Television reveals the horrors: smoking ruins, shattered lives, loved ones lost, distraught survivors. Voices drone: retaliation, anthrax, fears of hijacking and destruction. Bombs drop, troops search for terrorists. There are wars and rumors of wars. Walking in the woods, all this recedes. Nature’s orchestra plays a peaceful melody, directed by an unseen hand. The windContinue reading “After 9-11”
Author Archives: nancyhamiltonsturm
Vacuuming the Carpet
As I vacuum the carpet, the motion and humming of the machine soothes me. Hungrily, it picks up dirt and debris from the floor. The bits of torn paper and the little clumps of dirt are whisked away by its wind. With nothing on my mind but the cleaning, I ponder the hidden dirt theContinue reading “Vacuuming the Carpet”
Tapping Along
After many years of participating in tap classes, I’m still loving them. For me, everything about the experience is positive. I meet new friends, get some exercise, and challenge myself to learn something new. At times, I must admit, I find my head spinning with so many new steps and terms: shuffle, flap, buffalo, brush,Continue reading “Tapping Along”
A Woodland Sanctuary
As I walked the nature trails, I wandered off the beaten path. Large toadstools nestled under a grove of blue spruce trees attracted my attention. Pushing aside branches, I walked fifteen feet, entering a small clearing. The ground, carpeted with years of accumulated needles, felt soft beneath my feet. A chorus of crickets broke theContinue reading “A Woodland Sanctuary”
A Leafy Canopy
The nature trails near my city home meander through the woods. Beneath overarching branches of walnut, cottonwood, ash, and others, I walk in shade, the leafy canopy protecting me from the summer’s heat. Here I enjoy temperatures ten degrees cooler than the sunnier pathways. As I walk, I listen for broken twigs, alerting me toContinue reading “A Leafy Canopy”
Sermon Snippet
In the sermon snippets, I’ll share words of wisdom from a sermon of my pastor’s. “But the wisdom that comes from heaven is first of all pure; then peace-loving, considerate, submissive, full of mercy and good fruit, impartial and sincere.” James 3:17 (NIV) Here are a few take-aways from my pastor’s sermon over James 3:17.Continue reading “Sermon Snippet”
Rivers of Peace
In a world torn by conflicts, disease, and war, people seek peace. Even in our homes, peace at times seems elusive. Couples bicker and divorce, siblings argue and fight. The book of Isaiah sheds light on peace: “If only you had paid attention to my commands, your peace would have been like a river” (48:18aContinue reading “Rivers of Peace”
Sharing the Light
“We draw people to Christ not by loudly discrediting what they believe or by telling them how wrong they are and how right we are, but by showing them a light that is so lovely that they want with all their heart to know the source of it.” Madeleine L’Engle Lord, divert my focus fromContinue reading “Sharing the Light”
Our God Restores
Our God Restores “Make me hear joy and gladness, that the bones You have broken may rejoice.” Psalm 51:8 My heart breaks for our country. It’s broken, divided along political lines, along racial lines. Angry hearts, pointing fingers, violence and divisiveness separate us. Broken bones. Broken hearts. God of restoration, heal our land, knit togetherContinue reading “Our God Restores”
The Caterpillar’s Change
Picture the caterpillar: its tiny legs work furiously, and its belly nearly drags the earth as it inches along, crawling from plant to plant, contentedly munching its leafy green diet. But one day the caterpillar changes. It stops eating and spins a cocoon where it stays, snug and secure. Eventually, it emerges, totally changed. FormerlyContinue reading “The Caterpillar’s Change”
Growing Our Faith Together 