Looking for truth through fallible eyes
See is believing, right? Well, yes and no. I was talking with an elderly man who has been colorblind since, well, at least the 10th grade. That’s when they discovered it. When they showed his class the disk with the pixels and everyone else saw 9. He saw 27. He’s red-green colorblind which is, apparently, the […]
The power of the in-articulated pause
Articulated = having two or more sections connected by a flexible joint. (hinged, jointed, segmented) (of an idea or feeling) expressed; put into words. (“the lack of a clearly articulated policy”) Madeleine L’Engle has called this to my attention in A Circle of Quiet. Our our speech has been infiltrated by articulations in our pauses. […]
What is God-willing anyway?
“God-willing.” I hear it all the time. Sometimes I hear it from me. What is God-willing? And what have I got to do with it? Jesus taught us to pray, “Thy will be done…” But somehow we have adapted this as an in-case-it-doesn’t-happen strategy. I’m asking for this, specifically, but if it doesn’t come out the […]
Stamped in Red Letters
Just discovered this teacher’s stamp in my desk drawer. I twisted the the knob to scroll through the rubber words. There was still some red ink on the ones most used: VERY GOOD and EXCELLENT. What if God had a stamper like this? If I received my life back stamped in Red Letters, how would […]
Sizing up Big Prayers
September 11th – I can’t draw a deep breath on my run this morning. Even the air is sullen with the anniversary of the day. I leave the house at 9:12am in a salute to its memory. Their memory. And the conversation – with God – begins. Please, send peace. Please, don’t ever let this […]
Complaint-free for 21 days
No complaining. Period. For 21 days in a row. That’s the challenge that has been issued to folks at Floris UMC for the month of September by our pastor. Him included. We are wearing purple wrist bands to remind us of our pledge and to help us keep tabs. Every time we complain we must […]
Intellectual Property
How do I claim what I know? That may sound silly but it is the topic of my conversation with Jodi, my law student daughter. This is on my mind because, as a blogger and fitness professional in this age of the internet, I give lots of stuff away. Intellectual stuff. You tempt and tease […]
Wired for storytelling
Some UVA scientists have “discovered” something: “the human brain is wired to connect with others so strongly that we experience what they experience as if it’s happening to us.” Really? People who read books discovered this eons ago. We see what the protagonist sees, hear what she hears, feel what she feels. It’s the magic […]
How heavy is my daily bread?
I love bread. Especially, the apple scrapple from the Great Harvest Bakery. The chewy goodness of baked white bread (whole wheat doesn’t do it for me) mixed with apple and cinnamon. I eat it in great chunks on the way home from the store. Handfuls ripped right off the loaf, crumbs falling all over the […]
Debts or Trespasses?
Do we forgive our debtors or those who trespass against us? I have wondered this from a young age, probably stemming from the moment of mortification when I said “trespasses” and EVERYONE else in the sanctuary said “debts.” Who knew that people memorized a 2000 year old prayer differently? I mean, there are quote marks. […]