Suddenly Still
Stillness is a shock to the system. The screeching of tires, the squealing of wheels, the swerving and maneuvering to get out of the way. When the smoke clears and the dust settles, it takes a bit of righting to find balance. Turns out, forward momentum can keep you upright through pretty much any squall, but stillness…now […]
The Writing is On the Wall
Does anyone here read cursive? Apparently they’re not teaching it to most elementary school students these days. This has created quite a stir and not a small amount of dissension among ‘old-timers’ who don’t want this stalwart to go and ‘new-timers’ who say its time has passed. Recently, scientists have suggested that script hand-writing, with its flow of […]
Use Your Words
Two kids play in the sandbox until one wants the toy the other has and helps himself. Dispossessed kid shoves the other to reclaim the toy. “Use your words, child!” Happy family out to dinner and the time is getting late. Junior fidgets, whines then tantrums. “Use your words, child!” Children changing classes through crowded halls. One […]
What is your place of abiding?
“Jesus came for a far more radically transforming purpose than to serve as a role model. Jesus came to invite us into a living relationship with him, to abide, live and move in his spirit, as the branch abides in the living vine. Just as the bird does not imitate the air or the fish […]
My Creative Process
Here goes: Begin with “You are loved, whether you produce anything today or not.” Your offering is already acceptable. You have brought yourself to this day. Surround yourself with the things you enjoy, people you love and the things you love to do. Begin. If it flows, continue. If not, set it aside and begin again. […]
There’s an Invisible Man Under My Sticky Notes!
Is there an invisible man in your life? Hiding under your bed Behind your curtains In the shower Under the covers Behind the wheel of your car? These are all places I’ve gone looking. Not really searching But definitely seeking. Where thoughts can drift and ideas jump out at you. Sometimes they startle and you […]
Good Grief, Multiplied
A dear friend has died. She gave her life to her family, her friends, her church, her God. She had given everything but the last of herself, and now she has given that. In his book, Life of the Beloved, Henri Nouwen says, “In the giving we are chosen, blessed and broken not simply for our own […]
A scrap of paper, blank and waiting
“A blank piece of paper is God’s way of telling us how hard it is to be God.” ~ Sidney Shelton And so it is, isn’t it, my writing friends? To sit before a blank page, a blank screen, or an empty note card. Even a blank day on the calendar seems overwhelming in possibilities […]
Join Your Life, Already in Progress
“I have so many choices facing me right now, Guiding God…I listen for your voice. I listen with an open heart. I trust that you will guide me to the right choices. In this trusting, I am going to move out in faith and open the doors in front of me… Ever present God, the […]
Fear is fun to blame
~ from Jon Acuff today ~ A few months ago I had a conversation with my wife Jenny at our dinner table. Here’s how it went: Jon: I’m too afraid to write this book. Jenny: No, you’re too lazy, but fear is fun to blame because then it’s not your fault. Jon (and the chorus of millions): Grenade. […]