Category Archives: Christian devotion

A Child’s First Steps

Do you remember watching a baby learn to walk?  First, she holds Mom’s hand tightly, walking with the reassurance of that grip.  Soon she lets go, taking tentative steps on her chubby legs.  Back and forth she walks, from Mom to Dad and back to Mom. She has complete confidence; her parents will protect her. Continue reading “A Child’s First Steps”

Inheriting the Treasure

When my parents died, they left my brothers and me all their worldly treasures.  Fortunately for us, they had planned well.  They left a will, named an executor, and had their investments and savings earmarked as payable on death to us. Even though they planned carefully, we have waded through rivers of red tape toContinue reading “Inheriting the Treasure”

New Growth

I love springtime!  Overnight the world changes from dull, dry, and dead to colorful, vibrant, and alive.  The trees, which stretched their bare arms heavenward all winter, are blessed with a pale green blush.  The Bradford pear tree in the front yard nods its white, blooming head gently in the spring breezes.  Yesterday, the grassContinue reading “New Growth”

Hope

In my mind’s eye I see the car rolling up the highway. I hear the whine of the tires as they eat up the road. From the outside, all is calm. Inside, turmoil. Inside, parents clinging to their Jesus, seeking His wisdom. Desperately seeking His wisdom. They drive on, heading to the institution far away,Continue reading “Hope”

Hope

Hope is the thing That pushes its head through the earth, Unfurling its pale green For all to see. It’s the expectation of blooms, Unwinding from a tiny bud, Blooms more vibrant and colorful Than imagination. Hope is the realization that dead, shriveled things,  long buried in the ground, Will one day rise again  toContinue reading “Hope”

First Kiss

Frost has kissed the forest.  Leaves and grasses have succumbed to its deadly touch. Yellow and brown leaves flutter from the trees. The stream is littered with autumn’s golden snowfall. As I wander off the soft, sandy trail, my feet crunch noisily through the leafy debris.  Looking up, I see trees lifting dark, barren branchesContinue reading “First Kiss”

The Stagnant Pond

The Stagnant Pond All is still. Cars scurry by on nearby 13th street, rushing off to their various destinations. Sitting here at the park I hear the distant laughter of children playing A basketball bounces off the cement court; the clang as it hits the backboard echoes across the grass to where I walk AContinue reading “The Stagnant Pond”

Swinging the Sword

The story is familiar. On the night Judas betrayed Jesus, an armed crowd came at night to arrest him. To protect his master, Peter “reached for his sword, drew it out and struck the servant of the high priest, cutting off his ear” (Matthew 26: 26:51). The loyal disciple attempted to save Jesus with violence.Continue reading “Swinging the Sword”

Spiritual Wrestling

Spiritual Wrestling The once gray skies have cleared, and the dome above me is bright blue. I look away from the mirror-like lake, up at the trees. The thin white branches dotted with their remaining yellow leaves highlight the brightness of the blue autumn sky: a 65 degree treat on a fall day. Lying onContinue reading “Spiritual Wrestling”