Tales from the Crip

“This disciple is the one who testifies to these events and has recorded them here. And we know that his account of these things is accurate.”‭‭John‬ ‭21‬:‭24‬ ‭ It’s been a long haul. Appointments, visits with strangers while waiting for said appointments, technicians, kindness from total strangers, oddities while maneuvering in awkward situations, an immediate

Great Expectations

“But Naaman became angry and stalked away. “I thought he would certainly come out to meet me!” he said. “I expected him to wave his hand over the leprosy and call on the name of the Lord his God and heal me!”‭‭2 Kings‬ ‭5‬:‭11‬ But I thought – Sigh. I thought I’d be walking without

Feeling the Love

“But God showed his great love for us by sending Christ to die for us while we were still sinners.”‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭8‬ ‭ The heavy fog every night lately has done wonders for the view in these parts. Magical feathers of rime frost, built layer upon layer, have turned the landscape into a winter wonderland to

Accessibility

“Because of our faith, Christ has brought us into this place of undeserved privilege where we now stand, and we confidently and joyfully look forward to sharing God’s glory.”‭‭Romans‬ ‭5‬:‭2‬ ‭ Just before Christmas I enrolled in a new course. It was a surprise, last minute addition to my goals of lifelong learning. Because of

Running Over and Poured Into Your Lap

“Give, and you will receive. Your gift will return to you in full—pressed down, shaken together to make room for more, running over, and poured into your lap. The amount you give will determine the amount you get back.””‭‭Luke‬ ‭6:38‬ Frost was predicted. It was time. To pick grapes, that is. With frost comes damage

Waiting for Wisteria

“I am counting on the Lord; yes, I am counting on him. I have put my hope in his word.”‭‭Psalms‬ ‭130:5‬ ‭ I don’t like to brag, but lookee here! Wisteria! Well, sort of. I can see that I should start at the beginning from your puzzled looks. It is wisteria. Wisteria is that gorgeous

The Garden

“Then the Lord God planted a garden in Eden in the east, and there he placed the man he had made.”‭‭Genesis‬ ‭2:8‬ ‭ This is my garden. Well, part of it. It’s been a work in progress for over 20 years. I plan. I plant. I dig up. I replant. I weed. I trim, prune,

Where Rain Comes From

“Ask the Lord for rain in the spring, for he makes the storm clouds. And he will send showers of rain so every field becomes a lush pasture.”‭‭Zechariah‬ ‭10:1‬ ‭ It rained! Seriously! It rains every spring, you may be thinking. No biggie. It’s just water. But – last spring it didn’t rain. Hardly rained

Seeing Swans

“Be thankful in all circumstances, for this is God’s will for you who belong to Christ Jesus.”‭‭1 Thessalonians‬ ‭5:18‬ ‭ I almost missed it. I was driving at the time, so my eyes were on the road. (A good thing, I’m sure you’ll agree.) So there I was, minding my own business, when I happened

The Boat Bath (AKA ‘Oh We of Little Faith’)

“Jesus knew what they were saying, so he said, “You have so little faith! Why are you arguing with each other about having no bread?”‭‭Matthew‬ ‭16:8‬ ‭ See that? It’s our dugout. It’s the reason our boat took a bath and needed – er, a gentle rescue. The whole thing was pretty unexpected, given the