Have you ever let your mind wander into what Eden would have been like… if the goodness of creation in Genesis chapters 1 and 2 remained and the fall never happened? Yesterday I wrote that it is often difficult to stop and see creation without the shadow of sin darkening the view. And while I … Continue reading In awe and wonder: hidden
In awe and wonder: Creation
"I made this!” Speaking honestly, there isn’t much in life that I’ve created that has given me great joy. Or perhaps it's more accurate to say there isn't much in life I've created that has given me lasting joy. Very limited times that my culinary creations or writing pieces have me saying, “Wow, that is … Continue reading In awe and wonder: Creation
In awe and wonder…
Over the years Advent has become an expected part of our family life each December. We’ve grown in our desire to make this time special, memorable even, with personal devotions, family reading times, Jesse Tree ornaments, or candle displays. Why? Because intentionally preparing for the coming of Christ gives us greater context and appreciation for … Continue reading In awe and wonder…
at the junction
There is beauty in the glow of the setting sun and life found in the barren autumn landscape. And in its unique position, in the thick of autumn, Thanksgiving then is the bridge between the summer’s harvest leading to the winter’s silence. Thanksgiving sits in the echoes… the reverberating echoes of the past triumphs and … Continue reading at the junction
Wednesdays with Jillene: eliminating the periphery
A heavy fog settled in thick this morning. a heavy… enveloping… stillness  Suspended droplets of water seeming to grow in intensity swallowed the normal landscape whole and replaced it with disorienting fuzzy, whiteness. and it was beautiful… even more so as I realized what I could see in the absence of the periphery. Do … Continue reading Wednesdays with Jillene: eliminating the periphery
what we’d rather skip over
I read quickly, especially when I'm enraptured with a book and I need to know what is going to happen and I need to know it now. I can devour several hundred page books faster than I ought. I also don't read every word. In an effort to maximize time and minimize the uncomfortable delay in finding … Continue reading what we’d rather skip over
searching for the melody
It may have been a few years now since I last played in the orchestra, was featured in band solos, sang with the choir, or performed in musicals... yet, I keenly remember the moments in songs when the melody was lost, the tempo in shambles, the song falling to pieces, the director seemingly unable to … Continue reading searching for the melody
How well can you see?
Hearing the phrase, "This is 20/20" has been a staple of American life for decades as the TV Show 20/20 made it popular. And on December 31, 2019, Barbara Walters' famous voice rang in the new year finally bringing the reality that "This is 2020!" to all of us! well played, 2020... well played... The … Continue reading How well can you see?
song of ascents
It sure seems the last few months have been a journey, an especially long one with both destination and expected time of arrival unknown. Lately I've felt we're on a pilgrimage that we didn't quite expect to go this way. Yet, when we live a life of faith we know that every moment is sacred, … Continue reading song of ascents
Wednesdays with Jillene: destination satisfaction (when you have nowhere to go)
What do you do when you live by destination satisfaction but you have nowhere to go? (I'm not talking about tourism but you know, now that I think about it, there are similarities.) Destination Satisfaction: Looking for satisfaction or fulfillment found in the next destination, activity, possession, or accomplishment. Our current experience of the world … Continue reading Wednesdays with Jillene: destination satisfaction (when you have nowhere to go)
Thin Moments 