Karma is a... difficult thing...

When wronged by another, it is a natural human instinct to seek retribution.  We want the other person to admit they were wrong, we want to retaliate, we want, in short, for life to be fair.  But if you are over the age of ten, you have already learned the hard truth: life isn't fair.  Life doesn't even try to be fair.

Eye Lift

I was thinking earlier today about a favorite old movie, The Sound of Music.  The scene where Julie Andrews quotes one of her favorite verses for inspiration as the family sets out on their arduous journey across the alps to freedom never fails to inspire me.  The visual aspects are breathtaking, and her faith that they could accomplish the fearful flight safely with God's help is uplifting to me every time I view it.


The Psalm she recited was 121:1-2,  "A Song of Ascents. I will lift up my eyes to the hills - from whence comes my help?  My help comes from the LORD, who made heaven and earth."

The Shadow Valley...

This week in Kansas City, the public has been slapped in the face with the reality of mental illness.  A popular meteorologist who exuded bonhomie and enthusiasm on the air, was, in fact, struggling with his own personal demon, chronic depression.  The demon won, and he committed suicide this past Tuesday.  His family, to their credit, (a little late, but better late than never,) has asked us all to talk about the terminal illness which took his life.  I am happy to oblige, since it's a subject near and dear to me, having struggled with it myself since childhood.

Can you hear me now?

It is impossible to look at any human being and know what is in their heart and mind.  A calm exterior can hide a multitude of raging emotions, and dramatic ploys can cover a deadened internal life.  The closed door of the soul can be hiding raw pain, and the visceral reaction of a struggling person can be hidden by the superficialities of designer clothing and expensive trips.

Giving thanks...

Many of the holidays that people hold most dear to their hearts are religious, and thus, by their very nature, segregated from some part of the population.  For Christians, of which I am one, the biggest days of the year are, of course, Easter and Christmas, the two great beginnings of our faith and theology.  Jewish people have their high holy days, Rosh Hashanah and Hanukkah.  Muslims celebrate Eid Al-Fitr and Eid Al-Adha.  People of other faiths have their holy holidays, as well, but in all these celebrations, large parts of the population are left behind, left out, excluded.

Lighting a candle....

There is a moment during most Lutheran Christmas Eve services where we all light our little hand held candles, usually to the accompaniment of Silent Night.  It is a solemn and almost holy moment during the service, as you watch the light from one small candle spread and fill the packed sanctuary and sing the words that become so meaningful in that setting.

The best laid plans...

Although surprises can be fun, most of us do not want to be caught unaware about the big stuff in life.  We try to choose the perfect college, the perfect spouse, the perfect job, the perfect house. We want gifted children and a dog in the back yard, the picket fence and two cars in the garage.  We feel that we have our lives in order, that we have everything under control.

Signs of the times...

Since Jesus was swept up into heaven, leaving us with the promise of returning for his followers some day, people have been predicting the day and time of his return. It is easy to see the world as we wish to, and the most innocent of happenings can portend cataclysm, if that is what we are looking for. In Revelations 11:19 (NIV) we read, "Then God’s temple in heaven was opened, and within his temple was seen the ark of his covenant. And there came flashes of lightning, rumblings, peals of thunder, an earthquake and a severe hailstorm."

Hope for the hopeless....

In every life there comes a moment when we want to give up, when life is too much for us, and we are overwhelmed by the burdens we are carrying. [I am fond of saying that if God really didn't give us more than we could handle, he wouldn't have given us psychologists and prozac. But I digress.] The breaking point is different for everyone, of course. The weight of my burden may seem as nothing to someone carrying a different load. We will never fully understand anyone else's life because we cannot walk their mile, even if we put on the same shoes.

Blind sight

On a recent Saturday evening, I found my mind wandering during the sermon as I sat in our chilly sanctuary. I pulled my sweater tighter around me, and glanced around the church, taking in the sights and sounds of the evening. I observed, without really paying attention, the blind woman sitting in front of me. Her granddaughter was sitting next to her, and the little girl leaned against her and closed her eyes. Without hesitation, the woman stretched out her hand and laid it gently on the girl, drawing her into a casual embrace, in a natural movement.

Musical living....

Music is a powerful tool. Used by advertisers, directors, or producers, it can cause our hearts to beat faster or our blood to run cold. It can heighten the tension, or bring resolution in a frightening scene. Therapists use music to heal, and musicians use their craft to tell a story. A note of music can evoke the past as readily as the smell of fresh bread or the scent of your mother's perfume.

Silence of the Lamb...

I have read that about 75% of human beings are extroverts, people who draw their energy from interacting with others. They are fueled by their contact with people, building up their internal power supply by drawing on the electricity in the air surrounding the group. These interactions energize and kindle the fire within them, motivating and recharging their lives.

God's Love Story

On this tenth anniversary of the worst terrorist attack in our nation's history, it feels insincere for me to opine on an event to which I was, in most legitimate ways, a bystander. I didn't personally lose someone on that day. I wasn't there, I didn't experience the events first hand. I was with my Bible study group at our church 1200 miles away when the towers fell and the world as we knew it fell with them.

Living With Gratitude

Awhile ago, I was asked to write a short entry for a devotional booklet being distributed by my church. I didn't know what to say, but God gave me the words I finally shared. Since it is about one of my favorite verses, and I don't think I can really improve upon what I said then, I am including it here.

Where will you be counted?

Are you a conformer, or a transformer? In the New International Version, Romans 12:2 exhorts us, ‎"Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing and perfect will." For me, the power of those words is found in the conflict between transforming and conforming, and that is what I am pondering today.

Finding my purpose...

I started this blog because, as a member of the family of God, I seek to share my faith journey with others. I am not a theologian or a pastor or a super-Christian with lots of training and education and authority. I am one of you, in the pew, finding my way in the darkness with the rest of humanity. As I light my small candle, searching for truth and knowledge and understanding, I invite you to join me on the journey and share the light of The Word.

This is not intended to be a regular thing, with a set goal of publishing every day or every week or even every month. Rather, I will wait for God to inspire me to share my thoughts. When I rest on him, I never go wrong.

To God be the power and the glory. This is most certainly true.