Sir Walter Scott was a Scottish author of novels, plays, and poems. In 1808 he wrote the poem “Marmion: A tale of Flodden Field.” In it he cleverly and skillfully pointed out the risk of telling falsehoods with the couplet: “Oh what a tangled web we weave/When first we practice to deceive.” Just as with … Continue reading The Tangled Web We Weave
We see it all around us: cars stolen, vehicles broken into; valuables stripped from a home or shop through break-in and entry; packages snatched from a front porch; retail merchandise slipped out of a store; someone’s identity information used in a fraudulent manner; take-overs of personal, corporate, and governmental online systems through hacking. The list … Continue reading I’ll Just Help Myself, Thank You!
Little girls pluck the petals from a flower and dream their way to the colorful last one. “He loves me. He loves me not,” they repeat. Middle school boys exhibit awkwardness when that certain someone is close by. Youths and adults seek companionship and intimacy. Everyone wants a love that will last a lifetime. The … Continue reading Faithfulness Within a Sacred Union
Genesis, the first book of Moses in the Holy Bible, tells us that God created the first man Adam from the dust of the earth and the first woman Eve from one of Adam’s ribs. We are also told that these first persons in the world were created in the image of the God who … Continue reading Disregard for the Image of God
Whether your mother and father are your biological parents or others who raised you, they are the reason you have life. Of course we know some did a better job at loving, protecting, and nurturing than others. It hasn’t been very long since my youngest adult child said to me, “Mom, thanks for giving me … Continue reading Those Who Gave Us Life
Although the term R&R has varying interpretations in different situations, a basic meaning is rest and recreation. Now, we all know what “rest” means. But wait a minute: how did you pronounce “recreation” in your head as you were reading? Did you say [RECK ree A shun]? Or did you say [REE kree A shun]? … Continue reading Making Time for R&R
What a person is named or called is a sensitive issue for many. What Mom or Dad thought was a unique and lovely name for their newborn may later cause that child to be ridiculed. A guy who is a “Jr.” may feel he can never be the achiever his Dad was. Some love nicknames. … Continue reading What’s In a Name ?
Today’s snippet blog post presents what I call the Second Lighthouse Lamp of a list of ten spiritual directives which anyone can use to give meaning and direction to life. The first was acknowledging and worshiping One God. The second, which we are looking at today, instructs us not to create and then worship the … Continue reading Creating Our Own Gods
The directives which are the basis of the Judeo-Christian tradition of reverence and worship of God, and also believers’ conduct, are found in the early writings of the Holy Bible. However, even those raised in this tradition sometimes are conflicted between wanting to do what they have been taught is ‘right’ and feeling constricted by … Continue reading Ancient Lamps Still Operational in a Modern World
Just as the beams from the lamp of a lighthouse cut through the nighttime sky to guide sea vessels safely to shore, so the Bible--God’s Holy Word--provides lamps to help us navigate this journey we call life. Today’s blog post begins a new snippet series. Each entry will be a 'lamp.' And each lamp will … Continue reading Lamps to Help Us See Our Way Through Life
As I am writing today, all across the United States of America, we are experiencing a new wave of hope as more than 50% of our adult population has now been vaccinated with one of the current Covid-19 vaccines: Moderna, Pfizer-BioNTech, and Johnson and Johnson/Janssen. As a result, restrictions on spectators for sports and other … Continue reading Steps to Finding Hope Again
I want to share with you something a friend of mine said recently to me, “The virus is global, but God is universal.” Maybe she was quoting someone. I don’t know. But her words did make me pause to reflect on my belief in a Higher Being and how this belief affects my response to … Continue reading Finding Personal Equilibrium in a Chaotic World
When my younger daughter was growing up, for a period of time, she had hanging from the doorknob to her bedroom a sign which said: KEEP OUT! BUT KEEP ON LOVIN’! My mother, in particular, thought this was quite amusing. During these times when so many are are continuing to isolate themselves to help contain … Continue reading Keep Out! But Keep on Lovin’!
By the spring of 2019, my first musical composition for choir had survived the serious inspection of my church music director. After I had done much editing of the score, my song--whose lyrics and melody had been in a folder for many years prior--was deemed worthy of public performance by his trained eyes and ears. … Continue reading Sing Hallelujah, Give Him Your Heart!
I recently shared two blog posts about memories my two daughters had on the early influence of music in their lives. Since there always is a bit of rivalry among siblings, I thought I’d better write a blog post about music in the life of my first-born child, a son. So, that’s what you are … Continue reading Jumpin’ Back Into Music Performance
We see a wide-eyed little girl, maybe six or so, in a church worship service. She’s standing next to her mother in a pew at the left side of the sanctuary, very close to the pianist whose fingers move adroitly over the keys of the ebony baby grand piano. The child’s eyes shift from the … Continue reading Vibrant Vibes: A Musical Phenomenon
When my children were little, we always had lots of music in our home. One of my adult daughters recently reminded me of one of those times. She said she remembered watching me play a lively upbeat pop tune on piano and sing words about putting a nickel into something called a nickelodeon. She told … Continue reading Music’s Magic Healing Place
As the Coronavirus has become pandemic, spreading over our world, I’m going to share with you what I hope will be words of encouragement when the routines of our daily lives are being turned upside down. I see three essentials to surviving chaos. And those essentials are faith, hope, and love. I’m going to quote … Continue reading Three Essentials to Surviving Chaos
Recently I tuned into “Today with Hoda and Jenna” on NBC as I was eating my late breakfast. It was International Holocaust Remembrance Day, January 21—and in 2021 the 76th anniversary of the liberation of the Polish concentration and extermination camp Auschwitz-Birkenau. It caught my attention as I remembered the extreme sadness I felt when … Continue reading Would You Hide Me?
"The Hole in My Heart" by Connie Carlisle Polley The hole in my heart will never be filled Yet someday will be not so deep, not so fresh. Someday my body’s shivering deep chill With returning embrace and kiss will be met. So I’ll not lose hope even though I weep. Goodness will help me … Continue reading The Hole in My Heart
English—“Do to others as you would have them do to you." Luke 6:31 NIV (The Holy Bible, New International Version 2011) Français—«Faites pour les autres ce que vous voulez qu’ils fassent pour vous.» Luc 6 :31 PDV (La Sainte Bible, Parole de Vie 2017) Español—«Hagan ustedes con los demás como quieren que los demás hagan con … Continue reading A North Star Worthy of Following
Have you ever started out on a road trip knowing the highway you were going to take, but not quite sure how many miles you were going to travel, or exactly what would become your final destination? This was the kind of journey the “Magi,” or Wise Men from the East” found themselves on as … Continue reading A Journey Full of Hope
I don't know if the number or the monetary value of your Christmas, Hanukkah, or other Winter Holiday presents is different this year than in years past. Perhaps your financial situation is insecure due to the ramifications of the spread of the Coronavirus. Maybe you are feeling down that you cannot provide those holiday gifts … Continue reading Family and Friends Are the Best Presents
A few years ago one of my daughters gave me a gorgeous ceramic piece which had been crafted by an artist friend. It was strictly decorative, not utilitarian; which is fine because art can serve the purpose of lifting our spirits, causing us to reflect perhaps introspectively, or encouraging our minds toward how we might … Continue reading Imperfect But Still Beautiful
English—“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever.” Psalm 107:1 NIV (The Holy Bible, New International Version 2011) Français—<<Dites merci au SEIGNEUR, car il est bon, et son amour est pour toujours!>> Psaume 107:1 PDV (La Sainte Bible, Parole de Vie 2017) Español—<<Den gracias al Señor, porque él es bueno, … Continue reading Give Thanks!
There are times when life can become overwhelming. The sense of not being able to shoulder alone what is being thrown at you is very real for all of us at one time or another. It may be the loss of a loved one. Or losing one’s job. Struggling with health issues. Betrayal of a … Continue reading Carrying Each Other’s Burdens
One of my climbing red rose bushes this year developed a really thick stem with huge prickly thorns for practically its entire length of about four feet. That started me to think about the thorns we are enduring in our daily lives which have been turned topsy-turvy in 2020 as we react to COVID-19, economic … Continue reading Enduring Thorns
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