just fine before you came. Yet, […]
Re-LENT-ing
You don’t need to do more; just take more time with the things you’re doing. This rings in my ears as I ready things for my day. It is my regular plea to the woman who comes and cleans on Fridays. She rushes through, banging and clanking, piling up and going around. There seems to […]
The Binary System: A Simple Guidance System
Life would be so much simpler if everything were worth one point. Every good deed (+1). Every wrong word (-1). Every worship attendance (+1). Every devotional time (+1). Every evil thought (-1). Every angry “take that” response (-1). Every exasperated “it’s about time” (-1). Every “I can’t believe he…” (-1). Every “he can’t be trusted” (-1). […]
Post-it note promptings
Sometimes I feel like God speaks to me in sticky notes. At times when there is so much to say, there are so many ideas to consider, or there’s no time to write it all down, I scribble the gist of it on sticky notes. On these occasions, my paper or my journal page or […]
Gotcha! not
I turn to write on the board and I hear it behind me. The scampering of feet, shuffling of desks, of papers, of books. Looking over my shoulder, nothing is amiss. Every student in his place. Every desk in its space. The smiles of sweetness greet me. “Yes, Dr. LeBolt?” I shake my head in […]
Is wall maintenance worth the cost?
It takes a lot of energy to maintain a barricade. You’ve got to keep reinforcing the mortar, keep patching the holes, keep building it higher and deeper and wider. Maybe if you camouflage it with some greenery and shrubs, people won’t notice it and they’ll stop trying to get through it. Maybe they’ll leave you […]
If my life is a single statement, then
“A human life is a single statement.” ~ Howard Thurman (in With Head and Heart) Isn’t that a fascinating thought in light of … “In the beginning was the Word and the Word was with God and the Word was God…All things came into being through him.” ~ John 1:1-3 And “In the beginning when God […]
Transparent but not invisible
I don’t know much about art. The arts appreciation sessions of my youth were probably mostly lost on me. Oh, I can describe what I see: the colors, the form, the brush strokes, the character, his expression, her touch. Perhaps, if the artist is clever I can even sense three dimensions even though the canvas […]