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There is a beautiful flowering bush blooming outside my window. It is filled with white flowers from top to bottom. We have had this bush for many years. I always find it a wonder when it is in full bloom, especially because just a few weeks earlier, all it had to show for itself was some bare branches. I have to admit that while I would love to always be blooming, I often go through a lot of bare-branched days. As one person said, “Every flower blooms in its own time.” It’s

“Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; his love endures forever… When hard pressed, I cried to the Lord; he brought me into a spacious place. The Lord is with me; I will not be afraid… I will not die but live, and will proclaim what the Lord has done… The stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes. The Lord has done it this very day; let us rejoice today and be glad. Give thanks to the Lord, for he is goo

“My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?… All who see me mock me; they hurl insults, shaking their heads. “He trusts in the Lord,” they say, “let the Lord rescue him.” … I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint…My mouth is dried up like potsherd, and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth; you lay me in the dust of death… All my bones are on display; people stare and gloat over me. They divide my clothes around them and cast lots for my garments… All

“ I have a message from God in my heart concerning the sinfulness of the wicked: There is no fear of God before their eyes…The words of their mouths are wicked and deceitful; they fail to act wisely or do good…Your love, Lord, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies. Your righteousness is like the highest mountains, your justice like the great deep…How priceless is your unfailing love, O God!” (v1-2, 5-7) This is a very timely psalm. Our lives may be different

“Out of the depths I cry to you, Lord; Lord, hear my voice. Let your ears be attentive to my cry for mercy. I wait for the Lord, my whole being waits, and in his word I put my hope…for with the Lord is unfailing love and with him is full redemption.” (v 1,2,5,7) In the eight verses of Psalm 130, the name Lord appears eight times. We see that suffering is real and that God is a real presence in it. God brings forgiveness (v4), hope (v5,7), plenteous redemption (v7, KJV), and l

“You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows.” (v5) Psalm 23 is a beautiful declaration of God’s love and care. Goodness and mercy come not only at the end of the psalm, but run all the way through, encouraging us to be confident in God’s presence with us. It is interesting to notice the language in the psalm. It begins in the third person: “He is my shepherd”. “He makes me lie down in green pastures”. David tell

I love the word listen. I want to be a good listener and grow into a better one. That could be part of the secret of listening. Psychologist David Benner points out that most people already think they are good listeners. That may be part of the problem. Just because we hear doesn't mean that we have heard. You may be familiar with the parable of the sower that Jesus shares with his followers. Have you noticed that it is about listening? Jesus ends the parable saying “Consider

“O come, let us sing to the Lord…Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving…For the Lord is a great God…He is our God, and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O that today you would listen to his voice! Do not harden your hearts.” (Psalm 95:1,2,3,7,8) I was in a church choir years ago. I remember we sang an anthem based on Psalm 95. It was a joyful, upbeat song. I often think of that when I turn to Psalm 95. However, as you stay with the Psalm, i

I lift up my eyes to the mountains — where does my help come from? My help comes from the Lord, the Maker of heaven and earth… The Lord watches over you — the Lord is your shade at your right hand; the sun will not harm you by day, nor the moon by night… The Lord will watch over your coming and going, both now and forevermore. (Psalm 121: 1-2; 5-6; 8, NIV) “You can learn to live carefree before God. He is most careful with you.” (IPet 5:7 MSG) There is something we all have i

“I will instruct you and teach you in the way you should go; I will counsel you with my loving eye on you. Do not be like the horse or the mule, which have no understanding but must be controlled by bit and bridle or they will not come to you. Many are the woes of the wicked, but the Lord’s unfailing love surrounds the one who trusts in him. Rejoice in the Lord and be glad.” Psalm 32: 8-11a “When we align ourselves more closely with God, he finds pleasure in this, and we fi

Please join me in a Lenten Journey meditating on the Psalms. We will look at one psalm each week. Together we will reflect on God’s word and let it be a part of our day and our life - a strength and a trustworthy guide to light the way forward. How it will work. Short Psalm Reflections will be shared on Monday. During Holy Week, I will share a Psalm on Good Friday and Easter Sunday. The Psalms selected will be from the Revised Common Lectionary. As I looked at the collection

An old song refrain came to mind as I thought about the word ‘ stay’ : “Should I stay or should I go?” By this time of year, you may want to go away from the goals, intentions, or plans you made when the new year started.” Stay with yourself. Stay with your best thoughts. Stay with your good goal or with the thing you need to do. As the old saying goes - stay the course . It is not only resolutions that may prompt us to go. There seems to be something in us that wants what’s

“Even now,” declares the Lord, “return to me with all your heart” Joel 2:12a Lent is a season of preparation that invites you to grow closer to God. Each season of your life invites you to change how you live. It can be moving from warm coats and boots to short sleeves and sandals. The change can also be more personal as you welcome a baby, send a child off to school, begin a new job, learn to live with a new diagnosis or without someone you love. It takes time to move thro

Waiting is something we all have in common. We wait for small things, like the stoplight to change, or big things, like medical test results. We wait for milestones like a child's first steps, graduation, or marriage. We wait for a provision or a resolution. We wait for answers or clarity. We wait, sometimes knowing the answers we receive may change everything. It’s not easy to wait. One writer shared, “Waiting is essentially a matter of being — stopping, sitting, listening,