Christmas is the season of splendor and brightness. Decorations are pleasing to the eye; gift giving a way to express our love; and parties that gather family and friends reminding us of the blessing of community. Of course above all, we celebrate the incarnation - the glorious birth of the…

Precious Jewel There is a delightful little fiction book on my shelf called The Princess and the Goblin, by George MacDonald. I would like to highlight a particular line: "The dew lay in round drops upon the leaves, and hung like tiny diamond earrings from the blades of grass about…

God Provides for Our Journey Some call it the inner audible voice of the Lord. It’s an experience of hearing a phrase or a sentence in your mind that you clearly perceive as His voice. It is one primary way by which God provides for our journey, especially in times…

Doubt and Faith Disbelief, mistrust, and skepticism are worlds apart from belief, assurance, and confidence. Yet we all must wrestle with these conflicting forces on the battlefield of our souls. Can doubt and faith really coexist, or do they take turns being in charge? Every disciple with any spiritual muscle…

Convergence In relationships, convergence speaks of a joining, connecting, merging of people. The concept of convergence crosses over into various areas,  such as in the realm of nature. The featured image on this blog is the city of Passau, Germany, where there is a confluence of three rivers. The middle…

Caretakers of the Tabernacle Imagine living during the time of Moses' Tabernacle - Israel's mobile "church" for over 400 years. God established it as His dwelling place, based on a very detailed blueprint given to Moses. And let them make Me a sanctuary, that I may dwell among them. According…

Vulnerable or Guarded? I once heard the question posed: When we spiritually self-protect, is it because we do not feel safe with God?  You’ve met those Christians that have lots of walls up, right?   Truth be told, every one of us has been called upon in life to defend ourselves from…

Artist's Palette I liken it to a "parachute of words" falling from above and landing in my mind. It doesn't happen often, which makes it more special. Here's a most recent occurrence: My personal and spiritual growth is the palette from which I add color and beauty to my marriage.…

Holiday movies have always been the custom in our family. One of my faves is The Miracle on 34th Street, circa 1947, in original black and white. The movie begins with the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade and culminates at Christmas. In our home, these are the bookends of the holiday…

Switchbacks In visiting our daughter recently in Colorado, we took a drive through a canyon road. If you've ever done any driving in the mountains, you are familiar with switchbacks. Here's the definition: "switchback" - a 180° bend in a road or path, especially one leading up the side of…